loss of life on both the London civilian and German side, occurred at
the point where Kingsland Road joins Old Street, Hackney Road, and High
Street. Across both Hackney and Kingsland Roads the barricades built
before the bombardment still remained in a half-ruined state, any
attempt at clearing them away being repulsed by the angry inhabitants.
Dalston, Kingsland, Bethnal Green, and Shoreditch were notably
antagonistic to the invaders, and several sharp encounters had taken
place. Indeed, those districts were discovered by the enemy to be very
unsafe.
The conflict in question, however, commenced at the corner of Old Street
at about 9.30 in the evening, by three German tailors from Cambridge
Road being insulted by two men, English labourers. The tailors appealed
in German to four Westphalian infantrymen who chanced to be passing, and
who subsequently fired and killed one of the Englishmen. This was the
signal for a local uprising. The alarm given, hundreds of men and women
rushed from their houses, many of them armed with rifles and knives,
and, taking cover behind the ruined barricades, opened fire upon a body
of fifty Germans, who very quickly ran up. The fire was returned, when
from the neighbouring houses a perfect hail of lead was suddenly rained
upon the Germans, who were then forced to retire down High Street
towards Liverpool Street Station, leaving many dead.
Very quickly news was sent over the telephone, which the Germans had now
established in many quarters of London, and large reinforcements were
soon upon the scene. The men of Shoreditch had, however, obtained two
Maxim guns, which had been secreted ever since the entry of the Germans
into the Metropolis, and as the enemy endeavoured to storm their
position they swept the street with a deadly fire. Quickly the situation
became desperate, but the fight lasted over an hour. The sound of firing
brought hundreds upon hundreds of Londoners upon the scene. All these
took arms against the Germans, who, after many fruitless attempts to
storm the defences, and being fired upon from every side, were compelled
to fall back again.
They were followed along High Street into Bethnal Green Road, up Great
Eastern Street into Hoxton Square and Pitfield Street, and there cut up,
being given no quarter at the hands of the furious populace. In those
narrow thoroughfares they were powerless, and were therefore simply
exterminated.
The victory for the men of Shoreditch was complete, over three hundred
and fifty Germans being killed, while our losses were only about fifty.
The conflict was at once reported to Von Kronhelm, and the very fact
that he did not send exemplary punishment into that quarter was
sufficient to show that he feared to arouse further the hornets' nest in
which he was living, and more especially that portion of the populace
north of the City.
News of the attack, quickly spreading, inspired courage in every other
part of the oppressed Metropolis.
The successful uprising against the Germans in Shoreditch incited
Londoners to rebel, and in various other parts of the Metropolis there
occurred outbreaks.
Von Kronhelm had found to his cost that London was not to be so easily
cowed after all. The size and population of the Metropolis had not been
sufficiently calculated upon. It was as a country in itself, while the
intricacies of its by-ways formed a refuge for the conspirators, who
were gradually completing their preparations to rise _en masse_ and
strike down the Germans wherever found. In the open country his great
army could march, manoeuvre, and use strategy, but here in the maze of
narrow London streets it was impossible to know in one thoroughfare what
was taking place in the next.
Supplies, too, were now running very short. The distress among our
vanquished populace was most severe; while Von Kronhelm's own army was
put on meagre rations. The increasing price of food and consequent
starvation had not served to improve the relations between the invaders
and the citizens of London, who, though they were assured by various
proclamations that they would be happier and more prosperous under
German rule, now discovered that they were being slowly starved to
death.
Their only hope, therefore, was in the efforts of that now gigantic
organisation, the League of Defenders.
A revolt occurred in Pentonville Road, opposite King's Cross Underground
Station, which ended in a fierce and terrible fray. A company of the
Bremen Infantry Regiment No. 75, belonging to the IXth Corps, were
marching from the City Road towards Regent's Park, when several shots
were fired at them from windows of shops almost opposite the station.
Five Germans fell dead, including one lieutenant, a very gorgeous person
who wore a monocle. Another volley rang out before the infantrymen could
realise what was happening, and then it was seen that the half-ruined
shops had been placed in such a state of defence as to constitute a
veritable fortress.
The fire was returned, but a few moments later a Maxim spat its deadly
fire from a small hole in a wall, and a couple of dozen of the enemy
fell upon the granite setts of the thoroughfare. The rattle of musketry
quickly brought forth the whole of that populous neighbourhood--or all,
indeed, that remained of them--the working-class district between
Pentonville Road and Copenhagen Street.
Quickly the fight became general. The men of Bremen endeavoured to take
the place by assault, but found that it was impossible. The strength of
the defences was amazing, and showed only too plainly that Londoners
were in secret preparing for the great uprising that was being planned.
In such a position were the houses held by the Londoners, that their
fire commanded both the Pentonville and King's Cross Roads; but very
soon the Germans were reinforced by another company of the same
regiment, and these being attacked in the rear from Rodney Street,
Cumming Street, Weston Street, York Street, Winchester Street, and other
narrow turnings leading into the Pentonville Road, the fighting quickly
became general.
The populace came forth in swarms, men and women, armed with any weapon
or article upon which they could lay their hands, and all fired with the
same desire.
Hundreds of men who came forth were armed with rifles which had been
carefully secreted on the entry of the enemy into the Metropolis. The
greater part of those men, indeed, had fought at the barricades in North
London, and had subsequently taken part in the street fighting as the
enemy advanced. Some of the arms had come from the League of Defenders,
smuggled into the Metropolis nobody exactly knew how.
Up and down the King's Cross, Pentonville, and Caledonian Roads the
crowd swayed and fought. The Germans against that overwhelming mass of
angry civilians seemed powerless. Small bodies of the troops were
cornered in the narrow by-streets, and then given no quarter.
Brave-hearted Londoners, though they knew well what dire punishment they
must inevitably draw upon themselves, had taken the law into their own
hands, and were shooting or stabbing every German who fell into their
hands.
The scene of carnage in that hour of fighting was awful. The "Daily
Chronicle" described it as one of the most fiercely contested encounters
in the whole history of the siege. Shoreditch had given courage to
King's Cross, for, unknown to Von Kronhelm, houses in all quarters were
being put in a state of defence, their position being carefully chosen
by those directing the secret operations of the League of Defenders.
For over an hour the houses in question gallantly held out, sweeping the
streets constantly with their Maxim. Presently, however, on further
reinforcements arriving, the German colonel directed his men to enter
the houses opposite. In an instant a door was broken in, and presently
glass came tumbling down as muzzles of rifles were poked through the
panes, and soon sharp crackling showed that the Germans had settled
down to their work.
The defence of the Londoners was most obstinate. In the streets,
Londoners attacked the enemy with utter disregard for the risks they
ran. Women, among them many young girls, joined in the fray, armed with
pistols and knives.
After a while a great body of reinforcements appeared in the Euston
Road, having been sent hurriedly along from Regent's Park. Then the
option was given to those occupying the fortified house to surrender,
the colonel promising to spare their lives. The Londoners peremptorily
refused. Everywhere the fighting became more desperate and spread all
through the streets leading out of St. Pancras, York, and Caledonian
Roads, until the whole of that great neighbourhood became the scene of a
fierce conflict, in which both sides lost heavily. Right across
Islington the street fighting spread, and many were the fatal traps set
for the unwary German who found himself cut off in that maze of narrow
streets between York Road and the Angel. The enemy, on the other hand,
were shooting down women and girls as well as the men, even the
non-combatants--those who came out of their homes to ascertain what was
going on--being promptly fired at and killed.
In the midst of all this somebody ignited some petrol in a house a few
doors from the chapel in Pentonville Road, and in a few moments the
whole row of buildings were blazing furiously, belching forth black
smoke and adding to the terror and confusion of those exciting moments.
Even that large body of Germans now upon the scene were experiencing
great difficulty in defending themselves. A perfect rain of bullets
seemed directed upon them on every hand, and to-day's experience
certainly proves that Londoners are patriotic and brave, and in their
own districts they possess a superiority over the trained troops of the
Kaiser.
