Over London the sky was still obscured by the smoke-pall2, though as the night passed many of the raging fires had spent themselves.
Trafalgar Square was filled with troops who had piled arms and were standing3 at their ease. The men were laughing and smoking, enjoying a rest after the last forward movement and the street fighting of that night of horrors.
The losses on both sides during the past three days had been enormous; of the number of London citizens killed and wounded it was impossible to calculate. There had, in the northern suburbs, been wholesale4 butchery everywhere, so gallantly5 had the barricades6 been defended.
Great camps had now been formed in Hyde Park, in the Green Park between Constitution Hill and Piccadilly, and in St. James's Park. The Magdeburg Fusiliers were being formed up on the Horse Guards Parade, and from the flagstaff there now fluttered the ensign of the commander of an army corps7, in place of the British flag. A large number of Uhlans and Cuirassiers were encamped at the west end of the Park, opposite Buckingham Palace, and both the Wellington Barracks and the[199] Cavalry8 Barracks at Knightsbridge were occupied by Germans.
Many officers were already billeted in the Savoy, the Cecil, the Carlton, the Grand, and Victoria hotels, while the British Museum, the National Gallery, the South Kensington Museum, the Tower, and a number of other collections of pictures and antiques were all guarded strongly by German sentries9. The enemy had thus seized our national treasures.
London awoke to find herself a German city.
In the streets lounging groups of travel-worn sons of the Fatherland were everywhere, and German was heard on every hand. Every ounce of foodstuff10 was being rapidly commandeered by hundreds of foraging11 parties, who went to each grocer's, baker's, or provision shop in the various districts, seized all they could find, valued it, and gave official receipts for it.
The price of food in London that morning was absolutely prohibitive, as much as two shillings being asked for a twopenny loaf. The Germans had, it was afterwards discovered, been all the time, since the Sunday when they landed, running over large cargoes12 of supplies of all sorts to the Essex, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk coasts, where they had established huge supply bases, well knowing that there was not sufficient food in the country to feed their armed hordes13 in addition to the population.
Shops in Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Edgware Road, Oxford14 Street, Camden Road, and Harrow Road were systematically15 visited by the foraging parties, who commenced their work at dawn. Those places that were closed and their owners absent were at once broken open, and everything seized and carted to either Hyde Park or St. James's Park, for though Londoners might starve, the Kaiser's troops intended to be fed.
In some cases a patriotic16 shopkeeper attempted to resist. Indeed, in more than one case a tradesman wilfully17 set his shop on fire rather than its contents should fall into the enemy's hands. In other cases the tradesmen who received the official German receipts burned them in contempt before the officer's eyes.
The guidance of these foraging parties was, in very many cases, in the hands of Germans in civilian19 clothes, and it was now seen how complete and helpful the enemy's system of espionage20 had been in London. Most[200] of these men were Germans who, having served in the army, had come over to England and obtained employment as waiters, clerks, bakers21, hairdressers, and private servants, and being bound by their oath to the Fatherland had served their country as spies. Each man, when obeying the Imperial command to join the German arms, had placed in the lapel of his coat a button of a peculiar22 shape, with which he had long ago been provided, and by which he was instantly recognised as a loyal subject of the Kaiser.
This huge body of German soldiers, who for years had passed in England as civilians23, was, of course, of enormous use to Von Kronhelm, for they acted as guides not only on the march and during the entry to London, but materially assisted in the victorious24 advance in the Midlands. Indeed, the Germans had for years kept a civilian army in England, and yet we had, ostrich-like, buried our heads in the sand, and refused to turn our eyes to the grave peril25 that had for so long threatened.
Systematically, the Germans were visiting every shop and warehouse26 in the shopping districts, and seizing everything eatable they could discover. The enemy were taking the food from the mouths of the poor in East and South London, and as they went southward across the river, so the populace retired27, leaving their homes at the mercy of the ruthless invader28.
Upon all the bridges across the Thames stood German guards, and none were allowed to cross without permits.
