THE GERMAN INVASION SCARE.

Evening Star, Issue 15076, 7 January 1913, Page 2

THE GERMAN INVASION SCARE.

A GLASGOW GERMAN’S STORY. ■The question asked in tho House of Commonsconcerning the report of a secret warning to German reservists in Britain has brought us (says the ‘Sunday Chronicle’) a remarkable article from a Teuton now resident m Glasgow, and vouched for bv a. correspondent in that city. We give the article from the point of view of general interest, as indicating the complete organisation with which the German Navy and Army Departments are credited. Tho writer says: " Auf dcr Hut sein’ I —Be on the alert—was the order which German reservists; in this country received a few days ago. “I have been in this country for several vears now, coming here after serving on the Friedrich Karl, an armored cruiser of 21 knots end having a ship's company of a little over 550. I may confess at the start to being a Socialist, and, while there are many good Socialists in both the army and navy, many of them are becoming sick of (be service through the annoyance of the officers and the brutality of the non-commissioned officers. Some of the latter treat men like dogs, and there i? no redress. You must remember that soldiers in Germany' are looked up to. For instance, if there was a dinner, and one of the richest and most influential men in the town was present, ho would have to give the chair of honor to a young lieutenant, should an officer happen to be present. The women spoil ihe soldiers who have rank, and it makes them proui and overbearing. —A Bitter Debt to Pay.— “There is a. long, bitter debt to pav for this long-continued course of brutality' and the Socialists iu Germany know what wilt lake place when certain regiments go to war. How would you like to have a vouug lieutenant from sonic of the schools at Potsdam, Munich, or Hanover swearing at you because you understood duties which ho was ignorant of? The servility to officers is degrading Ilia men. But the day of reckoning is coming. When a man goes on the reserve he knows what is expected of him. Naval reservists receive practically simitar instructions as the army men. We have to state where we are going, what we intend doing, and give ever so many stupid particular's which wc cannot possibly really know ourselves, but which wa fill in. Wo have also at once to notify am address when wo land, and again notify when we change. Tho Kaiser expects every reservist to bo a soldier on duty when ho quits the navy or army. That is’fo say. we have to keep our eyes open, make sketches when we possibly can of tho country round about pur districts, filling in the bridges, reservoirs for the water supply, railways, and their carrying capacity, and ’ everything about shipping. We are also expected 10 get ii-o know all the conventional signt in the British Army, if wo arc located in Britain, and for this purpose many of us mike a study of Professor Liebmauu's book of technical military phrases. —Spying on the Clyde.—

“ Why, you would be astonished to know what some of the German reservists can do and have done in the neighborhood of Giasgcw and the Clyde. They can tell with accuracy the mileage to what they consider certain strategical points; they have mapped out the country all round Glasgow, including the Clyde naval defences; they know the output of the torpedo factory at Greenock, and arc quite alive to the Importance and value of the torpedo range at Loch Long. There is one non-commissioned reservist t know who is an excellent draughtsman, and he has made a. complete study of the defences of the Forth, showing the weakest points. He look a. holiday—that is, he went off work for a whole fortnight—in order to get a proper knowledge of all the bearings of your latest base at Rosyth. He has also been at Dundee more than once in connection with the flotilla of submarines. What he has not managed io get, so far as I know, is a complete, idea of the minefield which would be established round Fort Matilda. But he has an accurate knowledge of the guns, stores, etc. How he gets it all I don't know. I have sent, myself, several unimportant, particulars of various things, but I can assure you they are not deadly, being obtained from the newspapers. There is another man here in Glasgow who was on the Scharnhorsl when she grounded in 1909. But he is going back. He has a ‘ goldfish ’ in Germany—a girl with money—and unless ha goes back and completes his service he will not be allowed to marry' her. He was » steward for several voyages on the Olympic; and is a clever baud with his pencil. He can sketch out the plan of any fortifications quicker than I have seen our oflicers'doi Ho has given Germany all the plans of the various dockyards on the Clyde, and ho thinks an airship could wreck them in half an hour, as there arc no forts round them, and tho Clyde is far too shallow to allow of warships in commission coming up. —lf War Broke Out.— '■' Every German reservist is, of course, prepared for au invasion of Britain by our people. We would then have to do certain duties. In Loudon, where 1 have lived, I know that some of tire German waiters who take the Britishers’ coats with a smile could ciu their throats. Others, again, I do not believe would fight should Germany attack Britain. Germans arc well treated here.; they receive good money, and are never interfered with in the slightest way. But, of course, one never can tell. Bloodj as you people say, is thicker than water. This much T can say; If ever the day comes, and a- German army is launched’ against Great Britain, you may depend upon it the German reservists will play a great part. Bridges will go tumbling down at a given signal, telegraph wires will lie cut, railway lines will be destroyed, and reservists will act as guides of columns. Ncarlv every German possesses a revolver. In London, where, many non-commissioned reservists report weekly to certain military agents in the metropolis, there is a corps of reservists who have, the most up-to-date Mauser and automatic pistols. I don t think these are given them officially in am- way. Thcv are not recognised officially. But they have banded themselves together in a. certain way, and arc prepared, should the Fatherland require tc of them, to give their lives. They o.ro brave, but brutally brave. They are of the type (hat bully the men in both navy and array in Germany, and though ntanv people here will not believe it. every matt of them would have Ills particular station in the ease or an invasion. I blame your countrymen themselves. In Germany you Britishers voukl never be allowed to go about as do here. But (here you are. We are Germans, and you are Britishers.”