The Invasion of 1910.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13187, 26 May 1906, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Invasion of 1910.

Copyivright by William Le Queux, lao 6. Published Special Arrangement.

With a Full Account of the Siege of London. By WILLIAM LE QUEUX. itliCV.";.- ■. .'■'.' ■. '• . .:•. ; : ■ ■'■.■■'•'-"■■ -,' •. : ->w.- ■.'■■■'- • ..:■■ -■ ■■ ■t With Naval Chapters by M. Wilson. jssfta ■ ~■' ; "" '"■ ♦ '•■- * ;.'. '''■'..'■ WHAT LORD ROBERTS says: \ - Speaking in the House of Lords on the loth: July, 1905, I said : "Itis to the people of the country I appeal to take up, the question, of the. Army in a ' " sensible, practical manner. For the sake of all they hold dear, let them bring home to themselves what would be the condition of Great Britain if it were to • lose its wealth, its power, its position." . f The catastrophe that may happen if •we still remain in our present state of unpreparedness ; is vividly and ' forcibly illustrated in Mr.Le Queux's new book, which I recommend to the perusal, of every one who has the welfare of the British Empire at heart.—ROBERTS, F.M.

- THE SURPRISE. two of the myriad of London's eight- . workers were talking, down Fleet-street together soon after dawn on Sunday morning, September 2, 1910. The sun had not yet risen. That/main »r- - ' tery of London traffic, with its irregular rows of closed shops and newspaper offices, was quiet and pleasant in the- calm, mystic light before the falling of the smoke- . pall. ':■ - a'.'Only, at early morning does the dear old city look at its best, in that ono ' quiet, sweet hour when the : night's toil has ended and the day's has not yet begun. Only in that brief interval at the birth of day, when the rose tints of tho sky glow slowly into gold, does the giant ' metropolis repose —at least, as far as its business streets are concernedfor at five ; o'clock the toiling millions begin to again pour in L ">*»» all points of the compass, ,t 'uric', the stress and storm of London life ai'once vccoßimences. And in that hour of silent charm tho two grey-bearded sub-editors, though;. engaged in offices of rival newspapers, were making their■ way' homeward to Dulwich to spend Sunday in a well-earned rest, and wore' chatting "shop," as pressmen do. " I suppose you had the same trouble to get that Yarmouth story through?" asked Fergusson, the news editor of .the Weekly Despatch, as they. crossed White- ,; friars-street. "We got about half-a,-column, and then the wire,shut down." , "Telegraph or telephone?" inquired Babies, who was four or five years younger than his friend. "We were using both, to make sure." "So were we. It was a rattling good story—the robbery was mysterious, to say '; the 'lea§t—but we didn't get more than half of it. Something's wrong .'with the - line, evidently," Barnes said. "If it were not such a perfect autumn morning I should be inclined to think there'd been a storm somewhere." • "Yes—funny, wasn't it?" remarked .the other. "A - j shame we haven't th© whole story, for it was a first-class one, and we wanted > something. Did you put it on - the contents bill?" "No, because we couldn't get the finish. ; I tried ■in every way—-rang ) up the Central News, A., Exchange Tele- ' graph Company, tried to get through to Yarmouth on the trunk, and spent half-arl-hour or so pottering about, but .the ' reply from all the agencies, from everywhere in fact, was the same—the line was interrupted." ■""-■■. ■ ' "Just our case. I telephoned to the posfcr-ofir*, but: the -reply.- came back that the lines were - evidently down." "Well, it certainly looks as though m there'd . been a storm, but"—-and Baines ■ glanced, at the bright, clear sky > overhead, just flushed by the bursting sun—" there,. are certainly no traces of it." "There's often a storm on the coast .' when, it's quite , still in London, my dear fellow," remarked his friend wisely. v v . " That's/all» very well. But when' all communication'with a big place like Yar- . mouth is suddenly cut off, as it has been, ! I can't help suspecting that something has happened which wo ought to know." "You're perhaps right after all," .Fergusson said. "I wonder if 'anything has , happened. 'We don't want to be called back to the office, either of us. My asi, sistant, Henderson, whom I've left in charge, rings mo up over any mare's nest. The trunk telephones all come into, the post, office exchange in Carter Lane. Why * not look in there before, we go home? It won't take us a quarter of an, hour, and '. " we-have several trains home from Ludgate ~■ Hill."- "^ - Baines looked at his watch. Like his , companion, he had no desire to be called back to the office after getting out to Dulwich, and yet he was in no mood to go making reporter's inquiries. "I don't think I'll go. It's euro to be nothing, >my dear fellow," ho said. "Besides, I've a beastly headache. . I had a heavy, night's work. One of my men i 3 away ill." Well, at any rale, I think I'll go," Fergusson said. , "Don't blame me if you get.called back for a special edition with a terrible storm, great loss of life, and all that' sort of thing. So long."- And, smiling, he waved his hand and parted from his friend ( in the bc';king-office of Ludgate Hill Station, ■' Quickening -'•■ his pace, he hurried through tho'.office, and, passing out by the . back, ascended the steep, narrow street until he reached the post office -- telephone exchange in Carter Lane, where, >; presenting his card, he asked to ;r.e the -i "superintendent in charge. Without much delay he w 6 shown up- : Btilis into a small p:.''-: •'<*■ office, into , which -am© a short, aa;\per, fair-mous- -; ta'ched man, with the bustle of a person ||? in ft great hurry. "I've called," the sub-editor explained, "to know whether you can tell me any-