Soon after dawn Von Kronhelm and his staff rode down Haverstock Hill with a large body of cavalry, and made his formal entry into London, first having an interview with the Lord Mayor, and an hour afterwards establishing his headquarters at the new War Office in Whitehall, over which he hoisted29 his special flag as Commander-in-Chief. It was found that, though a good deal of damage had been done externally to the building, the interior had practically escaped, save one or two rooms. Therefore the Field Marshal installed himself in the private room of the War Minister, and telegraphic and telephonic communication was quickly established, while a wireless30 telegraph apparatus31 was placed upon the ruined summit of Big Ben for the purpose of communicating with Germany, in case the cables were interrupted by being cut at sea.
The day after the landing a similar apparatus had[201] been erected32 on the Monument at Yarmouth, and it had been daily in communication with the one at Bremen. The German left nothing to chance.
The clubs in Pall Mall were now being used by German officers, who lounged in easy chairs, smoking and taking their ease, German soldiers being on guard outside. North of the Thames seemed practically deserted33, save for the invaders34 who swarmed35 everywhere. South of the Thames the cowed and terrified populace were asking what the end was to be. What was the Government doing? It had fled to Bristol and left London to its fate, they complained.
What the German demands were was not known until the "Daily Telegraph" published an interview with Sir Claude Harrison, the Lord Mayor, which gave authentic36 details of them.
They were as follows:—
1. Indemnity37 of ￡300,000,000, paid in ten annual instalments.
2. Until this indemnity is paid in full, German troops to occupy Edinburgh, Rosyth, Chatham, Dover, Portsmouth, Devonport, Pembroke, Yarmouth, Hull38.
3. Cession39 to Germany of the Shetlands, Orkneys, Bantry Bay, Malta, Gibraltar, and Tasmania.
4. India, north of a line drawn40 from Calcutta to Baroda, to be ceded41 to Russia.
5. The independence of Ireland to be recognised.
Of the claim of ￡300,000,000, fifty millions was demanded from London, the sum in question to be paid within twelve hours.
The Lord Mayor had, it appeared, sent his secretary to the Prime Minister at Bristol bearing the original document in the handwriting of Von Kronhelm. The Prime Minister had acknowledged its receipt by telegraph both to the Lord Mayor and to the German Field Marshal, but there the matter had ended.
The twelve hours' grace was nearly up, and the German Commander, seated in Whitehall, had received no reply.
In the corner of the large, pleasant, well-carpeted room sat a German telegraph engineer with a portable instrument, in direct communication with the Emperor's private cabinet at Potsdam, and over that wire messages were continually passing and repassing.[202]
The grizzled old soldier paced the room impatiently. His Emperor had only an hour ago sent him a message of warm congratulation, and had privately42 informed him of the high honours he intended to bestow43 upon him. The German Eagle was victorious, and London—the great unconquerable London—lay crushed, torn, and broken.
The marble clock upon the mantelpiece shelf chimed eleven upon its silvery bells, causing Von Kronhelm to turn from the window to glance at his own watch.
"Tell His Majesty44 that it is eleven o'clock, and that there is no reply to hand," he said sharply in German to the man in uniform seated at the table in the corner.
The instrument clicked rapidly, and a silence followed.
The German Commander waited anxiously. He stood bending slightly over the green tape in order to read the Imperial order the instant it flashed from beneath the sea.
Five minutes—ten minutes passed. The shouting of military commands in German came up from Whitehall below. Nothing else broke the quiet.
Von Kronhelm, his face more furrowed45 and more serious, again paced the carpet.
Suddenly the little instrument whirred, and clicked as its thin green tape rolled out.
In an instant the Generalissimo of the Kaiser's army sprang to the telegraphist's side and read the Imperial command.
For a moment he held the piece of tape between his fingers, then crushed it in his hand and stood motionless.
He had received orders which, though against his desire, he was compelled to obey.
Summoning several members of his staff who had installed themselves in other comfortable rooms in the vicinity, he held a long consultation46 with them.
In the meantime telegraphic despatches were received from Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, and other German headquarters, all telling the same story—the complete investment and occupation of the big cities and the pacification48 of the inhabitants.
One hour's grace was, however, allowed to London—till noon.
