Great Britain -- Defenses; Imaginary wars and battles
"Near Highbury Fields about noon to-day some British cavalry surprised a
party of Germans, and attempted to take them prisoners. The latter
showed fight, whereupon they were shot down to a man. The British held
as prisoners by the Germans near Enfield have now been released, and are
rejoining their comrades along the northern heights. Many believe that
another and final battle will be fought north of London, but military
men declare that the German power is already broken. Whether Von
Kronhelm will still continue to lose his men at the rate he is now
doing, or whether he will sue for peace, is an open question.
Personally, he was against the bombardment of London from the very
first, yet he was compelled to carry out the orders of his Imperial
master. The invasion, the landing, and the successes in the north were,
in his opinion, quite sufficient to have paralysed British trade and
caused such panic that an indemnity would have been paid. To attack
London was, in his opinion, a proceeding far too dangerous, and his
estimate is now proved to have been the correct one. Now that they have
lost command of the sea, and are cut off from their bases in Essex, the
enemy's situation is hopeless. They may struggle on, but assuredly the
end can only be an ignominious one.
"Yet the German eagle still flies proudly over the War Office, over St.
Stephen's, and upon many other public buildings, while upon others
British Royal Standards and Union Jacks are commencing to appear, each
one being cheered by the excited Londoners, whose hearts are now full of
hope. Germany shall be made to bite the dust. That is the war-cry
everywhere. Many a proud Uhlan and Cuirassier has to-day ridden to his
death amid the dense mobs, mad with the lust of blood. Some of the more
unfortunate of the enemy have been lynched, and torn limb from limb,
while others have died deaths too horrible to here describe in detail.
"Each hour brings to us further news showing how, by slow degrees, the
German army of occupation is being wiped out. People are jeering at the
audacious claim for indemnity presented to the British Government when
the enemy entered London, and are asking whether we will not now present
a claim to Germany. Von Kronhelm is not blamed so much as his Emperor.
He has been the cat's paw, and has burned his fingers in endeavouring to
snatch the chestnuts from the fire.
"As a commander, he has acted justly, fully observing the international
laws concerning war. It was only when faced by the problem of a national
uprising that he countenanced anything bordering upon capital
punishment. An hour ago our censors were withdrawn. They came and shook
hands with many members of the staff, and retired. This surely is a
significant fact that Von Kronhelm hopes to regain the confidence of
London by appearing to treat her with a fatherly solicitude. Or is it
that he intends to sue for peace at any price?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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