THE INVASION OF 1910.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE INVASION OF 1910.

WITH' A FULL ACCOUNT OF TBS ,-i!,UK

PUBLISHED MY SrECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

OF LONDON,

WILLIAM LK QUKUX.

With Xaval Chapters In* If. W. Wilson.

[Copyright by Wiilisim Le Quenx. 1306.3

THE TALK OF THE CITY.

The scene in the city was indescribable.

Area • were the wrecked buildings, some still smouldering, soma emitting•■;flames.-' Behind lay the Bank of England with untold: wealth locked within; to the right, the'damaged facade of the Royal Exchange was illuminated by the flickering light. which also shone upon the piled anus of the enemy's troops, causing them to flash and gleam. ;

, In those silent, narrow city streets not an Englishman was to be seen. Everyone save the Lord Mayor and his official attendants had fled.

From King William-street and Cheapside there was a constant coining and going of the enemy's military motor-cars and despatch bearers or. motor-cycles, while now and then in the sky a bright, white light flashed as, by means? of a searchlight; Von Kronhelni at Hampsfead issued some order or other to another point on the far eastern side of the metropolis, many miles distant.;:.;;' ';■.-. ,

Beyond the Thames the terrified populace saw those long rays of flashing Light, and wondered. ■■ Some, acquainted with, Morse signalling, endeavoured to read, but were unable. In the sky far away eastward the answering flashes showed.

While this -''striking' and unparalleled scene was in progress at the Mansion House German telegraphists had' taken possesion of the head telegraph office and also of the Post Office Telephone Exchange ia Carter Lane. The telegraphs at the various railway termini and the railways themselves were at once seized by the enemy's engineers, who all seemed working upon a preconceived plan, to perfect, that little confusion was apparent save when they were met by opposition. ■ In some instances, notably at the head telegraph office, the officials refused to give the German telegraphists, any information whatsoever, but when a copy of Von Krouelm's famous proclamation was shown them, and they saw that they might be shot for refusing, they reluctantly answered questions put to them, and gave details of the various lines and connections.

The result, of all this was that the' Germans themselves actually telegraphed the news of their own victory to various points all over the. country, to France, Germany, Holland, Russia—in fact, to our colonies and to every part of the world. /

As may be imagined the account of the occupation of London was a good deal exaggerated in favour of Germany, for it was part of their diplomacy to produce a 'favourable impress-ion abroad. The accounts sent out, indeed, when read in the light of after events showed that they had all been, prepared previously, and were simply sent. out broadcast by wire and by cable by men who were practically press agents of the Germans. The Government offices in'.'' Whitehall were all in the hands of the enemy. In the Foreign Office, the India Office, tho War Office, the Colonial .Office, the' Admiralty and other minor offices were German -'.guards'.'' Sentries stood at the shattered door of the famous No. 10, ;; Down-ing-street, and all up" Whitehall was lined with infantry. \.- '-v. ; , German, officers were in temporary charge of all our public offices, and all officials who had remained on 'duty were firmly requested to leave. Sentries stationed to guard the archives of every Department, and precautions were taken to guard against any -further outbreak) of fire,' °

i Across at the Houses of Parliament, with their' damaged towers, the whole great pile of fouildltng.s wan surrounded by triumphant troops, while across at the fine old abbey was, alas! a. different scene., The interior had .been turned into a temporary hospital, and upon mattresses placed upon the floor were hundreds of poor maimed creatures, some groaning, some ghastly pale in the last moments of agony, some silent, their white libs moving in prayer. On one side in the dim light lay the men, some in uniform, others inoffensive citizens, who ,had been : struck :by cruel shells or falling debris; on the other side lay the women, some mere 'girls, and even children.. : '.

THE TOLL OF WAR. . Flitting everywhere in the half-light were nurses, charitable ladies, and female helpers, with numbers of doctors,' all doing their best to alleviate the terrible sufferings of that crowded place, the walls of which showed plain traces of the severe bombardment. In places the -roof; was open: to the angry sky, while many of the windows were gaunt and ■ shattered. -•-.- , A clergyman's voice somewhere was repeating . a prayer in a low, distinct voice, so that all could hear, yet- above all: were the sighs and groans of the sufferers, and as one walked through that prostrate assembly of victims more than one was seen to have already gone to that land that lies bevond the human ken. V ; ;