Then orders were issued, bugles49 rang out across the parks, and in the main thoroughfares, where arms were piled, causing the troops to fall in, and within a quarter[203] of an hour large bodies of infantry50 and engineers were moving along the Strand51, in the direction of the City.
At first the reason of all this was a mystery, but very shortly it was realised what was intended when a detachment of the 5th Hanover Regiment52 advanced to the gate of the Bank of England opposite the Exchange, and, after some difficulty, broke it open and entered, followed by some engineers of Von Mirbach's Division. The building was very soon occupied, and, under the direction of General Von Kleppen himself, an attempt was made to open the strong rooms, wherein was stored that vast hoard53 of England's wealth. What actually occurred at that spot can only be imagined, as the commander of the IVth Army Corps and one or two officers and men were the only persons present. It is surmised54, however, that the strength of the vaults55 was far greater than they had imagined, and that, though they worked for hours, all was in vain.
While this was in progress, however, parties of engineers were making organised raids upon the banks in Lombard Street, Lothbury, Moorgate Street, and Broad Street, as well as upon branch banks in Oxford Street, the Strand, and other places in the West End.
At one bank on the left-hand side of Lombard Street, dynamite57 being used to force the strong room, the first bullion58 was seized, while at nearly all the banks sooner or later the vaults were opened, and great bags and boxes of gold coin were taken out and conveyed in carefully guarded carts to the Bank of England, now in the possession of Germany.
In some banks—those of more modern construction—the greatest resistance was offered by the huge steel doors and concrete and steel walls and other devices for security. But nothing could, alas59! resist the high explosives used, and in the end breaches61 were made, in all cases, and wealth uncounted and untold62 extracted and conveyed to Threadneedle Street for safe keeping.
Engineers and infantry handled those heavy boxes and those big bundles of securities gleefully, officers carefully counting each box or bag or packet as it was taken out to be carted or carried away by hand.
German soldiers under guard struggled along Lothbury beneath great burdens of gold, and carts, requisitioned out of the East End, rumbled63 heavily all the afternoon, escorted by soldiers. Hammersmith, Camberwell,[204] Hampstead, and Willesden yielded up their quota64 of the great wealth of London; but though soon after four o'clock a breach60 was made in the strong rooms of the Bank of England by means of explosives, nothing in the vaults was touched. The Germans simply entered there and formally took possession.
The coin collected from other banks was carefully kept, each separate from another, and placed in various rooms under strong guards, for it seemed to be their intention simply to hold London's wealth as security.
That afternoon very few banks—except the German ones—escaped notice. Of course, there were a few small branches in the suburbs which remained unvisited, yet by six o'clock Von Kronhelm was in possession of enormous quantities of gold.
In one or two quarters there had been opposition65 on the part of the armed guards established by the banks at the first news of the invasion. But any such resistance had, of course, been futile66, and the man who had dared to fire upon the German soldiers had in every case been shot down.
Thus, when darkness fell, Von Kronhelm, from the corner of his room in the War Office, was able to report to his Imperial Master that not only had he occupied London, but that, receiving no reply to his demand for indemnity, he had sacked it and taken possession not only of the Bank of England, but of the cash deposits in most of the other banks in the metropolis67.
That night the evening papers described the wild happenings of the afternoon, and London saw herself not only shattered, but ruined. The frightened populace across the river stood breathless. What was now to happen?
Though London lay crushed and occupied by the enemy, though the Lord Mayor was a prisoner of war and the banks in the hands of the Germans, though the metropolis had been wrecked68 and more than half its inhabitants had fled southward and westward69 into the country, yet the enemy received no reply to their demand for an indemnity and the cession of British territory.
Von Kronhelm, ignorant of what had occurred in the House of Commons at Bristol, sat in Whitehall and wondered. He knew well that the English were no fools, and their silence, therefore, caused him considerable uneasiness. He had lost in the various engagements over 50,000 men, yet nearly 200,000 still remained. His army of invasion was a no mean responsibility, especially when at any moment the British might regain70 command of the sea. His supplies and reinforcements would then be at once cut off. It was impossible for him to live upon the country, and his food bases in Suffolk and Essex were not sufficiently71 extensive to enable him to make a prolonged campaign. Indeed, the whole scheme of operations which had been so long discussed and perfected in secret in Berlin was more of the nature of a raid than a prolonged siege.