Mho Norwich line through Scolc and Long Stratton has now failed, sir. About half-past four Norwich reported- a fault somewhere north, between there and Cromer. - But the operator now says that the line is apparently broken, and so are all the telegraphs from there to Cromer, Sheringham, and Holt." "Another line has gone, then!" exclaimed the superintendent-in-cbarge, utterly astounded. " Have you tried to get on to Cromer by the other routes— through Nottingham and King's Lynn, or through Cambridge?" " The testers have tried every route, .but there's no response." "You could get through to some of the places—Yarmouth, for instance—by telegraphing to the Continent, I suppose?" asked Fergusson. ... "We aire already trying," responded the assistant-superintendent. . " What cables run out from the east coast in that neighbourhood?" inquired tho sub-editor quickly. There arc rive between Southwold and Cromer ruu to Germany and two to Holland," replied the assistant. There's the cablo from Yarmouth to Barlnim, in tho Frisian Islands, from Haippisbuvg, near Mundesley, .to Barkum, from Yarmouth . to Emden, from Lowestoft to Haarlem, and from Kec'singland, near f Southwold, to Zandyport." "And you are trying all the routes?" ! asked his superior." J '" I . spoke to Paris myself an hour ago 1 and asked them to cable" by adl five routes to Yarmouth,. Lowestoft, Kcssingland, and Happisburg," was the assistant's reply. "I also asked Liverpool-street Station and King's Cross to wire down to some of their stations on the coast, but the reply was that they were in the same predicament as-'ourselves—their lines were down north of Beetles, Wymoudham, East Dereham, also south of Lynn. I'll just run along and see if-there's any reply from Paris. They ought to be through by this time, as'it's Sunday morning and no traffic." And he went out hurriedly. • '. .' ' " There's certainly something very peculiar," remarked the superintendent-in-charge. to; the sub-editor, v," If there's been am earthquake or an electrical disturbance then it is a most extraordinary one. Every single line reaching to the coast seems interrupted.";. , . , - , ' ;-;■ " es. ". It's uncommonly funny," Fergusson remarked. " I wonder what could have happened. You've never had a complete breakdown Tike this, before?'.' ; "Never. But I think—" : ; . The sentence remained unfinished, for his assistant returned with a slip of paper in his hand, saying:."■ : - .-,. ; s . "This message has just, come in from Paris., I'll read it. I'Superintendent Tele-