At length, after a most sanguinary struggle, the Londoners' position was
carried, the houses were entered, and twenty-two brave patriots, mostly
of the working-class, taken prisoners. The populace now realising that
the Germans had, after all, overpowered their comrades, in their
fortress, fell back; but being pursued northward towards the railway
line between Highbury and Barnsbury stations, many of them were
despatched on the spot.
What followed was indeed terrible. The anger of the Germans now became
uncontrollable. Having in view Von Kronhelm's proclamation--which
sentenced to death all who, not being in uniform, fired upon German
troops--they decided to teach the unfortunate populace a lesson. As a
matter of fact, they feared that such revolts might be repeated in other
quarters.
So they seized dozens of prisoners, men and women, and shot them down.
Many of these summary executions took place against the wall of the St.
Pancras Station at the corner of Euston Road. Men and women were
pitilessly sent to death. Wives, daughters, fathers, sons were ranged up
against that wall, and, at signal from the colonel, fell forward with
bullets through them.
Of the men who so gallantly held the fortified house not a single one
escaped. Strings of men and women were hurried to their doom in one day,
for the troops were savage with the lust of blood, and Von Kronhelm,
though he was aware of it by telephone, lifted not a finger to stop
those arbitrary executions.
But enough of such details. Suffice it to say that the stones of
Islington were stained with the blood of innocent Londoners, and that
those who survived took a fierce vow of vengeance. Von Kronhelm's
legions had the upper hand for the moment, yet the conflict and its
bloody sequel had the effect of arousing the fiercest anger within the
heart of every Briton in the metropolis.
What was in store for us none could tell. We were conquered, oppressed,
starved; yet hope was still within us. The League of Defenders were not
idle, while South London was hourly completing her strength.
It seems that after quelling the revolt at King's Cross wholesale
arrests were made in Islington. The guilt or innocence of the prisoners
did not seem to matter. Von Kronhelm dealing out to them summary
punishment.
Terror reigns in London. One newspaper correspondent--whose account is
published this morning in South London, having been sent across the
Thames by carrier pigeon, many of which were now being employed by the
newspapers--had an opportunity of witnessing the wholesale executions
which took place yesterday afternoon outside Dorchester House, where Von
Kleppen has established his quarters. Von Kleppen seems to be the most
pitiless of the superior officers. The prisoners, ranged up for
inspection in front of the big mansion, were mostly men from Islington,
all of whom knew only too well the fate in store for them. Walking
slowly along and eyeing the ranks of these unfortunate wretches, the
German General stopped here and there, tapping a man on the shoulder or
beckoning him out of the rear ranks. In most cases, without further
word, the individual thus selected was marched into the Park at Stanhope
Gate, where a small supplementary column was soon formed.
LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS
DAILY BULLETIN
The League of Defenders of the British Empire publicly announce
to Englishmen, although the North of London is held by the
enemy:
(1) That England will soon entirely regain command of the sea,
and that a rigorous blockade of the German ports will be
established.
(2) That three of the vessels of the North German Lloyd
Transatlantic passenger service have been captured, together
with a number of minor German ships in the Channel and
Mediterranean.
(3) That four German cruisers and two destroyers have fallen
into the hands of the British.
(4) That
ENGLAND'S MILLIONS ARE READY
TO RISE!
Therefore
WE ARE NOT YET BEATEN!
BE PREPARED, AND WAIT.
League of Defenders.
Central Office: Bristol.
[Illustration: COPY OF THE "DAILY BULLETIN" OF THE
LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS.]
Those chosen knew that their last hour had come. Some clasped their
hands and fell upon their knees, imploring pity, while others remained
silent and stubborn patriots. One man, his face covered with blood and
his arm broken, sat down and howled in anguish, and others wept in
silence. Some women--wives and daughters of the condemned men--tried to
get within the Park to bid them adieu and to urge courage, but the
soldiers beat them back with their rifles. Some of the men laughed
defiantly, others met death with a stony stare. The eye-witness saw the
newly-dug pit that served as common grave, and he stood by and saw them
shot and their corpses afterwards flung into it.
One young fair-haired woman, condemned by Von Kleppen, rushed forward to
that officer, threw herself upon her knees, imploring mercy, and
protested her innocence wildly. But the officer, callous and pitiless,
simply motioned to a couple of soldiers to take her within the Park,
where she shared the same fate as the men.
How long will this awful state of affairs last? We must die, or conquer.
London is in the hands of a legion of assassins--Bavarians, Saxons,
Wuertembergers, Hessians, Badeners--all now bent upon prolonging the
reign of terror, and thus preventing the uprising that they know is,
sooner or later, inevitable.
Terrible accounts are reaching us of how the Germans are treating their
prisoners on Hounslow Heath, at Enfield, and other places; of the awful
sufferings of the poor unfortunate fellows, of hunger, of thirst, and of
inhuman disregard for either their comfort or their lives.
At present we are powerless, hemmed in by our barricades. Behind us,
upon Sydenham Hill, General Bamford is in a strong position, and his
great batteries are already defending any attack upon London from the
south. From the terrace in front of the Crystal Palace his guns can
sweep the whole range of southern suburbs. Through Dulwich, Herne Hill,
Champion Hill, and Denmark Hill are riding British cavalry, all of whom
show evident traces of the hard and fierce campaign. We see from
Sydenham constant messages being heliographed, for General Bamford and
Lord Byfield are in hourly communication by wireless telegraphy or by
other means.
What is transpiring at Windsor is not known, save that every night there
are affairs of outposts with the Saxons, who on several occasions have
attempted to cross the river by pontoons, and have on each occasion been
driven back.
It was reported to Parliament at its sitting at Bristol yesterday that
the Cabinet had refused to entertain any idea of paying the indemnity
demanded by Germany, and that their reply to Von Kronhelm is one of open
defiance. The brief summary of the speeches published shows that the
Government are hopeful, notwithstanding the present black outlook. They
believe that when the hour comes for the revenge, London will rise as a
man, and that Socialists, Nonconformists, Labour agitators, Anarchists,
and demagogues will unite with us in one great national patriotic effort
to exterminate our conquerors as we would exterminate vermin.
Mr. Gerald Graham has made another great speech in the House, in which
he reported the progress of the League of Defenders and its wide-spread
ramifications. He told the Government that there were over seven
millions of able-bodied men in the country ready to revolt the instant
the word went forth. That there would be terrible bloodshed he warned
them, but that the British would eventually prove the victors he was
assured. He gave no details of the organisation, for to a great measure
it was a secret one, and Von Kronhelm was already taking active steps to
combat its intentions; but he declared that there was still a strong
spirit of patriotism in the country, and explained how sturdy Scots were
daily making their way south, and how men from Wales were already
massing in Oxford.
The speech was received on both sides of the House with ringing cheers
when, in conclusion, he promised them that, within a few days, the fiat
would go forth, and the enemy would find himself crushed and powerless.
"South London," he declared, "is our stronghold, our fortress. To-day it
is impregnable, defended by a million British patriots, and I defy Von
Kronhelm--indeed, I dare him to attack it!"
Von Kronhelm was, of course, well aware of the formation of the
Defenders, but treated the League with contempt. If there was any
attempt at a rising, he would shoot down the people like dogs. He
declared this openly and publicly, and he also issued a warning to the
English people in the German official "Gazette," a daily periodical
printed in one of the newspaper offices in Fleet Street in both German
and English.
The German commander fully believed that England was crushed; yet, as
the days went on, he was puzzled that he received no response to his
demand for indemnity. Twice he had sent special despatch-bearers to
Bristol, but on both occasions the result was the same.
