New Britain herald., 1918-09-07
Germans FeaN hvasion.
Charlotte Observer)


 It is a comfort to know that the
 German mind in recent days has be-
 come troubled over the question of
 AIlFed invasion of German territory
 That Germany should ever be laid
 open to the possibility of invasion by
 the armles of any country was a mat 1 ter that had never been seriously
 considered by the German Govern
 ment or people. It had no place in 1 Germany's plans for the precipita- 1 ton, prosecution and winding up of 1 the war. Developments since Aug
 ust 1914, have afforded abundant evi- dcnce of the fact that Germany had i dreamed and planned for years past
 Tor swift overcoming of Great Brit am and France, and the first part of ! the program met with all the success 1 Germany had figured on. The smash l ing through unsuspecting Belgium i was an eventuality that had been ] carefully prepared for. Germany : knew the location of every opposing 1 fort with which the Belgian border l had been equipped-forts which the 1 Government of Belgium believed inn l passable, because they were built of i concrete and steel and were indeStruc- i tlbIe by any engines of warfare then l known to military SCienCe-Or so it 1 was believed. But Germany had talk 1 en note of these forts and the char acter of their construction and Ger many proceeded to make the guns 1 that would do the work Outside of Imperial Government circles and the Krupp works none knew that these formidable engines of war were in process of making.
 Weapons of the sort had never been i TlyrEr, <NC
 not only conceived the gun-they had gone further and selected positions these guns should take for the swift and complete demolition of the Bel gian defences, while Belgium was sleeping in fancied security. The Belgian forts were reduced according to German engineering calculations and the German army swept through that country and on to Paris aCCOrd- ing to well-arranged program. Great Britain and France however, got into action and though they were unpre- pared to cope with the German war machine either in men or guns, they held the Hun at bay, blocking his plans for swift and complete con- quest until the United States could come to the rescue. That having been done, a change came over the German dream of world mastery. One hope after another has been aban- doncd, until now the matter of pre- venting an invasion of German terri tory by the Allies has become the chief concern of the German War Lords. Prisoners taken in recent days have disclosed this fact. They have declared that what they had seen of the destruction wrought in 6o irocn Lo ton to the utmost efforts to avert a fate of that sort for their own be- loved country. '"The general impress sion among the German sOldiers", so prisoners reported, Twas that now the Entente Allies have enlisted the com- bined strength of so many Powers, it is not possible for Germany to win but the Allies Wiil never be able to enter Germany, "because the Ger mans had seen too much of the de- struction in France to permit of Ger many suffering in similar manner"
 The prisoners said further that while Germany will fight ''to the last man., if they should find themselves unable to stay the approach of the Allies to their border, they would submit to "an immediate peace in order ito avert an invasion" There is no doubt that German Sentment is correctly represented in this talk by the captured soldiers. Germanys resistance will grow the more desper- ate and determined as the German border is reached-and Germany would surrender and accept whatever terms might be exacted before she would see her country invaded by a devastating army. Germany knows 1 what she has done to France and she l knows that she may expect the same ! treatment.
 And just here comes in another Ques- 1 ton. Will Germany be able to pre- 1 vent the invasion she dreadS so much? l Possibly the Allies have some plans | in that direction which the German l War Lords may not be able so easily 1 to brush away. It is possible that the l Allies, making their way into Ger many will not be inclined to waste | time in hearing peace proposals and 1 that Germany may be forced to con- tinue fighting rather than talk peace G Germany may not find the Allies dis posed to abandon their war program for mere acquiescence in GermanyS ideas of the proprieties, or in con- tributing to the convenience of the situation for Germany, The Allies are to be the judges as to whether Germany shall be invaded.