phones, -~ Paris, to ; Superintendent Tele-phones,.London.-—Have, obtained direct tele-' graphic communication with operators of all five cables to :- England. Haarlem, Zandyport, Barkum, and-Einden all report that cables are interrupted. They can.get no reply from England, and tests show that cables are damaged somewhere i near Eng-, lish shore.'" ■ ■..^lJ]\ *.'-v':. ?:-,';' i* .'.,-. I , ■ "Is that all?'" asked Fergu&son. ;•''-■..: ~"." That's nil, Paris knows no more than we do," was the assistant's response. ~<?l: . ; "Then the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts are completely isolated—cut off from post office, railways, telephones, and cables!" exclaimedthe superintendent. " It's y mysteriousmost mysterious!" And, taking up the instrument upon his table, ho placed a plug in one of the holes down the front of the table it-self, aaid a moment later was in conversation with the official in charge of the .traffic at Liverpool-street; repeating the report from Paris,' and urging him to send light engines north from Wymondham or Beccles into the zone- of mystery. ■> ,»'''■ ! Tho reply came back that he had already done so, but a telegram : had readied him from Wymondham to the effect that the road-bridges between Kimbcrley and Hardingham had apparently fallen in', and the line was blocked by debris. Interruption was also reported beyond Swaffham, ait a place called Little Dunham. "Then even the railways themselves are broken cried Fergussou. - Is it possible that there's been a great earthquake.'" " An earthquake couldn't very '.well destroy »ill five cables- from the Continent," remarked the superintendent, gravely. Tho latter had scarcely placed, the receiver upon the. hook when a third man enteredan operator--who, addressing him, said: -. • ' ■ " -■ ■ ',' Will you please come to tin"- switchboard, ?ir? There a. man iu the -Ipswich call office who has,just told me a "most extraordinary story. He says that he started in his motor-car alone from Lowestoft to London at half-past three this morning, and just as it was getting light he was passing along the edge of Henham. Park, between Wangford village and Blythburgh. when ho saw three men apparently repairing the telegraph wires. One was up the pole, and the other two were standing below. As he passed he saw a flash, for, to his surprise, one of the men iired point-, blank at him with a revolver. Fortunately the shot went wide, and he at once put on a move and got down into Blythburgh village, even though one of 'his tires went down. It had probably been pierced by the bullet fired fit him, as the Juncture was unlike any he hud ever ha-.* before.. As Blythburgh he informed the police or the outrage, and the constable in turn woke up the postmaster, who tried to telegraph back to the police at Wrentham, but found that the line was interrupted. Was if possible that the men were cutting the wires, instead of repairing them? He says that • after repairing this puncture he took' the village constable and three'other, men on his car and went back to the spot, where, although the trio hnd escaped, they saw that 1 wholesale h>.voc bad been wrought With tho teiegr? ,i. Tbr lines had been' severed in for" v- £»$. places wld whole lengths tangled up j.ito great- masses. A number of poles had been sawn down, and were lying.about the roadside. Seeing that nothing could be done the -sntleman remourted his car, came on to Ipswich, and reported the damage at cur call office." "And is he still there?" exclaimed tin superintendent quickly, amazed at the motorist's statement. "Yes. I asked him to wait for a- ( S«iw moments in order to speak to you, sir." _ " Good, Til go at once. Perhaps you (A like to come also. Mr. Fergus son?" And ail four ran up to -{bo gallery, v nflre the huge switch-boards were ranged around, and where the night operators, with the receivers attached to ono ear, were still at work. i r , In a moment the superintendent haa taken the operator's seat, adjusted the earpiece, and wa,; in conversation with Jpwich. A second later he was speaking with the man who had actually witnessed tho cutting of the trunk line. , While he was'thus engaged en opevrv-r it the further end of i ~-: switch-board suddenly gave vent to a x:y. of, surprise and disbelief. ,-,. ' ■ • •- • „ "What do you say, Beetles: Iter, eat it, he asked, excitedly. :■*■. ■-**.'■.-•'•'■■ Then a. moment later he shouted aloud: "Beccles says that German soldiershundreds of t'liem— pouring . into the place ! The Germans . have landed at Lowestoft, they .think:" '. ... All '■' who heard, those, ominous words sprang up dumbfounded, staring at each other. •■'•''.--• , , i i i j The assistant-superintendent dashed to the operator's side and seized his' apparatus : '~ ;■■'..' :;. "■.:■ '■; . - " '

I thing regarding the cause of the interrup3■/ tion of the'line to Yarmouth a short time i'.:, ago. We.had some important news coming through, but were cut off just in the . midst, of it, and then we received information that all the telephone ami tele- "..' graph lines to Yarmouth were interrupted." ... "Wei!, that's .just the very point that is puzzling us Sit this "moment," was the -'-.. eight superintendent'.::: reply. "11 is quite '. , countable. Our trunk going' to Yar- ; - mouth seems to bt down as well as the telegraphs. Yarmt-Ji- 1 .:, Lowestoft, *md v beyond Beccles seem all to have been sudI denly cut off. About .18 minutes to four .": the operators noticed something wrcv:*, switched the trunks through to. the'.test-' V;' <*«, and the latter reported to »:.' in.'due ''•.'.;■'•■; course.'' ' ■ H- *'That's strange! Did fbty ''1 wreak 3,own together?" j£ •' .'".No- The first that failed was the v ore that runs through Chelmsford, .;■ Coltester, and Ipswich up to Lowestoft and .Yarmouth. The operator found that he could get through to Ipswich and Beccles. Ipswich knew nothing except that something was wrong. They could still ring , ~ <}> Beccles, but not beyond." As they were speaking, there was a tap ';;f{ •t'the door; and the assistant-night super- ,,;,, pendent entered, saying:' .'.

