The Invasion

, 1910, was indeed Bl

details of the terrible naval disasters were not yet to hand, yet it was vaguely

ranean lines from the north gave thrilling stories of frightful disasters

d Birmingham, awoke utterly dazed. It seemed incredible. And yet the enemy had,

e declaration preceding the Franco-German War was the first made by any civilised nation prior to the commence

Metropolis, anxious to ascertain the truth for themselves, pale with terror, wild with excitement, in

engagements, simply closed the doors, bringing business to an abrupt standstill. Consols stood at 90 on Saturday, but by noon on Monday were down to 42-lower even than they

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 carry 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 better 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 have realised their securities to ob

e blow aimed could not prove an effective one, and that the Germans, however many might have landed, would quickly be sent back again. Thus many level-headed business me

s of eager men and women of all classes, tearful wives of bluejackets jostling with officers' ladies from Mayfair and Belgravia, demanding news of their loved ones-inquiries which, alas! the casualty office were unable to satisfy. The scene of grief, terror, and suspe

ough the great manufacturing centres of the

with a force of mounted police, some rioting occurred, and a number of shop windows broken, w

t the coal staithes, cranes, and petroleum tanks at Penarth, Cardiff, Barry, and Llanelly had been destroyed; that Aberdeen had been bombarded; and there were

men away into the country-anywhere from the doomed and defenceless city. The Lord Mayor vainly endeavoured to in

shortly after three o'clock the "Daily Mail" issued a special edition containing a copy of a German proclamation which, i

hand upon a barn door near the town of Billericay, and had been

rd and crushing blow, and it struck terror into the hea

ious broadsheets side by side. One by the Chief Commissioner of Police, regulating the traffic in the streets, and appealing to the public to assist in the preservation of order; and a Royal Proclamation, brief but noble, urging every Briton to do his duty, to take his part in the de

ls and headed by the Royal Arms made its ap

wded eagerly about it and sang "God Save our Gracious King," for if they had but little confidence in the War Office and Admiralty, they placed their trust in t

town, and village in the country, a poster issued by military and police of

LAMA

MMANDING THE 3

the generals commanding the different German Army Corps to establish special measures against all municipalities and persons

IVE PUBL

n Army, and to every action endangering the security of the troops by rendering assistance to the enemy. The Military J

BRITISH SOLDIERS, or not showing b

G THE ENEM

RMAN TROOPS when char

ny person belonging to the German Ar

light wires, gasometers, or railways, interfering with roads, setting fire

S against the

PUNISHED

e charged with the trial, and pronounce judgment. Councils of W

ILL BE IMMEDIA

the contravention takes place will be compelle

NISH necessaries for the Ger

. 1 oz. tea. 1? pi

tobacco or 5 cigars.

es. ? pint w

n for eac

b. 6 oz. hay. 3

indemnity in money may do so at

hat they consider necessary for the well-being of their men, and wil

f Great Britain will make no difficulty in fu

ps and the inhabitants, we give notice that one German mark

nding the Ninth G

KRON

ptember the

S FAMOUS P

racks in the kingdom. The armed forces of England were passing from a peace to a war footing; but the mobilisation of the various units-namely, its completion in men, horses, and mat

visions-of, indeed, everything. Men had guns without ammunition; cavalry and artillery were without horses; engineers only half equipped; volu

ge of motor-cars, now remained on the roads in London were quickly taken

wn up; and again that over the Mole, between Walton and Esher, while the Reading line was cut by the great bridge over the Thames at Staines being destroyed. The line, too, between Guildford and Waterloo, was also rendered impassable by the wreck

or so spies, all trusted soldiers, had passed unnoticed but, working in unison, each little group of two or three had bee

ight of Monday in the south, the objective being to hinder troops from moving north from Aldershot. This was, indeed, effectual, for only by a long détour could the troo

ds, and Liverpool, motor-cars and motor-omnibuses from dealers and private owners were being requisitio

had, it was believed, been bombarded and sacked. The shipping in the Tyne was burning, and the Elswick works were held by the