[205]
CITY OF LONDON.
CITIZENS OF LONDON.
WE, the GENERAL COMMANDING the German Imperial Army occupying London, give notice that:
(1) THE STATE OF WAR AND OF SIEGE continues to exist, and all categories of crime, more especially the contravention of all orders already issued, will be judged by Councils of War, and punished in conformity72 with martial73 law.
(2) THE INHABITANTS OF LONDON and its suburbs are ordered to instantly deliver up all arms and ammunition74 of whatever kind they possess. The term arms includes firearms, sabres, swords, daggers75, revolvers, and sword-canes. Landlords and occupiers of houses are charged to see that this order is carried out, but in the case of their absence the municipal authorities and officials of the London County Council are charged to make domiciliary visits, minute and searching, being accompanied by a military guard.
(3) ALL NEWSPAPERS, JOURNALS, GAZETTES, AND PROCLAMATIONS, of whatever description, are hereby prohibited, and until further notice nothing further must be printed, except documents issued publicly by the military commander.
(4) ANY PRIVATE PERSON OR PERSONS taking arms against the German troops after this notice will be EXECUTED.
(5) ON THE CONTRARY, the Imperial German troops will respect private property, and no requisition will be allowed to be made unless it bears the authorisation of the Commander-in-Chief.
(6) ALL PUBLIC PLACES are to be closed at 8 P.M. All persons found in the streets of London after 8 P.M. will be arrested by the patrols. There is no exception to this rule except in the case of German Officers, and also in the case of doctors visiting their patients. Municipal officials will also be allowed out, providing they obtain a permit from the German headquarters.
(7) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST provide for the lighting76 of the streets. In cases where this is impossible, each householder must hang a lantern outside his house from nightfall until 8 A.M.
(8) AFTER TO-MORROW morning, at 10 o'clock, the women and children of the population of London will be allowed to pass without hindrance77.
(9) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST, with as little delay as possible, provide accommodation for the German troops in private dwellings78, in fire-stations, barracks, hotels, and houses that are still habitable.
VON KRONHELM,
Commander-in-Chief.
German Military Headquarters,
Whitehall, London, September 21, 1910.
VON KRONHELM'S PROCLAMATION TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON. VON KRONHELM'S PROCLAMATION TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON.
[206] The German Field Marshal sat alone and reflected. Had he been aware of the true state of affairs he would certainly have had considerable cause for alarm. True, though Lord Byfield had made such a magnificent stand, considering the weakness of the force at his disposal, and London was occupied, yet England was not conquered.
No news had leaked out from Bristol. Indeed, Parliament had taken every precaution that its deliberations were in secret.
The truth, however, may be briefly79 related. On the previous day the House had met at noon in the Colston Hall—a memorable80 sitting, indeed. The Secretary of State for War had, after prayers, risen in the hall and read an official despatch47 he had just received from Lord Byfield, giving the news of the last stand made by the British north of Enfield, and the utter hopelessness of the situation. It was received by the assembled House in ominous81 silence.
During the past week through that great hall the Minister's deep voice, shaken by emotion, had been daily heard as he was compelled to report defeat after defeat of the British arms. Both sides of the House had, after the first few days, been forced to recognise Germany's superiority in numbers, in training, in organisation82—in fact in everything appertaining to military power. Von Kronhelm's strategy had been perfect. He knew more of Eastern England than the British Commander himself, and his marvellous system of spies and advance agents—Germans who had lived for years in England—had assisted him forward, until he had now occupied London, the city declared to be impregnable.