Diplomatic representations had been made in Berlin through the Russian
Ambassador, who was now in charge of British interests in Germany, but
all to no purpose. Our Foreign Minister simply acknowledged receipt of
the various despatches. On the Continent the keenest interest was
manifested at what was apparently a deadlock. The British had, it was
known, regained command of the sea. Von Kronhelm's supplies were already
cut off. The cables in direct communication between England and Germany
had been severed, and the Continental Press, especially the Paris
journals, gleefully recounted how two large Hamburg-American liners
attempting to reach Hamburg by passing north of Scotland had been
captured by British cruisers.
=ENGLISHMEN!=
Your Homes are Desecrated!
Your Children are Starving!
Your Loved Ones are Dead!
WILL YOU REMAIN IN COWARDLY INACTIVITY?
The German Eagle flies over London. Hull, Newcastle and
Birmingham are in ruins. Manchester is a German City. Norfolk,
Essex, and Suffolk form a German colony.
The Kaiser's troops have brought death, ruin, and starvation
upon you.
WILL YOU BECOME GERMANS?
=NO!=
Join THE DEFENDERS and fight for England.
You have England's Millions beside you.
=LET US RISE!=
Let us drive back the Kaiser's men.
Let us shoot them at sight.
Let us exterminate every single man who has desecrated English
soil.
Join the New League of Defenders.
Fight for your homes. Fight for your wives. Fight for England.
FIGHT FOR YOUR KING!
The National League of Defenders' Head Offices.
Bristol, September 21st, 1910.
[Illustration: A COPY OF THE MANIFESTO OF THE LEAGUE OF
DEFENDERS ISSUED ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1910.]
In the Channel, too, a number of German vessels had been seized, and one
that showed fight off the North Foreland was fired upon and sunk. The
public at home, however, were more interested in supremacy on land. It
was all very well to have command of the sea, they argued, but it did
not appear to alleviate perceptibly the hunger and privations on land.
The Germans occupied London, and while they did so all freedom in
England was at an end.
A great poster headed "Englishmen," here reproduced, was seen
everywhere. The whole country was flooded with it, and thousands upon
thousands of heroic Britons, from the poorest to the wealthiest,
clamoured to enrol themselves. The movement was an absolutely national
one in every sense of the word. The name of Gerald Graham, the new
champion of England's power, was upon every one's tongue. Daily he spoke
in the various towns in the West of England, in Plymouth, Taunton,
Cardiff, Portsmouth, and Southampton, and, assisted by the influential
committee among whom were many brilliant speakers and men whose names
were as household words, he aroused the country to the highest pitch of
hatred against the enemy. The defenders, as they drilled in various
centres through the whole of the West of England, were a strange and
incongruous body. Grey-bearded Army pensioners ranged side by side with
keen, enthusiastic youths, advised them and gave them the benefit of
their expert knowledge. Volunteer officers in many cases assumed
command, together with retired drill sergeants. The digging of trenches
and the making of fortifications were assigned to navvies, bricklayers,
platelayers, and agricultural labourers, large bodies of whom were under
railway gangers, and were ready to perform any excavation work.
The Maxims and other machine guns were mostly manned by Volunteer
artillery; but instruction in the working of the Maxim was given to
select classes in Plymouth, Bristol, Portsmouth, and Cardiff. Time was
of utmost value, therefore the drilling was pushed forward day and
night. It was known that Von Kronhelm was already watchful of the
movements of the League, and was aware daily of its growth.
In London, with the greatest secrecy, the defenders were banding
together. In face of the German proclamation posted upon the walls,
Londoners were holding meetings in secret and enrolling themselves.
Though the German eagle flew in Whitehall and from the summit of St.
Stephen's Tower, and though the heavy tramp of German sentries echoed in
Trafalgar Square, in the quiet, trafficless streets in the vicinity,
England was not yet vanquished.
The valiant men of London were still determined to sell their liberty
dearly, and to lay down their lives for the freedom of their country and
honour of their King.
BOOK III.
THE REVENGE.
CHAPTER I.
A BLOW FOR FREEDOM.
"'DAILY TELEGRAPH' OFFICE.
"_Oct._ 1, 2 P.M.
"Three days have passed since the revolt at King's Cross, and each day,
both on the Horse Guards' Parade and in the Park, opposite Dorchester
House, there have been summary executions. Von Kronhelm is in evident
fear of the excited London populace, and is endeavouring to cow them by
his plain-spoken and threatening proclamations, and by these wholesale
executions of any person found with arms in his or her possession. But
the word of command does not abolish the responsibility of conscience,
and we are now awaiting breathlessly for the word to strike the blow in
revenge.
"The other newspapers are reappearing, but all that is printed each
morning is first subjected to a rigorous censorship, and nothing is
allowed to be printed before it is passed and initialled by the two
gold-spectacled censors who sit and smoke their pipes in an office to
themselves. Below, we have German sentries on guard, for our journal is
one of the official organs of Von Kronhelm, and what now appears in it
is surely sufficient to cause our blood to boil."
"To-day, there are everywhere signs of rapidly increasing unrest.
Londoners are starving, and are now refusing to remain patient any
longer. The "Daily Bulletin" of the League of Defenders, though the
posting of it is punishable by imprisonment, and it is everywhere torn
down where discovered by the Germans, still gives daily brief news of
what is in progress, and still urges the people to wait in patience,
for 'the action of the Government,' as it is sarcastically put.
"Soon after eleven o'clock this morning a sudden and clearly
premeditated attack was made upon a body of the Bremen infantry, who
were passing along Oxford Street from Holborn to the Marble Arch. The
soldiers were suddenly fired upon from windows of a row of shops between
Newman Street and Rathbone Place, and before they could halt and return
the fire they found themselves surrounded by a great armed rabble, who
were emerging from all the streets leading into Oxford Street.
"While the Germans were manoeuvring, some unknown hand launched from a
window a bomb into the centre of them. Next second there was a red
flash, a loud report, and twenty-five of the enemy were blown to atoms.
For a few moments the soldiers were demoralised, but orders were shouted
loudly by their officers, and they began a most vigorous defence. In a
few seconds the fight was as fierce as that at King's Cross; for out of
every street in that working-class district lying between the Tottenham
Court Road and Great Portland Street on the north, and out of Soho on
the South, poured thousands upon thousands of fierce Londoners, all bent
upon doing their utmost to kill their oppressors. From almost every
window along Oxford Street a rain of lead was now being poured upon the
troops, who vainly strove to keep their ground. Gradually, however, they
were, by slow degrees, forced back into the narrow side-turnings up
Newman Street, and Rathbone Place into Mortimer Street, Foley Street,
Goodge Street, and Charlotte Street; and there they were slaughtered
almost to a man.
"Two officers were captured by the armed mob in Tottenham Street and,
after being beaten, were stood up and shot in cold blood as vengeance
for those shot during the past three days at Von Kleppen's orders at
Dorchester House.
"The fierce fight lasted quite an hour; and though reinforcements were
sent for, yet curiously none arrived.
"The great mob, however, were well aware that very soon the iron hand of
Germany would fall heavily upon them; therefore, in frantic haste, they
began soon after noon to build barricades and block up the narrow
streets in every direction. At the end of Rathbone Place, Newman Street,
Berners Street, Wells Street, and Great Tichfield Street, huge
obstructions soon appeared, while on the east all by-streets leading
into Tottenham Court Road were blocked up, and the same on the west in
Great Portland Street, and on the north where the district was flanked
by the Euston Road. So that by two o'clock the populous neighbourhood
bounded by the four great thoroughfares was rendered a fortress in
itself.
"Within that area were thousands of armed men and women from Soho,
Bloomsbury, Marylebone, and even from Camden Town. There they remained
in defiance of Von Kronhelm's newest proclamation, which stared one in
the face from every wall."
