Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-11
GERMANS SHOWN
HOW T0CRUSH u. S.
EdeIsheim's 1901 Book Claim
ed American Trade Expan-
sion Could Be Stopped
ONLY BY FORCE OF ARMS

Special Cablegram to The Star.
PARIS, February 10.-A plan Tor tne
invasion of the United States ana us
subsection by German armies Is found IN
a brochure by Baron Franz Won Edei-
sheim, captain of the I'd Regiment OF
Uhlans Of the Guard. extracts OF Whlch
have been published here.
The brochure is not the fantastic dream
Of pan-Germanist who has read II. u.
Wells; on the contrary. it has been rec
commended for reading in the most
authoritative circles of German kultur
1t is edited by the propaganda committee
of military and naval circles Of Germany
and was published in Berlin in 1901.
Can End It by Force.
Baron Won Edelsheim declares with
simplicity that the commercial expansion
Of the United States Is beginning to lrrl-
tate Germany considerably and that 1t is
only by force of arms that that situa-
ton can be ended. He does not hide the
statement that Germany can mobilize her
strength with extraordinary rapidly and.
possessing large fleet of transports Is
the only power in the world capable OF
menacing the United States.
In this plan Of campaign. which Is quite
a special one, the author removes at the
outset the American marine, Wnich, nav,
ing an extended coast to DEFEND woula
certainly not dare, in his opinion, to FISK
fight in the open sea and wouio seek
refuge in various ports.
AS to the army, Baron Won Edelsheim
says it would not embrace more than
100, 900 men and would be easily put to
rout by Simultaneous German attacks at
different points located at a great dis
lance from one another and by propa-
ganda we'll organized in the interior. the
author says, to concentrate sufficient
forces at any place to resist invasion.
Would Crush With Penalties.
America would be forced to submit to
the German conditions Of peace, the cap
tain declares. for. having in our power
a number of American ports. we would
strangle the centers from which con-
verge all the arteries Of American life.
We would destroy all public buildings.
banks and business houses. cut off all
supplies from the civil population, levy
enormous contributions and crush every
body with penalties.
The foregoing will evidently bring
laugh. as LIE Matin says. but one must
admit that If the Germans could do what
they wanted to they would in fact be. as
Won Edelsheim says. the only real men
ace to the United States.
Military and naval observers here point
out that even II Germany had free
hand to strike at the United States the
known superiority of the American first
line ships would probably lead to de-
cisive engagement between the two main
fleets. While the United States Is de-
ficient in battle cruisers and in lighter
craft for use in scouting and screening
operations. her battleship class is: YES
sci for vessel, considerably superior to
the corresponding German units.
Probably Near West Indies.
The scene of this engagement it is
pointed out, would undoubtedly be laid
in the vicinity of the West Indies. The
German feet could not operate at a
long distance from home without first
establishing a base on the American
side of the Atlantic. 1t would be i'm
practicable to establish this base on the
Atlantic coast. because of the mine and
submarine defenses which would be
employed against the attempt, and be-
interior even If the first attempt were
successful.
The American main fleet, it is believ-
ed, would therefore attempt to meet and
annihilate the German feet before it
could seize a base in the West Indies.
1t would have the advantage of meet
ing it's enemy after he had travelled
across the Atlantic. and 1t would be in
vastly better condition, because 1t would
be near it's own supply and coaling
base at Guantanamo.
Coal miners in Georgia have received
a 10 per cent increase in pay.