Through the whole of September 20 the Minister constantly received despatches from the British Field Marshal and from London itself, yet each telegram communicated to the House seemed more hopeless than its predecessor83.[207]
The debate, however, proceeded through the afternoon. The Opposition were bitterly attacking the Government and the Blue Water School for its gross negligence84 in the past, and demanding to know the whereabouts of the remnant of the British Navy. The First Lord of the Admiralty flatly refused to make any statement. The whereabouts of our Navy at that moment was, he said, a secret, which must, at all hazards, be withheld85 from our enemy. The Admiralty were not asleep, as the country believed, but were fully18 alive to the seriousness of the crisis. He urged the House to remain patient, saying that as soon as he dared he would make a statement.
This was greeted by loud jeers86 from the Opposition, from whose benches, members, one after another, rose, and, using hard epithets87, blamed the Government for the terrible disaster. The cutting down of our defences, the meagre naval88 programmes, the discouragement of the Volunteers and of recruiting, and the disregard of Lord Roberts' scheme in 1906 for universal military training were, they declared, responsible for what had occurred. The Government had been culpably89 negligent90, and Mr. Haldane's scheme had been all insufficient91. Indeed, it had been nothing short of criminal to mislead the Empire into a false sense of security which did not exist.
For the past three years Germany, while sapping our industries, had sent spies into our midst, and laughed at us for our foolish insular92 superiority. She had turned her attention from France to ourselves, notwithstanding the entente93 cordiale. She remembered how the much-talked-of Franco-Russian alliance had fallen to pieces, and relied upon a similar outcome of the friendship between France and Great Britain.
The aspect of the House, too, was strange; the Speaker in his robes looked out of place in his big uncomfortable chair, and members sat on cane-bottomed chairs instead of their comfortable benches at Westminster. As far as possible the usual arrangement of the House was adhered to, except that the Press were now excluded, official reports being furnished to them at midnight.
The clerks' table was a large plain one of stained wood, but upon it was the usual array of despatches, while the Serjeant-at-Arms, in his picturesque94 dress, was still one of the most prominent figures. The lack of committee rooms, of an adequate lobby, and of a refreshment95 department caused much inconvenience, though a temporary[208] post and telegraph office had been established within the building, and a separate line connected the Prime Minister's room with Downing Street.
If the Government were denounced in unmeasured terms, its defence was equally vigorous. Thus, through that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon the sitting continued past the dinner hour on to late in the evening.
Time after time the despatches from London were placed in the hands of the War Minister, but, contrary to the expectation of the House, he vouchsafed96 no further statement. It was noticed that just before ten o'clock he consulted in an earnest undertone with the Prime Minister, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Home Secretary, and that a quarter of an hour later all four went out and were closeted in one of the smaller rooms with other members of the Cabinet for nearly half an hour.
Then the Secretary of State for War re-entered the House and resumed his seat in silence.
A few minutes afterwards Mr. Thomas Askern, member of one of the Metropolitan97 boroughs98, and a well-known newspaper proprietor99, who had himself received several private despatches, rose and received leave to put a question to the War Minister.
"I would like to ask the Right Honourable100 the Secretary of State for War," he said, "whether it is not a fact that soon after noon to-day the enemy, having moved his heavy artillery101 to certain positions commanding North London, and finding the capital strongly barricaded102, proceeded to bombard it? Whether that bombardment, according to the latest despatches, is not still continuing at this moment; whether it is not a fact that enormous damage has already been done to many of the principal buildings of the metropolis, including the Government Offices at Whitehall, and whether great loss of life has not been occasioned?"
The question produced the utmost sensation. The House during the whole afternoon had been in breathless anxiety as to what was actually happening in London; but the Government held the telegraphs and telephone, and the only private despatches that had come to Bristol were the two received by some roundabout route known only to the ingenious journalists who had despatched them. Indeed, the despatches had been conveyed the greater portion of the way by motor-car.
A complete silence fell. Every face was turned towards[209] the War Minister, who, seated with outstretched legs, was holding a fresh despatch he had just received.
He rose, and, in his deep bass103 voice, said:—
"In reply to the honourable member for South-East Brixton, the statement he makes appears, from information which has just reached me, to be correct. The Germans are, unfortunately, bombarding London. Von Kronhelm, it is reported, is at Hampstead, and the zone of the enemy's artillery reaches, in some cases, as far south as the Thames itself. It is true, as the honourable member asserts, an enormous amount of damage has already been done to various buildings, and there has undoubtedly104 been great loss of life. My latest information is that the non-combatant inhabitants—old persons, women, and children—are in flight across the Thames, and that the barricades in the principal roads leading in from the north are held strongly by the armed populace, driven back into London."