"_Later._
"The enemy were unaware of the grave significance of the position of
affairs, because Londoners betrayed no outward sign of the truth. Now,
however, nearly every man and woman wore pinned upon their breasts a
small piece of silk about two inches square, printed as a miniature
Union Jack--the badge adopted by the League of Defenders. Though Von
Kronhelm was unaware of it, Lord Byfield, in council with Greatorex and
Bamford, had decided that, in order to demoralise the enemy and give him
plenty of work to do, a number of local uprisings should take place
north of the Thames. These would occupy Von Kronhelm, who would
experience great difficulty in quelling them, and would no doubt
eventually recall the Saxons from West Middlesex to assist. If the
latter retired upon London they would find the barricades held by
Londoners in their rear and Lord Byfield in their front, and be thus
caught between two fires.
"In each district of London there is a chief of the Defenders, and to
each chief these orders had been conveyed in strictest confidence.
Therefore, to-day, while the outbreak occurred in Oxford Street, there
were fully a dozen others in various parts of the metropolis, each of a
more or less serious character. Every district has already prepared its
own secret defences, its fortified houses, and its barricades in hidden
by-ways. Besides the quantity of arms smuggled into London, every dead
German has had his rifle, pistol, and ammunition stolen from him.
Hundreds of the enemy have been surreptitiously killed for that very
reason. Lawlessness is everywhere, Government and Army have failed them,
and Londoners are now taking the law into their own hands.
"In King Street, Hammersmith; in Notting Dale, in Forest Road, Dalston;
in Wick Road, Hackney; in Commercial Road East, near Stepney Station;
and in Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, the League of Defenders this
morning--at about the same hour--first made their organisation public by
displaying our national emblem, together with the white flags, with the
scarlet St. George's Cross, the ancient battle flag of England.
"For that reason, then, no reinforcements were sent to Oxford Street.
Von Kronhelm was far too busy in other quarters. In Kentish Town, it is
reported, the Germans gained a complete and decisive victory, for the
people had not barricaded themselves strongly; besides, there were large
reinforcements of Germans ready in Regent's Park, and these came upon
the scene before the Defenders were sufficiently prepared. The flag was
captured from the barricade in Prince of Wales Road, and the men of
Kentish Town lost over four hundred killed and wounded.
"At Stepney, the result was the reverse. The enemy, believing it to be a
mere local disturbance and easily quelled, sent but a small body of men
to suppress it. But very quickly, in the intricate by-streets off
Commercial Road, these were wiped out, not one single man surviving. A
second and third body were sent, but so fiercely was the ground
contested that they were at length compelled to fall back and leave the
men of Stepney masters of their own district. In Hammersmith and in
Notting Dale the enemy also lost heavily, though in Hackney they were
successful after hard fighting.
"Every one declares that this secret order issued by the League means
that England is again prepared to give battle, and that London is
commencing by her strategic movement of local rebellions. The gravity of
the situation cannot now, for one moment, be concealed. London north of
the Thames is destined to be the scene of the fiercest and most bloody
warfare ever known in the history of the civilised world. The Germans
will, of course, fight for their lives, while we shall fight for our
homes and for our liberty. But right is on our side, and right will win.
"Reports from all over the metropolis tell the same tale. London is
alert and impatient. At a word she will rise to a man, and then woe
betide the invader! Surely Von Kronhelm's position is not a very
enviable one. Our two censors in the office are smoking their pipes
very gravely. Not a word of the street fighting is to be published. They
will write their own account of it.
"10 P.M.
"There has been a most frightful encounter at the Oxford Street and
Tottenham Court Road barricades--a most stubborn resistance and gallant
defence on the part of the men of Marylebone and Bloomsbury.
"From the lips of one of our correspondents who was within the barricade
I have just learned the details. It appears that just about four o'clock
General Von Wilberg sent from the City a large force of the 19th
Division under Lieutenant General Frankenfeld, and part of these,
advancing through the squares of Bloomsbury into Gower Street, attacked
the Defenders' position from the Tottenham Court Road, while others
coming up Holborn and New Oxford Street entered Soho from Charing Cross
Road and threw up counter-barricades at the end of Dean Street, Wardour
Street, Berwick, Poland, Argyll, and the other streets, all of which
were opposite the defences of the populace. In Great Portland Street,
too, they adopted a similar line, and without much ado the fight,
commenced in a desultory fashion, soon became a battle.
"Within the barricades was a dense body of armed and angry citizens,
each with his little badge, and every single one of them was ready to
fight to the death. There is no false patriotism now, no mere bravado.
Men make declarations, and carry them out. The gallant Londoners, with
their several Maxims, wrought havoc among the invaders, especially in
the Tottenham Court Road, where hundreds were maimed or killed.
"In Oxford Street, the enemy being under cover of their
counter-barricades, little damage could be done on either side. The
wide, open, deserted thoroughfare was every moment swept by a hail of
bullets, but no one was injured. On the Great Portland Street side the
populace made a feint of giving way at the Mortimer Street barricade,
and a body of the enemy rushed in, taking the obstruction by storm. But
next moment they regretted it, for they were set upon by a thousand
armed men and wild haired women, so that every man paid for his courage
with his life. The women, seizing the weapons and ammunition of the dead
Germans, now returned to the barricade to use them.
"The Mortimer Street defences were at once repaired, and it was resolved
to relay the fatal trap at some other point. Indeed, it was repeated at
the end of Percy Street, where about fifty more Germans, who thought
themselves victorious, were set upon and exterminated.
"Until dusk the fight lasted. The Germans, finding their attack futile,
began to hurl petrol bombs over the barricades and these caused
frightful destruction among our gallant men, several houses in the
vicinity being set on fire. Fortunately, there was still water in the
street hydrants, and two fire engines had already been brought within
the beleaguered area in case of necessity.
"At last, about seven o'clock, the enemy, having lost very heavily in
attempting to take the well-chosen position by storm, brought down
several light field-guns from Regent's Park; and, placing them at their
counter-barricades--where, by the way, they had lost many men in the
earlier part of the conflict while piling up their shelters--suddenly
opened fire with shell at the huge obstructions before them.
"At first they made but little impression upon the flagstones, etc., of
which the barricades were mainly composed. But before long their
bombardment began to tell; for slowly, here and there, exploding shells
made great breaches in the defences that had been so heroically manned.
More than once a high explosive shell burst right among the crowd of
riflemen behind a barricade, sweeping dozens into eternity in a single
instant. Against the fortified houses each side of the barricades the
German artillery trained their guns, and very quickly reduced many of
those buildings to ruins. The air now became thick with dust and smoke;
and mingled with the roar of artillery at such close quarters came the
screams of the injured and the groans of the dying. The picture drawn by
the eye-witness who described this was a truly appalling one. Gradually
the Londoners were being overwhelmed, but they were selling their lives
dearly, fully proving themselves worthy sons of grand old England.
"At last the fire from the Newman Street barricade of the Defenders was
silenced, and ten minutes later, a rush being made across from Dean
Street, it was taken by storm. Then ensued fierce and bloody
hand-to-hand fighting right up to Cleveland Street, while almost at the
same moment the enemy broke in from Great Portland Street.
"A scene followed that is impossible to describe. Through all those
narrow, crooked streets the fighting became general, and on either side
hundreds fell. The Defenders in places cornered the Germans, cut them
off, and killed them. Though it was felt that now the barricades had
been broken the day was lost, yet every man kept courage, and fought
with all his strength.
"For half an hour the Germans met with no success. On the contrary, they
found themselves entrapped amid thousands of furious citizens, all
wearing their silken badges, and all sworn to fight to the death.
"While the Defenders still struggled on, loud and ringing cheers were
suddenly raised from Tottenham Court Road. The people from Clerkenwell,
joined by those in Bloomsbury, had arrived to assist them. They had
risen, and were attacking the Germans in the rear.
"Fighting was now general right across from Tottenham Court Road to
Gray's Inn Road, and by nine o'clock, though Von Wilberg sent
reinforcements, a victory was gained by the Defenders. Over two thousand
Germans are lying dead and wounded about the streets and squares of
Bloomsbury and Marylebone. The League had struck its first blow for
Freedom.