The horrors of war were never more forcibly illustrated than .'; in Westminster Abbey 'that night, for the grim hand of Death was there, and men and women lying with their faces to the roof looked, into ■Eternity. Every hospital in London was full, therefore the overflow had been placed in the,, various churches. : From the battlefields along the northern defences, Epping, Edmonton, Barnet, Enfield, and other places where the last desperate stand had been made, ami from the barricades in the northern suburbs ambulance waggons were continually arriving full of wounded, all of whom were placed in the churches and in any large public buildings which had remained undamaged by the bombardment. St. George's, Hanover Square, once the scene of many smart weddings, was now packed with unfortunate wounded soldiers, British and- Germans, lying side by side, while in the Westminster Cathedral and the Oratory at ..' Brompton the Roman Catholic priests made hundreds ;of poor fellow* as comfortable as they could, many members of the religious sisterhoods acting as nurses. St. James' Church in Piccadilly,: St. Pancras ; Church. ; Shoreditch Church, and St. Mary Abbott's, Kensingtori, were all improvised hospitals, and many grim and terrible scenes of agony were witnessed during that long eventful night. The light was dim even-where, for there were only paraffin lamps, and by their feeble illumination many a difficult operation had to be performed by those London surgeons, who one and all had come forward, and were now working unceasingly. Renowned surgeons from Harley-strect, Cavendish Square, Queen Anne-street, and the vicinity were directing the work in all the improvised hospitals, men whose names were world-famous kneeling and performing operations upon poor unfortunate private soldiers or upon some labourer Who had taken up a gun in defence of his home. Of lady helpers there were hundreds. From Mayfair "and Belgravia, from Kensington and Bays water, ladies had come forward offering" their services, and their devotion to the wounded was everywhere apparent. In St. Andrew's, Wells-street, St, Peters. Eaton Square, in the Scottish Church in Crown Court, Covent Garden, in the Temple Church, in the Union Chapel in Upper-street, in , the Chapel Royal, Savoy, in St. Clement Danes in the Strand, and in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields there werewounded in greater or less numbers, but the difficulties of treating them were enormous owing to the lack of necessaries for the performance of operations. ,; .''-'■'■■; _ Weird and striking were the scenes within those hallowed places, as, in the halfdarkness with the long, deep shadows, men struggled for life or gave to the woman kneeling at their side their name, their address, and' a last dying message, to one they loved. . ' '■ ' . ' London that night was a city of shattered homes, of shattered hopes, of shattered lives. . * .^

■ ■Til's n]enci) of. death had .-fanes •-..* , "'■■:■ *h*r*. 'll.*- only -..; ■. thai ■ «ok-» Mir- ■■;■",'.;; qafel within Mm** cutuchw mw +fr* ftrgbs, ,~ J ,/-* the- „'roar,». ami-the faint j.„-:j ~.i;.'.'i ;ai . " : the dying;* ■';■',,:'';.'.vt.:' ,; :' X.'i!'- V''iy^^" : 'f^M J B^§Sl|iiti IS THB S-t«I}.";TS. . : ~"," Another 'p«r*«sn.«t ;/.!«;,« v-lt.-h glw*.." some idea of the Mpeef; of jifws streets' of I'otidoft' after tins hWsd'ssrfMMiM,, B'''-tl» •" :" story told by H*rtmt ilw... who kep? .» . ■" small grocery and proviso*} . ! >,• in Upperstreet. IsHiut 4 *. ■ A-, narrated in j»-.:Te-: ■;..' porter, and kuhsojtirntlj- published In ***«•" rat of : the ■ eveabig paper**, •'. 'it .'.was.; as :.Col* ;': AftMl "For ten days we in Ipiingt«?oi «si»tt i '•■'-.• in .- constant terror. We kn»*»' thai-tho : ■.■>',<'. Germans auto. a<tvat&ir)g. on . Lomdau, And atso knew that our own defences were a ■'<',-.■" mere ridiculous pretence. This' ffhuit of' ■ . London ■-'■wan m an ittdwcri»*tb!e ferment. The day following tho landing iti Knsex I, -with all the. other itfighboHring shops,.. doubled my price*; ytt I had » constant, rush of /customers all day, for people were laying in mokss of food, aw! bought at '■' any ligure I liked to cbargsr. Fiom psople who could afford it I obtained in much a."? . a shilling a ■ pound for h>»£ .niga*- awl half-a-crawn a pound tor nine pen. bacon, Cijstomeirs were frantic, and bought anything. Ail hit canned provisions* and frtt*U ■•■'■.;.'/•• were sold out before evening at, prices tbafc wore exorbitant, and people' carried theni ' away, well knowing that in a few days '*■'. prices would become' absolutely prohibi« tive; Similar scenes were witnessed ia all ' the provision shops in Hoxlon ami Wins- ,•; ton. The papers that day hud prophesied a Amine in Loudon, and ■there was am&ei(pieut panic everywhere. How 1 wished I [ had held a large stock oi canned meats, for 1 might have nude .1 small fort mm during that exciting week. Ass it .was, on Thursday 1 was compelled ' to cUwo toy idtop,, for 1-had''Sold out everything, and it wis impossible to obtain, unv more fiura the warehouses, who. like the retailers, . were selling at inflated pricow. Hip bitt M'holcsale '■ dealers in cheese, bucoti, American ciumod food?, Kidnion and lobster, biscuits, and the like ,W£f& have made {ioti of money within those never-to-bedorgotten few days), • It whs, however, swl to svo I how tlio poor ca-mo to line, begging tiiO'to let them have food at the usual price*, and often I, yielded. What else, indeed, rould 1 do? "Well, as day succeeded day, nobody slept. The news of our victory at Boy»t'>u . raised the hopes of ;■ Londoner*", but only foi & ..single day. Tliien all hearts Ml aafiin. Through the , wholo night the - streets were as active in the noon. Most. : • ' of the traffic had ceased. All the motor- *' 'buses'and all hoi'ses hsd bw.n cOuuiwndeercd by the War Office for traiii.porJ, henco in the main thnrotnjhf.iri"* peopbs. spread all over the road, talking exwfedly, ; ■• and loudly singing 'Owl Save the King.' , : Having closed my shop, with my wife I joined the throng of idlers., Everyone wo« out of work 5 everyone he'd his own pet j theory as to the outcome of those stirring ! events. - The Government - organs were - (sanguine. but all Opposition journals weso full of bitter reproaches and adverse j criticism, . • , ■■■• : . . "Each afternoon I rolled towards* '\\j.> , I falgar Square, where tnusw meetings wero ' constantly being held at the foot of the /,.'■'. Nelson monument. It was interesting to listen to the violent outpourings of the . socialist orators and their caustic deiiun- | r>ini,i«n '■ of ..'tbrt ■'fihvArmni'tit Tli« iilot«,il»t