He sat down without further word.
A tall, thin, white-moustached man rose at that moment from the Opposition side of the House. Colonel Farquhar, late of the Royal Marines, was a well-known military critic, and represented West Bude.
"And this," he said, "is the only hope of England! The defence of London by an armed mob, pitted against the most perfectly105 equipped and armed force in the world! Londoners are patriotic, I grant. They will die fighting for their homes, as every Englishman will when the moment comes; yet, what can we hope, when patriotism106 is ranged against modern military science? There surely is patriotism in the savage107 negro races of Central Africa, a love of country perhaps as deep as in the white man's heart; yet a little strategy, a few Maxims108, and all defence is quickly at an end. And so it must inevitably109 be with London. I contend, Mr. Speaker," he went on, "that by the ill-advised action of the Government from the first hour of their coming into power, we now find ourselves conquered. It only remains110 for them now to make terms of peace as honourable to themselves as the unfortunate circumstances will admit. Let the country itself judge their actions in the light of events of to-day, and let the blood of the poor murdered women and children of London be upon their heads. (Shame.) To resist further is useless. Our military organisation is in chaos111, our miserably[210] weak army is defeated and in flight. I declare to this House that we should sue at this very moment for peace—a dishonourable peace though it be; but the bitter truth is too plain—England is conquered!"
As he sat down amid the "hear, hears," and the loud applause of the Opposition there rose a keen-faced, dark-haired, clean-shaven man of thirty-seven or so. He was Gerald Graham, younger son of an aristocratic house, the Yorkshire Grahams, who sat for North-East Rutland. He was a man of brilliant attainments112 at Oxford, a splendid orator113, a distinguished114 writer and traveller, whose keen brown eye, lithe115 upright figure, quick activity, and smart appearance, rendered him a born leader of men. For the past five years he had been marked out as a "coming man."
As a soldier he had seen hard service in the Boer War, being mentioned twice in despatches; as an explorer he had led a party through the heart of the Congo and fought his way back to civilisation116 through an unexplored land with valiant117 bravery that had saved the lives of his companions. He was a man who never sought notoriety. He hated to be lionised in society, refused the shoals of cards of invitation which poured in upon him, and stuck to his Parliamentary duties, and keeping faith with his constituents118 to the very letter.
As he stood up silent for a moment, gazing around him fearlessly, he presented a striking figure and in his navy serge suit he possessed119 the unmistakable cut of the smart, well-groomed Englishman who was also a man of note.
The House always listened to him, for he never spoke120 without he had something of importance to say. And the instant he was up a silence fell.
"Mr. Speaker," he said, in a clear, ringing voice, "I entirely121 disagree with my honourable friend the member for West Bude. England is not conquered! She is not beaten!"
The great hall rang with loud and vociferous122 cheers.
"London may be invested and bombarded. She may even be sacked, but Englishmen will still fight for their homes and fight valiantly123. If we have a demand for indemnity let us refuse to pay it. Let us civilians—let the civilians in every corner of England—arm themselves and unite to drive out the invader! (Loud cheers.) I contend, Mr. Speaker, that there are millions of able-[211]bodied men in this country who, if properly organised, will be able to gradually exterminate124 the enemy. Organisation is all that is required. Our vast population will rise against the Germans, and before the tide of popular indignation and desperate resistance the power of the invader must soon be swept away. Do not let us sit calmly here in security, and acknowledge that we are beaten. Remember, we have at this moment to uphold the ancient tradition of the British race, the honour of our forefathers125, who have never been conquered. Shall we acknowledge ourselves conquered in this the twentieth century?"
"No!" rose from hundreds of voices, for the House was now carried away by young Graham's enthusiasm.