"What will the morrow bring us? Dire punishment--or desperate victory?"
"'DAILY CHRONICLE' OFFICE,
"_Oct._ 4, 6 P.M.
"The final struggle for the possession of London is about to commence.
Through all last night there were desultory conflicts between the
soldiers and the people, in which many lives have, alas! been
sacrificed.
"Von Wilberg still holds the City proper, with the Mansion House as his
headquarters. Within the area already shown upon the map there are no
English, all the inhabitants having been long ago expelled. The great
wealth of London is in German hands, it is true, but it is Dead Sea
fruit. They are unable either to make use of it or to deport it to
Germany. Much has been taken away to the base at Southminster and other
bases in Essex, but the greater part of the bullion still remains in the
Bank of England.
"The most exciting stories have been reaching us during the last
twenty-four hours, none of which, however, have passed the censor. For
that reason I, one of the sub-editors, am keeping this diary, as a brief
record of events during the present dreadful times.
"After the terrific struggle in Marylebone three days ago, Von Kronhelm
saw plainly that if London were to rise _en masse_ she would at once
assume the upper hand. The German Commander-in-Chief had far too many
points to guard. On the west of London he was threatened by Lord Byfield
and hosts of auxiliaries, mostly sworn members of the National League of
Defenders; on the south, across the river, Southwark, Lambeth, and
Battersea formed an impregnable fortress, containing over a million
eager patriots ready to burst forth and sweep away the vain, victorious
army; while within central London itself the people were ready to rise.
=LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS.=
CITIZENS OF LONDON AND LOYAL PATRIOTS.
The hour has come to show your strength, and to wreak your
vengeance.
TO-NIGHT, OCT. 4, AT 10 P.M., rise, and strike your blow for
freedom.
A MILLION MEN are with Lord Byfield, already within striking
distance of London; a million follow them, and yet another
million are ready in South London.
RISE, FEARLESS AND STERN. Let "England for Englishmen" be your
battle-cry, and avenge the blood of your wives and your
children.
AVENGE THIS INSULT TO YOUR
NATION.
REMEMBER: TEN O'CLOCK TO-NIGHT!
"Reports reaching us to-day from Lord Byfield's headquarters at Windsor
are numerous, but conflicting. As far as can be gathered, the authentic
facts are as follows: Great bodies of the Defenders, including many
women, all armed, are massing at Reading, Sonning, Wokingham, and
Maidenhead. Thousands have arrived, and are hourly arriving by train,
from Portsmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester, and, in fact,
all the chief centres of the West of England, where Gerald Graham's
campaign has been so marvellously successful. Sturdy Welsh colliers are
marching shoulder to shoulder with agricultural labourers from Dorset
and Devon, and clerks and citizens from the towns of Somerset, Cornwall,
Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire are taking arms beside the riff-raff of
their own neighbourhoods. Peer and peasant, professional man and pauper,
all are now united with one common object--to drive back the invader,
and to save our dear old England.
"Oxford has, it seems, been one of the chief points of concentration,
and the undergraduates who re-assembled there to defend their colleges
now form an advance-guard of a huge body of Defenders on the march, by
way of Henley and Maidenhead, to follow in the rear of Lord Byfield. The
latter holds Eton and the country across to High Wycombe, while the
Saxon headquarters are still at Staines. Froelich's Cavalry Division are
holding the country across from Pinner through Stanmore and Chipping
Barnet to the prison camp at Enfield Chase. These are the only German
troops outside West London, the Saxons being now barred from entering by
the huge barricades which the populace of West London have during the
past few days been constructing. Every road leading into London from
West Middlesex is now either strongly barricaded or entirely blocked up.
Kew, Richmond, and Kingston Bridges have been destroyed, and Lord
Byfield, with General Bamford at the Crystal Palace, remains practically
in possession of the whole of the south of the Thames.
"The conflict which is now about to begin will be one to the death.
While, on the one hand, the Germans are bottled up among us, the fact
must not be overlooked that their arms are superior, and that they are
trained soldiers. Yet the two or three local risings of yesterday and
the day previous have given us courage, for they show that the enemy
cannot manoeuvre in the narrow streets, and soon become demoralised. In
London we fail because we have so few riflemen. If every man who now
carries a gun could shoot, we could compel the Germans to fly a flag of
truce within twenty-four hours. Indeed, if Lord Roberts' scheme of
universal training in 1906 had been adopted, the enemy would certainly
never have been suffered to approach our capital.
"Alas! apathy has resulted in this terrible and crushing disaster, and
we have only now to bear our part, each one of us, in the blow to avenge
this desecration of our homes and the massacre of our loved ones.
"To-day I have seen the white banners with the red cross--the ensign of
the Defenders--everywhere. Till yesterday it was not openly displayed,
but to-day it is actually hung from windows or flown defiantly from
flagstaffs in full view of the Germans.
"In Kilburn, or, to be more exact, in the district lying between the
Harrow Road and the High Road, Kilburn, there was another conflict this
morning between some of the German Garde Corps and the populace. The
outbreak commenced by the arrest of some men who were found practising
with rifles in Paddington Recreation Ground. One man who resisted was
shot on the spot, whereupon the crowd who assembled attacked the German
picket, and eventually killed them to a man. This was the signal for a
general outbreak in the neighbourhood, and half an hour later, when a
force was sent to quell the revolt, fierce fighting became general all
through the narrow streets of Kensal Green, especially at the big
barricade that blocks the Harrow Road where it is joined by Admiral
Road. Here the bridges over the Grand Junction Canal have already been
destroyed, for the barricades and defences have been scientifically
constructed under the instruction of military engineers.
"From an early hour to-day it has been apparent that all these risings
were purposely ordered by the League of Defenders to cause Von
Kronhelm's confusion. Indeed, while the outbreak at Kensal Green was in
progress, we had another reported from Dalston, a third from Limehouse,
and a fourth from Homerton. Therefore, it is quite certain that the
various centres of the League are acting in unison upon secret orders
from headquarters.
"Indeed, South London also took part in the fray this morning, for the
Defenders at the barricade at London Bridge have now mounted several
field guns, and have started shelling Von Wilberg's position in the
City. It is said that the Mansion House, where the General had usurped
the apartments of the deported Lord Mayor, has already been half reduced
to ruins. This action is, no doubt, only to harass the enemy, for surely
General Bamford has no desire to destroy the City proper any more than
it has already been destroyed. Lower Thames Street, King William Street,
Gracechurch Street, and Cannon Street have at any rate, been found
untenable by the enemy, upon whom some losses have been inflicted.
"South London is every moment anxious to know the truth. Two days after
the bombardment we succeeded at night in sinking a light telegraph cable
in the river across from the Embankment at the bottom of Temple Avenue,
and are in communication with our temporary office in Southwark Street.
"An hour ago there came, through secret sources, information of another
naval victory to our credit, several German warships being sunk and
captured. Here we dare not print it, so I have just wired it across to
the other side, where they are issuing a special edition.
"Almost simultaneously with the report of the British victory, namely,
at five o'clock, the truth--the great and all-important truth--became
revealed. The mandate has gone forth from the headquarters of the League
of Defenders that London is to rise in her might at ten o'clock
to-night, and that a million men are ready to assist us. Placards and
bills on red paper are everywhere.
"Frantic efforts are being made by the Germans all over London to
suppress both posters and handbills.
"It is now six o'clock. In four hours it is believed that London will be
one huge seething conflict. Night has been chosen, I suppose, in order
to give the populace the advantage. The by-streets are for the most part
still unlit, save for oil-lamps, for neither gas nor electric light are
yet in proper working order after the terrible dislocation of
everything. The scheme of the Defenders is, as already proved, to lure
the Germans into the narrower thoroughfares, and then exterminate them.
Surely in the history of the world there has never been such a bitter
vengeance as that which is now inevitable. London, the greatest city
ever known, is about to rise!