< " Halloa— Beecles!, Halloa—■halloa—halloa'!"' . ."■",'" ■ :■: .-.'■■.-; -;; The ; response .was; some;-gruff words in German, - and he sound of scuffling could distinctly; be heard. Then all was silent. >.': Time ; after time ho .rang up the small Suffolk tow.it' but "in vain. Then" 'ho ■ switched through to the -'-,' testers, arid quickly the truth was plain. - . . The second trunk lino to Norwich, 'running from Ipswich, by Harlcston and Beetles, hod been cut further towards Loudon. .' ; ;." :.. ■' . -'..-' ■•■:, - ;_.. :■'.'■[ . But what held everyone breathless in the trunk telephone headquarters' was that the Germans had actually effected the surprise landing that had "so often in re-; cent years been predicted' .by military critics; . that . England on. that quiet September Sunday morning had .been invaded. England was; already invaded. Vlt ■was incredible! ' , V"

Yet London's millions in their Sunday morning lethargy were in utter ignorance of the grim disaster • that had suddenly , fallen" upon the land. , '■~'' • Fergusson was for rushing at once back to the; Weekly Despatch Office to get.out an extraordinary edition, but the superintendent, who was still in conversation with the motorist,. urged judicious forethought. For , the present .let us-■ wait. . Don't let us alarm the public unnecessarily • We want corroboration.'« Let us .have; the motorist up here," he suggested. "Yes,", cried'the sub-editor. "Let me speak to Mm." • ' - - Over the wire Fergusson begged the stranger to come at 'once tc London and giAV his story, declaring that the military authorities would require it. Then, just as the man who had been shot at by German advance spies—for such they had undoubtedly been—in order to prevent the truth leaking out, gave his " promise to come to town at once, ■ there . came over the line from the coastguard at Southwold a vague, • incoherent telephone message regarding strange ships having been seen to the northward, and asking for connection with Harwich ; while King's Cross . and Liverpool-street, stations both rang up almost simultaneously,-, reporting the receipt of.extraordinary telegrams from King's Lynn, Diss, Harlcston, Ealesworth and other places. All declared that German' soldier*! were, swarming over * the north, -. thai; Lowestoft and Beccles had been seized, .and that Yarmouth and Cromer -were."isolated;. . " - • -■-.' '■ -

Varidue station/Rasters reported that the enemy had blown .. up - bridges, taken up rails, and effectually blocked up all communication with the coast. .Certain important; junctions* were already held by the enemy's outposts. ' • ' Such was the amazing news received in that high-up. room in Carter Lane, City. on that sweet sunny morning;.- when all' the great world of London was at peace, either still slumbering or week-ending.. THE GERMANS HAD LANDED IN '' - '■ ENGLAND! . " Fergusson remained for a full honr-and-a-half at the telephone exchange, anxiously awaiting any further corroboration. Many wild stories came over the wires, telling how panicstricken people were fleeing inland, away from the enemy's outposts." ' Then he took, a hansom to the Weekly Despatch office, and proceeded to prepare a . special edition of his paper— an edition containing surely the most amazing hews.that had ever startled Loudon. ' '' ' ' - ■ ' •

Fearing to create an undue panic, he decided not-to go to.press until the arrival of the motorist.from Ipswich. Ho wanted the story Of- the man who had actually seen .the cutting of. the wires. He paced his room /excitedly, wondering what effect the news would have upon, the .world. In the rival'newspaper offices the report was as yet unknown;- With journalistic fore-; thought be had' arranged that at present tho bewildering truth should not leak, out to., his ,' rivals, either, from .the railway, termini or from the telephone exchange.. His only fear ';, was that, some local, correspondent might telegraph from some village or nearer the metropolis .which was still in communication with the central office:' .-'"'- '■.-'.!- "

Time passed very slowly. Each momerit increased his 'anxiety. "He had sent out the one reporter who remained oh duty to the house of .Colonel : Sir.' James Taylor, the Permanent-Under-Secretary for War. Halting before the;open window,': ho looked : and- ilowrtvih'eJr street^'i'bi- Hio : arriving 'motor-car':'"; But all was' : quiet. ; ''' ' Eight o'clock had just boomed from Big Ben';' and London was still in ; her Sunday morning peace. The street,; bright in the. warm sunshine, ; was' quite empty, save for a .couple of motor-omnibuses and a sprinkling of gaily-dressed holidaymakers .on, their way to the day excursion trains. s 11l that centre;of London—the hub of the' world—all was comparatively silent,' the -'.welcome'', rest after tho busy turmoil that through six days of .'the week 'is. unceasing, that fevered throbbing of the heart of the world's great capital. Of a sudden, ' however,' came the whirr-r of an approaching car, and a thin-faced, tra-vel-stained man tore along from the direction;of..the Strand and pulled up be-fore-the, office. The fine car, a six-cylin-der . Napier,/- was grey with the mud of country roads, while the motorist him-: self -was smothered until his goggles had been almost entirely-covered. Fergusson . rushed out to him, and a few moments later the pair, were in the upstairs room, the sub-editor swiftly taking down the motorist's • story, which differed very-little from .what he had already spoken over the telephone. ■-; t Then just ns Big Ben chimed the halfhour the echoes of the half-deserted Strand were suddenly'awakened by the loud, strident voices of the newsboys shouting: "Weekly- Despatch spe-shall! ' Invasir. of England this- morning!'' Germans in Suffolk! Terrible panic! Spe-shall. Weekly Despatch spe-shall!" As soon as the paper had gone to press Fergusson' urged the motorist—whose name was Hcrton, and who lived at Richmond— go with him to the War Office and report. 'Therefore both men entered ' the car, and in a feW minutes drew up before the new War Office in Whitehall. •