"Then let us organise56!" he urged. "Let us fight on. Let every man who can use a sword or gun come forward, and we will commence hostilities126 against the Kaiser's forces that shall either result in their total extermination127 or in the power of England being extinguished. Englishmen will die hard. I myself will, with the consent of this House, head the movement, for I know that in the country we have millions who will follow me and will be equally ready to die for our country if necessary. Let us withdraw this statement that we are conquered. The real, earnest fight is now to commence," he shouted, his voice ringing clearly through the hall. "Let us bear our part, each one of us. If we organise and unite, we shall drive the Kaiser's hordes into the sea. They shall sue us for peace, and be made to pay us an indemnity, instead of us paying one to them. I will lead!" he shouted; "who will follow me?"
In London the Lord Mayor's patriotic proclamations were now obliterated128 by a huge bill bearing the German Imperial arms, the text of which told its own grim tale.
In the meantime the news of the fall of London was being circulated by the Germans to every town throughout the kingdom, their despatches being embellished129 by lurid130 descriptions of the appalling131 losses inflicted132 upon the English. In Manchester, a great poster, headed by the German Imperial arms, was posted up on the Town Hall, the exchange, and other places, in which Von Kronhelm announced the occupation of London; while in Leeds, Bradford, Stockport, and Sheffield similarly worded official announcements were also posted. The Press in all towns occupied by the Germans had been suppressed, papers only appearing in order to publish the enemy's orders. Therefore this official intelligence was circulated by proclamation, calculated to impress upon the inhabitants of the country how utterly133 powerless they were.
[212]
NOTICE AND ADVICE.
TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON.
I ADDRESS YOU SERIOUSLY.
We are neighbours, and in time of peace cordial relations have always existed between us. I therefore address you from my heart in the cause of humanity.
Germany is at war with England. We have been forced to penetrate134 into your country.
But each human life spared, and all property saved, we regard as in the interests of both religion and humanity.
We are at war, and both sides have fought a loyal fight.
Our desire is, however, to spare disarmed135 citizens and the inhabitants of all towns and villages.
We maintain a severe discipline, and we wish to have it known that punishment of the severest character will be inflicted upon any who are guilty of hostility136 to the Imperial German arms, either open or in secret.
To our regret any incitements, cruelties, or brutalities we must judge with equal severity.
I therefore call upon all local mayors, magistrates137, clergy138, and schoolmasters to urge upon the populace, and upon the heads of families, to urge upon those under their protection, and upon their domestics, to refrain from committing any act of hostility whatsoever139 against my soldiers.
All misery140 avoided is a good work in the eye of our Sovereign Judge, who sees all men.
I earnestly urge you to heed141 this advice, and I trust in you.
Take notice!
VON KRONHELM,
Commanding the Imperial German Army.
German Military Headquarters,
Whitehall, London, September 20, 1910.
NOTICE AND ADVICE.
While[213] Von Kronhelm sat in that large sombre room in the War Office, with his telegraph instrument to Potsdam ever ticking, and the wireless telegraphy constantly in operation, he wondered, and still wondered, why the English made no response to his demands. He was in London. He had carried out his Emperor's instructions to the letter, he had received the Imperial thanks, and he held all the gold coin he could discover in London as security. Yet, without some reply from the British Government, his position was an insecure one. Even his thousand and one spies who had served him so well ever since he had placed foot upon English soil could tell him nothing. The deliberations of the House of Commons at Bristol were a secret.
In Bristol the hot, fevered night had given place to a gloriously sunny morning with a blue and cloudless sky. Above Leigh Woods the lark142 rose high in the sky, trilling his song, and the bells of Bristol rang out as merrily as they ever did, and above the Colston Hall still floated the Royal Standard—a sign that the House had not yet adjourned143.
While Von Kronhelm held London, Lord Byfield and the remnant of the British Army, who had suffered such defeat in Essex and north of London, had, four days later, retreated to Chichester and Salisbury, where reorganisation was in rapid progress. One division of the defeated troops had encamped at Horsham. The survivors144 of those who had fought the battle of Charnwood Forest, and had acted so gallantly in the defence of Birmingham, were now encamped on the Malvern Hills, while the defenders145 of Manchester were at Shrewsbury. Speaking roughly, therefore, our vanquished146 troops were massing at four points, in an endeavour to make a last attack upon the invader. The Commander-in-Chief, Lord Byfield, was near Salisbury, and at any hour he knew that the German legions might push westward from London to meet him and to complete the coup147.