"_Midnight._
"London has risen! How can I describe the awful scenes of panic,
bloodshed, patriotism, brutality, and vengeance that are at this moment
in progress? As I write, through the open window I can hear the roar of
voices, the continual crackling of rifles, and the heavy booming of
guns. I walked along Fleet Street at nine o'clock, and I found, utterly
disregarding the order that no unauthorised persons are to be abroad
after nightfall, hundreds upon hundreds of all classes, all wearing
their little silk Union Jack badges pinned to their coats, on the way to
join in their particular districts. Some carried rifles, others
revolvers, while others were unarmed. Yet not a German did I see in the
streets. It seemed as though, for the moment, the enemy had vanished.
There was only the strong cordon across the bottom of Ludgate Hill, men
who looked on in wonder, but without bestirring themselves.
"Is it possible that Von Kronhelm's strategy is to remain inactive, and
refuse to fight?
"The first shot I heard fired, just after ten o'clock, was at the Strand
end of Fleet Street, at the corner of Chancery Lane. There, I afterwards
discovered, a party of forty German infantrymen had been attacked, and
all of them killed. Quickly following this, I heard the distant booming
of artillery, and then the rattle of musketry and pom-poms became
general, but not in the neighbourhood where I was. For nearly half an
hour I remained at the corner of Aldwych; then, on going farther along
the Strand, I found that the defenders from the Waterloo Road had made a
wild sortie into the Strand, but could find no Germans there.
"The men who had for a fortnight held that barricade at the bridge were
more like demons than human beings; therefore I retired, and in the
crush made my way back to the office to await reports.
"They were not long in arriving. I can only give a very brief _resume_
at the moment, for they are so numerous as to be bewildering.
"Speaking generally, the whole of London has obeyed the mandate of the
League, and, rising, are attacking the Germans at every point. In the
majority of cases, however, the enemy hold strong positions, and are
defending themselves, inflicting terrible losses upon the unorganised
populace. Every Londoner is fighting for himself, without regard for
orders or consequences. In Bethnal Green the Germans, lured into the
maze of by-streets, have suffered great losses, and again in
Clerkenwell, St. Luke's, Kingsland, Hackney and Old Ford. Whitechapel
too, devoid of its alien population, who have escaped into Essex, has
held its own, and the enemy have had some great losses in the streets
off Cable and Leman Streets.
"With the exception of the sortie across Waterloo Bridge, South London
is, as yet, remaining in patience, acting under the orders of General
Bamford.
"News has come in ten minutes ago of a fierce and sudden attack upon the
Saxons by Lord Byfield from Windsor, but there are, as yet, no details.
"From the office across the river I am being constantly asked for
details of the fight, and how it is progressing. In Southwark the
excitement is evidently most intense, and it requires all the energy of
the local commanders of the Defenders to repress another sortie across
that bridge.
"There has just occurred an explosion so terrific that the whole of this
building has been shaken as though by an earthquake.
"London has struck her first blow of revenge. What will be its sequel?"
CHAPTER II.
SCENES AT WATERLOO BRIDGE.
The following is the personal narrative of a young chauffeur named John
Burgess, who assisted in the defence of the barricade at Waterloo
Bridge.
The statement was made to a reporter at noon on October 5, while he was
lying on a mattress in the Church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, so
badly wounded in the chest that the surgeons had given him up.
He related his story in the form of a farewell letter to his sister. The
reporter chanced to be passing, and, hearing him asking for some one to
write for him, volunteered to do so.
"We all did our best," he said, "every one of us. Myself, I was at the
barricade for thirteen days--thirteen days of semi-starvation,
sleeplessness, and constant tension, for we knew not, from one moment to
another, when a sudden attack might be made upon us. At first our
obstruction was a mere ill-built pile of miscellaneous articles, half of
which would not stop bullets; but on the third day our men,
superintended by several non-commissioned officers in uniform, began to
put the position in a proper state of defence, to mount Maxims in the
neighbouring houses, and to place explosives in the crown of two of the
arches of the bridge, so that we could instantly demolish it if
necessity arose.
"Fully a thousand men were holding the position, but unfortunately few
of them had ever handled a rifle. As regards myself, I had learned to
shoot rooks when a boy in Shropshire, and now that I had obtained a gun
I was anxious to try my skill. When the League of Defenders was started,
and a local secretary came to us, we all eagerly joined, each receiving,
after he had taken his oath and signed his name, a small silk Union
Jack, the badge of the League, not to be worn till the word went forth
to rise.
"Then came a period--long, dreary, shadeless days of waiting--when the
sun beat down upon us mercilessly and our vigilance was required to be
constant both night and day. So uncertain were the movements of the
enemy opposite us that we scarcely dared to leave our positions for a
moment. Night after night I spent sleeping in a neighbouring doorway,
with an occasional stretch upon somebody's bed in some house in the
vicinity. Now and then, whenever we saw Germans moving in Wellington
Street, we sent a volley into them, in return receiving a sharp reply
from their pom-poms. Constantly our sentries were on the alert along the
wharves, and in the riverside warehouses, watching for the approach of
the enemy's spies in boats. Almost nightly some adventurous spirits
among the Germans would try and cross. On one occasion, while doing
sentry duty in a warehouse backing on Commercial Road, I was sitting
with a comrade at a window overlooking the river. The moon was shining,
for the night was a balmy and beautiful one, and all was quiet. It was
about two o'clock in the morning, and as we sat smoking our pipes, with
our eyes fixed upon the glittering water, we suddenly saw a small boat
containing three men stealing slowly along in the shadow.
"For a moment the rowers rested upon their oars, as if undecided, then
pulled forward again in search of a landing-place. As they passed below
our window I shouted a challenge. At first there was no response. Again
I repeated it, when I heard a muttered imprecation in German.
"'Spies!' I cried to my comrade, and with one accord we raised our
rifles and fired. Ere the echo of the first shot had died away I saw one
man fall into the water, while at the next shot a second man half rose
from his seat, threw up his hands, and staggered back wounded.
"The firing gave the alarm at the barricade, and ere the boat could
approach the bridge, though the survivor pulled for dear life, a Maxim
spat forth its red fire, and both boat and oarsman were literally
riddled.
"Almost every night similar incidents were reported. The enemy were
doing all in their power to learn the exact strength of our defences,
but I do not think their efforts were very successful. The surface of
the river, every inch of it, was under the careful scrutiny of a
thousand watchful eyes.
"Each day the 'Bulletin' of our national association brought us tidings
of what was happening outside.
"At last, however, the welcome word came to us on the morning of October
4, that at ten that night we were to make a concerted attack upon the
Germans. A scarlet bill was thrust into my hand, and as soon as the
report was known we were all highly excited, and through the day
prepared ourselves for the struggle.
"A gun sounded from the direction of Westminster. We looked at our
watches, and found it was ten o'clock. Our bugles sounded and we sprang
to our positions, as we had done dozens, nay, hundreds of times before.
I felt faint, for I had only had half a pint of weak soup all day, for
the bread did not go round. Nevertheless, the knowledge that we were
about to strike the blow inspired me with fresh life and strength. Our
officer shouted a brief word of command, and next moment we opened a
withering fire upon the enemy's barricade in Wellington Street.
"In a moment a hundred rifles and several Maxims spat their red fire at
us, but as usual the bullets flattened themselves harmlessly before us.
Then the battery of artillery which Sir Francis Bamford had sent us
three days before got into position, and in a few moments began hurling
great shells upon the German defences.
"Behind us was a great armed multitude ready and eager to get at the
foe, a huge, unorganised body of fierce, irate Londoners, determined
upon having blood for blood. From over the river the sound of battle was
rising, a great roaring like the sound of a distant sea, with ever and
anon the crackling of rifles and the boom of guns, while above the night
sky grew a dark blood-red with the glare of a distant conflagration.