'"I Want to see somebody in authority at once!" cried Fergusson, excitedly, to the sentry as ho sprang out.

"You'll find the caretaker if you ring at the side entrance—on the right, there," responded the man, who then inarched on. "The caretaker!" . echoed the excited sub-editor, bitterly, "and England invaded by the; Germans He, however, dashed towards the door indicated, and rang do. bell. At first there .was no response. But presently there were sounds of a slow unbolting of the door, which opened at last, revealing, a tall elderly man-in slippers, 1 retired soldier.

"■I must see somebody af once!" exclaimed the journalist. "'N ..V, „a moment must be lost. What permanent officials are here?"'

"There's nobody 'ere, sir," responded the mars in sorae 'surprise at-the'request. '"It's Sunday morning, you know."

"Sunday! I.know that, but I must see someone. Whom can I see':"

"Nobody until to-morrow morning. Come then." And. the old soldier was about to close the door when the journalist prevented him., asking: ,'"'-' "Where's too clerk-iii-residcnce?" *'''

"How' i'ionl'. I - know? ' Gone up the river,; peri -'.is. It's a nice morning.'-' "We?], there does he live?"

- " Sometimes 'ere—sometimes in 'is c...'fibers, in Lhury-street," and the man Mentioned the number "Better come to-ir<uv-row,- sir, about eleven. Somebody'!! be sure to'-i-'i:* you then." : ''To-morrow!" cried the other. "Tomorrow! You don't know what you're saying, main! To-morrow will be too late. Perhaps it's too late now. The German:; have landed in England!" ■ " Oh, 'ave they?" exclaimed; the caretaker, regarding "both men.. with considerable suspicion'. "Our people will be glad to know that, I'm suretomorrow."

• '! What's, this extraordinary: story? .-Germans landed in England—eh? That's fresh, certainly!" ' ' :: "Yes. / Cant you Lear what the uewsboys are crying? Listen!" exclaimed the motorist;,' ; " '" ■■ ' ,''•", ; "H'nL Well,- you're;not- the first .gentleman ho's been". here with a scare, you know. If I were you I'd wait till to-mor-row," and-he glanced significantly at the caretaker. - '..v-':'- - ; "I ; : won't wait till to-morrow!" cried Fer■.gvsvm. "The country,' is in peril, and you; refuse to assist me on you? own. responsibilityyou understand " "Jill right" my dear sir," replied the officer, leisurely booking his thumbs in his •belt. " You'd 'better drive home and call again in the morning. "So this is 'the way the safety of the country lis neglected!'' cried the motorist, bitterly, turning" away "Everyone away; and this great place, built merely to gull the public. I suppose, empty and its machinery useless. What will. England srft' when 'she learns the truth?" ;:

"As they were walking in disgust out from the portico towards the car a man': jumped from a hansom in breathless haste. He was the reporter'whom Fergusson had sent out to Sir James Taylor's ■ house in Cleveland Square, Hyde Park. . . ."- "They, thought (Sir James spent the, night with his nro(her up at Hainpstead," he exclaimed. I've been there', but .find that he's away for the week-end at Chilham Hall, near Buckden." . - "Buckden! That's, on the Great North Road!" cried Horton. " We'll go at once arid find him. Sixty miles from London. We can be there under two hours .

And a few minutes later the pair were tearing due north in the direction of Finchley, disregarding the signs from, police constables to stop, Horton wiping the dried mud from his goggles.and pulling them over his half-closed eyes. They had given the alarm in London, and the Weekly Despatch was spreading the amazing news everywhere. People read it eagerly, gasped for at moment, and then smiled in utter disbelief. But the two men were on their way to reveal the appalling truth to the "man who was one of the heads of that complicated,machinery, of inefficient defence which we so proudly term-our .army.' - *.'