elation of the Government.

Tin* - details

of the battles of Purleigh, Itay*ton, and Chelmsford were known everywhere, and each day became more gloomy than it« '■■'■'.■"■.-'(:• predecessor. The. 'London Hospital, SI.. Thomas', and Guy's wei full of wounded British soldiers,- who were being daily ' brought in by military ambulances in' sad procession, while it was known that* . our field hospitals everywhere were filled to overflowing. ' "I was outside the Houses of Parliament . * one afternoon when numbers of despatch boxes were being piled upon private carriages and removed, and on inquiry I was : told that both Houses*, in view of the threatened investment of London, had de- - '- cided to meet in future down at Bristol. • Tho streets Were decorated with ihg»i• aa though it were Lord Mayor'* Day. Everyone who_ possessed a. Union Jack hung it out. Upon all, Government and' public buildings the British Hag was s,ho\vn, aud Londoners of* 'every class, even thought their stomachs were empty, Buffered uncomplainingly, and were loud in their on« tlnieiastic demonstrations of loyalty. : " Within ; a week food was at a premium. •'.< Men and boys trapped and (shot the I pigeons at the Law Courts, iu St, Paul's .. | Churchyard, in the courtyard of the Hotel ■''■ Cecil, around Trafalgar Squat©, and; in ' fact,. at all the various) spots in the metro, polis where the birds abound. The various nourmills ground out all their stored grain, and the bakers; having worked day and night, had come to (he end of their stocks. * The markets,, however, were not closed, for food was .still coming iu from the south and west,-and only the poor were ' absolutely starving. "One evening I strolled across the pari; from the Marble Arch to the Albert Gate, and there 'witnessed some extraordinary '"'",'\*\ scenes. Families from the extreme northerly and easterly suburbs "had encamped there, in fear that their home's might hi seized and occupied by the enemy. Women ■; and children were Irving in. garden ten's they had bought, and the whole park seemed to he one vast colony, the park ehidr» being used an household furniture. On that','.. , day, Friday, nearly every shop in London ' ■.' i was closed. The streets presented the as- i :• ' pect of Sunday, added to which win the gaiety and colour of a : processional day. Yet the crowds were,, for the most part, i angry and indignant, swayed by every re- ! port which each hour was published in tho* ■press. . ; ;::'; "The casualty office at the War Office was, I saw, besieged by a huge mirginy crowd, which entirely blocked l\dl Midi,' a crowd of women of all classes, from tho costermongcr girl from Fast Lane, Wsil' > worth, to the officer's lady from Mayfaii* or Kensington. Long lists of dead and: i'missing were daily published in the papers ■', | and posted on the wall* out.side in Fall Mall, and grave and dramatic were the j scenes I witnessed there of weeping women, ■ [ with wondering children suddenly bereft of fathers. In those stifling, overcast days, | when the very atmosphere bore the oppression of disaster,and ruin, I was eye-witness of many ■strange wight in tho London streets. . ' .'■ ■■■■}[.. Sj "Thus the days passed, until the engagement at Harlow, and Von Kronhelm, advancing to Hampslead Heath, and finding such despcrato resistance, bombarded us. By that time I had deserted ,my • home and sent my wife to her sister's, down in Kent. Close outside my shop people had for day* been contracting * great barricade, but I -had gone over to ' > , Norwood to seek riie'lcr with nw brother Harry. I witnessed the bombardment or* U that fateful afternoon from the parade outside the Crystal Palace. The atmosphere I was clear, and we could see more tlianroooe "' i the flash of those cruel guns at Itampstead. We knew that the damage caused uruAt bo , enormous, but we had no idea of ita appalling extent unlit that night, when the bombardment , had ceased. We made our way northward again, through Du'wich and , Camberwell towards the river. "The streets on lire Surrey side were rendered impassable by the terrified populace, mostly women, who bad fled t;omh from beneath that awful rain of death. They were weeping, wailing, and wringing " their hands at the loss of their homes and loved ones. Many carried their babies in their arms, homeless, hungry, without* ■ '"; means, without shelter, and without husband. As we went through Walworth and Lambeth I was witness of incidents thai. made one's heart bleed, for I saw .theft „ , all the horrors of war." (To-be continued daily.)