"For half an hour we pounded away at the barricade in Wellington Street
with our siege guns, Maxims, and rifles, until a well-directed shell
exploded beneath the centre of the obstruction, blowing open a great gap
and sending fragments high into the air. Then it seemed that all
resistance suddenly ceased. At first we were surprised at this; but on
further scrutiny we found that it was not our fire that had routed the
enemy, but that they were being attacked in their rear by hosts of armed
citizens surging down from Kingsway and the Strand.
"We could plainly discern that the Germans were fighting for their
lives. Into the midst of them we sent one or two shells; but fearing to
cause casualties among our own comrades, we were compelled to cease
firing.
"The armed crowd behind us, finding that we were again inactive, at once
demanded that our barricade should be opened, so that they might cross
the bridge and assist their comrades by taking the Germans in the rear.
For ten minutes our officer in charge refused, for the order of General
Greatorex, Commander-in-Chief of the League, was that no sortie was to
be made at present. However, the South Londoners became so infuriated
that our commander was absolutely forced to give way, though he knew not
into what trap we might fall, as he had no idea of the strength of the
enemy in the neighbourhood of the Strand. A way was quickly opened in
the obstruction, and two minutes later we were pouring across Waterloo
Bridge in thousands, shouting and yelling in triumph as we passed the
ruins of the enemy's barricade, and fell upon him with merciless
revenge. With us were many women, who were, perhaps, fiercer and more
unrelenting than the men. Indeed, many a woman that night killed a
German with her own hands, firing revolvers in their faces, striking
with knives, or even blinding them with vitriol.
"The scene was both exciting and ghastly. At the spot where I first
fought--on the pavement outside the Savoy--we simply slaughtered the
Germans in cold blood. Men cried for mercy, but we gave them no quarter.
London had risen in its might, and as our comrades fought all along the
Strand and around Aldwych, we gradually exterminated every man in German
uniform. Soon the roadways of the Strand, Wellington Street, Aldwych,
Burleigh Street, Southampton Street, Bedford Street, and right along to
Trafalgar Square, were covered with dead and dying. The wounded of both
nationalities were trodden underfoot and killed by the swaying,
struggling thousands. The enemy's loss must have been severe in our
particular quarter, for of the great body of men from Hamburg and Luebeck
holding their end of Waterloo Bridge I do not believe a single one was
spared, even though they fought for their lives like veritable devils.
"Our success intoxicated us, I think. That we were victorious at that
point cannot be doubted, but with foolish disregard for our own safety,
we pressed forward into Trafalgar Square, in the belief that our
comrades were similarly making an attack upon the enemy there. The error
was, alas! a fatal one for many of us. To fight an organised force in
narrow streets is one thing, but to meet him in a large open space with
many inlets, like Trafalgar Square, is another.
"The enemy were no doubt awaiting us, for as we poured out from the
Strand at Charing Cross we were met with a devastating fire from German
Maxims on the opposite side of the square. They were holding
Whitehall--to protect Von Kronhelm's headquarters--the entrances to
Spring Gardens, Cockspur Street, and Pall Mall East, and their fire was
converged upon the great armed multitude which, being pressed on from
behind, came out into the open square only to fall in heaps beneath the
sweeping hail of German lead.
"The error was one that could not be rectified. We all saw it when too
late. There was no turning back now, I struggled to get into the small
side-street that runs down by the bar of the Grand Hotel, but it was
blocked with people already in refuge there.
"Another instant and I was lifted from my legs by the great throng
going to their doom, and carried right in the forefront to the square.
Women screamed when they found themselves facing the enemy's fire.
"The scene was awful--a massacre, nothing more or less. For every
German's life we had taken, a dozen of our own were now being
sacrificed.
"A woman was pushed close to me, her grey hair streaming down her back,
her eyes starting wildly from her head, her bony hands smeared with
blood. Suddenly she realised that right before her red fire was spitting
from the German guns.
"Screaming in despair, she clung frantically to me.
"I felt next second a sharp burning pain in my chest.... We fell forward
together upon the bodies of our comrades.... When I came to myself I
found myself here, in this church, close to where I fell."
* * * * *
On that same night desperate sorties were made from the London,
Southwark, and Blackfriars Bridges, and terrible havoc was committed by
the Defenders.
The German losses were enormous, for the South Londoners fought like
demons and gave no quarter.
CHAPTER III.
GREAT BRITISH VICTORY.
The following despatch from the war correspondent of the "Times" with
Lord Byfield was received on the morning of October 5, but was not
published in that journal till some days later, owing to the German
censorship, which necessitated its being kept secret:--
"WILLESDEN, _October_ 4 (Evening).
"After a bloody but successful combat lasting from early dawn till late
in the afternoon, the country to the immediate west of the metropolis
has been swept clear of the hated invaders, and the masses of the
'League of Defenders' can be poured into the West of London without let
or hindrance. In the desperate street fighting which is now going on
they will be much more formidable than they were ever likely to be in
the open field, where they were absolutely incapable of manoeuvring. As
for the Saxons--what is left of them--and Froelich's Cavalry Division,
with whom we have been engaged all day, they have now fallen back on
Harrow and Hendon, it is said; but it is currently reported that a
constant movement towards the high ground near Hampstead is going on.
These rumours come by way of London, since the enemy's enormous force of
cavalry is still strong enough to prevent us getting any first-hand
intelligence of his movements.
"As has been previously reported, the XIIth Saxon Corps, under the
command of Prince Henry of Wuertemberg, had taken up a position intended
to cover the metropolis from the hordes of 'Defenders' which, supported
by a small leaven of Regulars, with a proportion of cavalry and guns,
were known to be slowly rolling up from the west and south. Their front,
facing west, extended from Staines on the south, to Pinner on the north,
passing through Stanwell, West Drayton, and Uxbridge. In addition they
had a strong reserve in the neighbourhood of Hounslow, whose business it
was to cover their left flank by keeping watch along the line of the
Thames. They had destroyed all bridges over the river between Staines
and Hammersmith. Putney Bridge, however, was still intact, as all
attacks on it had been repulsed by the British holding it on the south
side. Such was the general state of affairs when Lord Byfield, who had
established his headquarters at Windsor, formed his plan of attack.
"As far as I have been able to ascertain, its general idea was to hold
the Saxons to their position by the threat of 300,000 Defenders that
were assembled and were continually increasing along a roughly parallel
line to that occupied by the enemy at about ten miles' distance from it,
while he attacked their left flank with what Regular and Militia
regiments he could rapidly get together near Esher and Kingston. By this
time the southern lines in the neighbourhood of London were all in
working order, the damage that had been done here and there by small
parties of the enemy who had made raids across the river having been
repaired. It was, therefore, not a very difficult matter to assemble
troops from Windsor and various points on the South of London at very
short notice.
"General Bamford, to whom had been entrusted the defence of South
London, and who had established his headquarters at the Crystal Palace,
also contributed every man he could spare from the remnant of the
Regular troops under his command.
"It was considered quite safe now that the Germans in the City were so
hardly pressed to leave the defence of the Thames bridges to the masses
of Irregulars who had all along formed the bulk of their defenders. The
risk that Prince Henry of Wuertemberg would take the bull by the horns,
and by a sudden forward move attack and scatter the inert and
invertebrate mass of 'Defenders' who were in his immediate front had, of
course, to be taken; but it was considered that in the present state of
affairs in London he would hardly dare to increase the distance between
the Saxon Corps and the rest of the German Army. Events proved the
correctness of this surmise; but owing to unforeseen circumstances, the
course of the battle was somewhat different from that which had been
anticipated.
"Despite the vigilance of the German spies our plans were kept secret
till the very end, and it is believed that the great convergence of
Regular troops that began as soon as it was dark from Windsor and from
along the line occupied by the Army of the League on the west, right
round to Greenwich on the east, went on without any news of the movement
being carried to the enemy.