Bursting with the astounding information they bent their heads to the wind as the car shot onward through Bra-net and Hatfield, then, entering Hitchih, they were compelled to slowdown in the narrow street as they passed the old Sun Inn, and afterwards out again upon the broad highway with its many telegraph lines., through Biggleswade, Temps ford, , and Eaton Socou,until, in Buckden, Hortou pulled up to inquire of a farm labourer for Chilham Hall. "Oop yon road to the left, sir. "Bout a mile Huntingdon way,", was the man's reply. Then away they sped, turning a few minutes later into the handsome lodgegates of Chilhm Park,, and running up the great elm avenue drew up before the main door of the ancient hall, a quaint, many-gabled old place of grey stone. "Is" Sir James Taylor in?" Fergusson, shouted to the liveried man who opened the door. '

"He's gone across the home farm with, his lordship and 'the keepers," was the reply."- " Then take me to him at once. I haven't a second to lose. I must see him this instant." ,■■'•■ .- . - Thus urged the servant conducted the pair across the park and through several fields to tlio edge of a small wood, where two elderly men were walking with a couple of keepers and several dogs about them. "The tall, gentleman is Sir James. The other is his lordship," the servant explained to OFergtisson ; < and a few moments later the breathless journalist, hurrying up, faced the Permanent Under-Secretary; with the news that England was ' invaded—that the Germans ..had actually effected a surprise landing on the east coast. Sir James and his host stood speechless. Like-others, they at first believed the palefaced, bearded sub-editor .to die at luuatic, buti- a- few moments later, when Horton, briefly repeated the story* they saw, that whatever might have occurred the two. men were at least in deadly earnest.

"Impossible!" cried Sir James. "Wo should surely have heard something of it if such were actually the case! The coastguard would-have telephoned the news in- ; stantly. ' : Besides, where is our fleet?" .. ■. • "The Germans /evidently laid, their .plans.; with groat "cleverness". ' Their spies,-already: in England, cut the wires at a prearranged hour last night,"-?! declared . Fergusson. * "They sought to prevent this gentleman from giving the alarm by shooting him. All the railways to London are already either cut; or held by the enemy. One tiling, however, is clearfleet- or no fleet, the east coast i.« entirely at their * •ercy."

Host and guest exchanged dark glances. "Well, if what you say is the actual truth," exclaimed Sir James, to-day is surely' the blackest day; that England has ever known." ' ,

' "Yes. thanks to the pro-German policy of the Government and the false assurances of the Blue Water school. They should have, listened to Lord Roberts/' snapped his lordship. "I suppose you'll go at once, Taylor, and make inquiries?" "'Of course," responded the Permanent Secretary. And a, quarter of an horn: later, accepting -Horizon's offer, he was sitting in the tonneau of the car as it headed back towards London.

Could the journalist's story be true? As he sat there, with his head bent against the wind and the mud splashing into his face, Sir James recollected too well the repeated warnings of the past five years, serious warnings, by men who know our shortcomings, 'but to which no retention had been paid. Both the Government, and the public had remained apathetic, the idea of peril had been laughed to scorn, and the country bad. ostrich-like,, buried its head in -the sane httft allowed Continental nations to sujwf&scb *.is in business, in armaments, in everything. The danger of •invasion, had always been ridiculed as. a mere alarmist's fiction ; those responsible for the defence of the country had smiled, the navyhad been reduced, and the army had remained in contented inefficiency. If the blow had really been struck by Germany? If sho had risked three or .four out of her. twenty-three army corps, and had aimed at the heart of the British Empire? What then? Aye! what then? As the car swept down Regent-street into Ball Mall and towards Whitehall Sir James saw on. every side crowds discussing the vague but astounding reports now published in special editions of all the Sunday papers and shouted wildly everywhere. Boys bearing sheets fresh-from Fleetstreet presses were seized, and bundles tovn from them by excited Londoners eager to learn the latest intelligence. Around botli War Office and Admiralty great surging crowds were clamouring loudly for . the truth. Was it the truth, or was it only a hoax? Half London disbelieved it. Yet from every quarter, from the north and from across the bridges, thousands were pouring in to ascertain what had really occurred, and the police had the grwMx*tfc difficulty in keeping order. Id Trafalgar Square, where the fountains wero plashing so calmly in tbe autumn sunlight, a shock-headed man mounted the back of one of the. lions and harangued the crowd with much' gesticulation, denouncing the Government in the most violent terms,but the orator was ruthlessly pulled down by the police in the midst of his fierce attack.

It -was half-past two o'clock in the afternoon. The Germans had i.lrcady been on English soil ten hours, yet Loudon was in ig): trr.ncf- of where they had actually landed, and utterly !;e!u:."'s:. All sorts of wild rumours "'ere afloat, rumours that spread everywhere throughout the metropolis; from .Hampstead to Tooting, from Barking to Hounslow, from Willesden to Woolwich. The Germans were in England! But in those first moments of tin asfounding revelation vho excitement centred in Trafalgar Square and its vicinity. •:*Men shouted and threatened, women ■ s ieked and wrung their hands, while wild-haired orators addressed groups at the st*-eei-cor> nei?.