The League of Defenders formed by Gerald Graham and his friends was, however, working independently.[214] The wealthier classes, who, driven out of London, were now living in cottages and tents in various parts of Berks, Wilts148, and Hants, worked unceasingly on behalf of the League, while into Plymouth, Exmouth, Swanage, Bristol, and Southampton more than one ship had already managed to enter laden149 with arms and ammunition of all kinds, sent across by the agents of the League in France. The cargoes were of a very miscellaneous character, from modern Maxims to old-fashioned rifles that had seen service in the war of 1870. There were hundreds of modern rifles, sporting guns, revolvers, swords—in fact, every weapon imaginable, modern and old-fashioned. These were at once taken charge of by the local branches of the League, and to those men who presented their tickets of identification the arms were served out, and practice conducted in the open fields. Three shiploads of rifles were known to have been captured by German warships150, one off Start Point, another a few miles outside Padstow, and a third within sight of the coastguard at Selsey Bill. Two other ships were blown up in the Channel by drifting mines. The running of arms across from France and Spain was a very risky151 proceeding152; yet the British skipper is nothing if not patriotic, and every man who crossed the Channel on those dangerous errands took his life in his hand.
Into Liverpool, Whitehaven, and Milford weapons were also coming over from Ireland, even though several German cruisers, who had been up to Lamlash to cripple the Glasgow trade, had now come south, and were believed still to be in the Irish Sea.
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1
dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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barricades
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| 路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 ) | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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10
foodstuff
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| n.食料，食品 | |
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foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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cargoes
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| n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负 | |
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13
hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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15
systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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17
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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18
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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19
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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20
espionage
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| n.间谍行为，谍报活动 | |
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21
bakers
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| n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三 | |
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22
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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25
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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26
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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27
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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28
invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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29
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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31
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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32
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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33
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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34
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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35
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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36
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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37
indemnity
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| n.赔偿，赔款，补偿金 | |
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38
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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39
cession
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| n.割让，转让 | |
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40
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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41
ceded
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| v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 ) | |
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42
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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43
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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44
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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45
furrowed
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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47
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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48
pacification
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| n. 讲和，绥靖，平定 | |
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49
bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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50
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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51
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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52
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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53
hoard
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| n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积 | |
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54
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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55
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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56
organise
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| vt.组织，安排，筹办 | |
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57
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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58
bullion
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| n.金条，银条 | |
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59
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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60
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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61
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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62
untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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63
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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64
quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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65
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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66
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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67
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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68
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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69
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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70
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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71
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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72
conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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73
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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74
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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75
daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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76
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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77
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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78
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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79
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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80
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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81
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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82
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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83
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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84
negligence
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| n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意 | |
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85
withheld
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| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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86
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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87
epithets
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| n.（表示性质、特征等的）词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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88
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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89
culpably
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| adv.该罚地，可恶地 | |
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90
negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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91
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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92
insular
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| adj.岛屿的，心胸狭窄的 | |
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93
entente
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| n.协定；有协定关系的各国 | |
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94
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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95
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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96
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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97
metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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98
boroughs
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| （尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇 | |
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99
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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100
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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101
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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102
barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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103
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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104
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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105
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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106
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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107
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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108
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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109
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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110
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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111
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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112
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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113
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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114
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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115
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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116
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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117
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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118
constituents
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| n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素 | |
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119
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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120
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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121
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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122
vociferous
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| adj.喧哗的，大叫大嚷的 | |
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123
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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124
exterminate
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| v.扑灭，消灭，根绝 | |
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125
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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126
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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127
extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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128
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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129
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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130
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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132
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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133
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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134
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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135
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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136
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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137
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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138
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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139
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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140
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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142
lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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146
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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147
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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148
wilts
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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150
warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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151
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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