"But haven't you got telephones, private telegraphs, . or something here, so that I ea,n . communicate with fie 'Authorities? Can't you ring up the. Secretary for State, the-Permanent Secret'.' ry, or somebody The caretaker "hesitated a moment, his incredulous gaze fixed upon the pale, agitated faces-of the two men. "Well, just wait -a '-minute and I'll see," he said, disappearing into u long cavernous passage. "-.-., ■ In ft few moments lie reappeared'with a constable whose dirty • it was to patrol the building. ■ '•" • .•'■-■ \ The officer looked the strangers up and down and then asked: ""• ' '■

Where was our'.nary? they asked. Where was our " command of the sea," of which the papers had always talked so much'.' If we possessed that then surely no.invader could ever have landed? Where was our army— that . brave British army that had fought triumphantly a hundred" campaigns, and which we had been assured by tho Government'was always ready for any emergency? When would it face the invader and drive him buck into the sea? When?

And the wild, 'sbouiMe: crowd looked up at the many winde.,. or i>. Admiralty and

the j War Office, ignorant, that both .those huge buildings only held terrified caretakers and a double watch of police constables. .. . Was England invaded? Were foreign legions actual 1 overrunning Norfolk i and Suffolk, and were we really helpless beneath the iron heel of the enemy? *.' - , ■•.. It was impossible—! England was.on the most- friendly terms with Germany. >" '*-•', blow had fallen, and London—or •.. S . : ortion of her tliit was not enjoying ';■' l:ts .' anday afternoon, nap in the smug .-ref'pt Wlity of the suburbs— st&v}aii.la7.ed, bn jless, in incredulous *•- x.dci. . EFFECT v THE CITY—BANK CHAR-' ' ' ' I-EB SUSPEND ED. '■":: •- ■••'■.' .MociL .. September 3, .Mas, indeed Black Monday -London. --,*-•■"*

V By m:bright, on Sunday the news had; spread everywhere Though the full details of the naval disasters were not yet to hand it was vaguely known that our ships had' been defeated in the North Sea and many ..'of them sunk. , ' l • * Before seven a.m. on Monday, i however, telegrams reaching London by the subterranean lines from the north. thrilling stories of the disasters we had, while all unconscious, suffered at the hands of the German fleet.' , .'.,. .'.

■ With London, the great cities of the north, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, and Birmingham, awoke, utterly dazed. It seemed Jncreu.ule. And yet the .enemy had. try, his. sudden and stealthy blow, secured command: of the sea and actually landed. : The public .wondered why a formal declaration of war had not previously been made, ignorant of the fact that the declaration preceding the Franco-German war was the first made by any civilised nation prior to the commencement of hostilities for 170 years.- The peril if the nation was recognised on every hand. | '•'• Eager, thousands poured into tlie city by. every train from the suburbs and! towns .in tire vicinity of the metropolis, anxious to ascertain the truth for themselves, wild with excitement, indignant that- cur land forces were not already mobilised. and ready to move eastward to meet the invader.

As soon as the banks were opened there was a run on them, but by noon the Bank of England had suspended all specie payments. The other banks, being thus' unable to meet their engagements, simply closed 1 the doors, bringing business to an abrupt standstill. Consols stood at 35 on Saturday, but by noon on Monday were down to, 42— lower" even than they were in 1/98, when they stood at 47.!. 'Numbers of foreigners tried to speculate'heavily, but were unable to do to,' for banking - being suspended they could not obtain transfers. .

On the Stock Exchange the panic in the afternoon was indescribable. Securities of. every sort went entirely to pieces, and there were no buyers. Financiers were surprised that.no serious warning in London had betrayed the position of affairs, London being the money-centre of the world. Prior to 1870 Paris shared with' London the honour of being the pivot of the money market, but on the suspension of cash payments by the Bank of France' during the Franco-German war.Paris lost that position. Had it not been' that the milliards comprising the French war indemnity were intact in golden' louis in the fortress of Spandau; Germany could never have hoped to wage sudden war with Great Britain before, she had made Berlin independent of London in a money sense, or, at any rate, to accumulate sufficient gold to 'carrv on the war for at least twelve months. The only way in which she could have done this was to raise her rate.so.as to offer bettei terms than London! Yet directly the Bank of England discovered the rate of. exchange going against, her, and her stock of gold diminishing, she would have responded by raising the English bank rate in' order to check the flow. Thus competition would have gone on until the .'rates .became so high that all business would be checked, and people, would realise. their securities to obtain the necessary mqney to carry on.their affairs. Thus, no doubt, the coining war would have been forecasted had.it not been for Germany's already prepared war-chest, which,the majority of persons have nowadays overlooked. Its possession had enabled Germany to strike her, sudden blow, and now the Bank of England / which is the final: reserve of'gold in the,?' United Kingdom, found that as notes' we're. v cashed so the.stock of gold; diminished; uri.til it was. a few. hours compelled to '.obtam'frbm. tTie' Government suspension of the ii'l- charter • This enabled the hank to mi ■- pencil cash payment' and issue notes without a 'corresponding deposit of'the equivalent in gold. ■:•.■..'' ', ; -•■■ ; ■ .-.,- , The suspension, contrary to increasing the panic, had, curiously enough, the immediate effect of somewhat allaying it. Plenty of people' in the-city were confident thattne blow aimed' could not prove- effective one, and that the Germans, however many, might have landed, would quickly be sent" back again. Thus many -. level-headed business men regarded the position calmly; i believing .that when our command ;of the. sea was again re-established, as it must be in a clay or two, the enemy would soon Ha nonexistent. '•■■'■• Business outside the money market was, of course, utterly demoralised. I The buying of necessities was now uppermost in everyone's mind. Excited crowds in the streets caused most of the shops in the city and West End to close, while around the Admiralty were great crowds of eager men and women of all classes, tearful wives.of,blue* jackets ■•.•■jostling with officers' ladies from. Mayfair and Belgravia, demanding news of their loved ones—inquiries which, alas! the Casualty Office was unable to satisfy.. • The scene of grief, terror, and suspense was •.,; heartrending. Certain ships, were known to have been sunk with all on board after making a gallant fight, and those who had husbands, brothers, lovers, fathers on board wept loudly, calling upon the Government to avenge the.death'of their loved ones. - ■ '•■ ' '• •'

In Manchester then- wois a jjutjic "on iHvnJgh the "great )nanj;:*actnnng sentres of the nor;:. the excitement of Lt'Cuion was reflected. .-.--'

In Manchester there was a panic 'on 'Change," and the crowd in Deansgate coming into collision with a force of mounted police some rioting occiuvecl, and a number of shop windows were broken, while several agitators who attempted to. speak in front of the infirmary were at once arrested. .

Liverpool was the scene of intense anxiety and excitement when a report was spread that German cruisers were of: the estuary of the Mersey. It was known that the coal staithes, cranes, and petroleum tanks at Pcuarth, Cardiff, Barry, and Llanelly had been destroyed, that Aberdeen had been bombarded, and there were rumours that notwithstanding the mines and defences of the Mersey the city of- Liverpool, .with all its crowd of valuable shipping, was to share the same fate. , .--* , - '«J

The whole place was in a ferment. By eleven o'clock the stations were crowded by women and children sent by the men away into the countryanywhere from the doomed and defenceless city. The Lord Mayor vainly endeavoured t- inspire confidence but telegrams .from London announcing the complete financial 'collapse only increased the panic. In the Old Haymarket and up Bale-street to ■ the landing stages, around the Exchange, the Town Hall, and the Cus-Loni-h.ro/.; the .throng surge-'', talking eagerly..anticipating the blow that was prophesied. At any moment the grey .hubs of those,, death-dealing cruisers might appear in the,river; at any moment the first shell might fall and burst in their midst.

Thus during 'the. whole of the day Liverpool existed in Hourly terror of .destruction. Meanwhile London remained breathless; wondering what was about to happen. Every hour the .morning newspapers continued to issue special editions, containing all the latest facts procurable :'<-''ncr the great naval disaster. The• telegraphs and telephones to the north were o-:..<?antly at work,' and •imrriydrs of a- battleship, .'who had landed at St. Abbs, north of-Berwick,; gave thrilling and terrible narratives. Besides, survivors from British '.-.cruisers and battleships had reached Dunbar and North Berwick, and given strange and extraordinary account;; of adventurer.

-A'shining a com- was no unusual price to be paid in Cornhill, Mborgate-streeti Lombard-street,' or J/ud'gate Hill for a halfpenny yaper, arid ti newsboys reaped rich nai-y«*:'.3', except whe.:, as so often happened, they,;were set upon by the excited crowd and their papers lorn from them.. Fleet-street was •entirely blocked and the traffic stopped bv crowds standing before the .newspaper offices waiting for the summary of each telegram to be posted up on the windows. And as each despatch was read sighs, groan.*, and curses were heard on every hand. " '..'■,. _ ~'.'. ■ (To be continued.)

[Another instalment, of this very interesting story will be given in these columns on Monday next, and continued daily until its completion.]" /','■'■'