"Before dawn this morning every unit was in the position to which it had
been previously detailed, and, everything being in readiness, the Royal
Engineers began to throw a pontoon bridge over the Thames at the point
where it makes a bend to the south just above the site of Walton Bridge.
The enemy's patrols and pickets in the immediate neighbourhood at once
opened a heavy fire on the workers, but it was beaten down by that which
was poured upon them from the houses in Walton-on-Thames, which had been
quietly occupied during the night. The enemy in vain tried to reinforce
them, but in order to do this their troops had to advance into a narrow
peninsula which was swept by a cross-fire of shells from batteries which
had been placed in position on the south side of the river for this very
purpose.
"By seven o'clock the bridge was completed, and the troops were
beginning to cross over covered by the fire of the artillery and by an
advance guard which had been pushed over in boats. Simultaneously very
much the same thing had been going on at Long Ditton, and fierce
fighting was going on in the avenues and gardens round Hampton Court.
Success here, too, attended the British arms. As a matter of fact, a
determined attempt to cross the river in force had not at all been
anticipated by the Germans. They had not credited their opponents with
the power of so rapidly assembling an army and assuming an effective and
vigorous offensive so soon after their terrible series of disasters.
"What they had probably looked for was an attempt to overwhelm them by
sheer force of numbers. They doubtless calculated that Lord Byfield
would stiffen his flabby masses of 'Defenders' with what trained troops
he could muster, and endeavour to attack their lines along their whole
length, overlapping them on the flank.
"They realised that to do this he would have to sacrifice his men in
thousands upon thousands, but they knew that to do so would be his only
possible chance of success in this eventuality, since the bulk of his
men could neither manoeuvre nor deploy. Still they reckoned that in the
desperate situation of the British, he would make up his mind to do
this.
"On their part, although they fully realised the possibility of being
overwhelmed by such tactics, they felt pretty confident that, posted as
they were behind a perfect network of small rivers and streams which ran
down to join the Thames, they would at least succeed in beating off the
attack with heavy loss, and stood no bad chance of turning the repulse
into a rout by skilful use of Froelich's Cavalry Division, which would be
irresistible when attacking totally untrained troops after they had been
shattered and disorganised by artillery fire. This, at least, is the
view of those experts with whom I have spoken.
"What, perhaps, tended rather to confirm them in their theories as to
the action of the British was the rifle firing that went on along the
whole of their front all night through. The officers in charge of the
various units which conglomerated together formed the forces facing the
Saxons, had picked out the few men under their command who really had
some little idea of using a rifle, and, supplied with plenty of
ammunition, had sent them forward in numerous small parties with general
orders to approach as near the enemy's picket line as possible, and as
soon as fired on to lie down and open fire in return. So a species of
sniping engagement went on from dark to dawn. Several parties got
captured or cut up by the German outlying troops and many others got
shot by neighbouring parties of snipers. But, although they did not in
all probability do the enemy much damage, yet they kept them on the
alert all night, and led them to expect an attack in the morning. One
way and another luck was entirely on the side of the patriots that
morning.
"When daylight came the British massed to the westward of Staines had
such a threatening appearance from their immense numbers, and their fire
from their batteries of heavy guns and howitzers on the south side of
the river, which took the German left flank in, was so heavy that Prince
Henry, who was there in person, judged an attack to be imminent, and
would not spare a man to reinforce his troops at Shepperton and
Halliford, who were, numerically, totally inadequate to resist the
advance of the British once they got across the river.
"He turned a deaf ear to the most imploring requests for assistance, but
ordered the officer in command at Hounslow to move down at once and
drive the British into the river. So it has been reported by our
prisoners. Unluckily for him this officer had his hands quite full
enough at this time; for the British, who had crossed at Long Ditton,
had now made themselves masters of everything east of the Thames Valley
branch of the London and South-Western Railway, were being continually
reinforced, and were fast pushing their right along the western bank of
the river.
"Their left was reported to be at Kempton Park, where they joined hands
with those who had effected a crossing near Walton-on-Thames. More
bridges were being built at Platt's Eyot, Tagg's Eyot, and Sunbury Lock,
while boats and wherries in shoals appeared from all creeks and
backwaters and hiding-places as soon as both banks were in the hands of
the British.
"Regulars, Militia, and, lastly, Volunteers, were now pouring across in
thousands. Forward was still the word. About noon a strong force of
Saxons was reported to be retreating along the road from Staines to
Brentford. They had guns with them, which engaged the field batteries
which were at once pushed forward by the British to attack them. These
troops, eventually joining hands with those at Hounslow, opposed a more
determined resistance to our advance than we had hitherto encountered.
"According to what we learned subsequently from prisoners and others,
they were commanded by Prince Henry of Wuertemberg in person. He had
quitted his position at Staines, leaving only a single battalion and a
few guns as a rearguard to oppose the masses of the 'Defenders' who
threatened him in that direction, and had placed his troops in the best
position he could to cover the retreat of the rest of his corps from the
line they had been occupying. He had, it would appear, soon after the
fighting began, received the most urgent orders from Von Kronhelm to
fall back on London and assist him in the street fighting that had now
been going on without intermission for the best part of two days. Von
Kronhelm probably thought that he would be able to draw off some of his
numerous foes to the westward. But the message was received too late.
Prince Henry did his best to obey it, but by this time the very
existence of the XIIth Corps was at stake on account of the totally
unexpected attack on his left rear by the British regular troops.
"He opposed such a stout resistance with the troops under his immediate
command that he brought the British advance to a temporary standstill,
while in his rear every road leading Londonward was crowded with the
rest of his army as they fell back from West Drayton, Uxbridge, Ruislip
and Pinner. Had they been facing trained soldiers they would have found
it most difficult, if not impossible, to do this; but as it was the
undisciplined and untrained masses of the League of Defenders lost a
long time in advancing, and still longer in getting over a series of
streams and dykes that lay between them and the abandoned Saxon
position.
"They lost heavily, too, from the fire of the small rearguards that had
been left at the most likely crossing-places. The Saxons were therefore
able to get quite well away from them, and when some attempt was being
made to form up the thousands of men who presently found themselves
congregated on the heath east of Uxbridge, before advancing farther, a
whole brigade of Froelich's heavy cavalry suddenly swept down upon them
from behind Ickenham village. The _debacle_ that followed was frightful.
The unwieldy mass of 'Leaguers' swayed this way and that for a moment
in the panic occasioned by the sudden apparition of the serried masses
of charging cavalry that were rushing down on them with a thunder of
hoofs that shook the earth. A few scattered shots were fired, without
any perceptible effect, and before they could either form up or fly the
German Reiters were upon them. It was a perfect massacre. The 'Leaguers'
could oppose no resistance whatever. They were ridden down and
slaughtered with no more difficulty than if they had been a flock of
sheep. Swinging their long, straight swords, the cavalrymen cut them
down in hundreds and drove thousands into the river. The 'Defenders'
were absolutely pulverised and fled westwards in a huge scattered crowd.
But if the Germans had the satisfaction of scoring a local victory in
this quarter, things were by no means rosy for them elsewhere. Prince
Henry, by desperate efforts, contrived to hold on long enough in his
covering position to enable the Saxons from the central portion of his
abandoned line to pass through Hounslow and move along the London road,
through Brentford.
"Here disaster befell them. A battery of 4.7 guns was suddenly unmasked
on Richmond Hill, and, firing at a range of 5,000 yards, played havoc
with the marching column. The head of it also suffered severe loss from
riflemen concealed in Kew Gardens, and the whole force had to extend and
fall back for some distance in a northerly direction. Near Ealing they
met the Uxbridge brigade, and a certain delay and confusion occurred.
However, trained soldiers such as these are not difficult to reorganise,
and while the latter continued its march along the main road the
remainder moved in several small parallel columns through Acton and
Turnham Green. Before another half-hour had elapsed there came a sound
of firing from the advanced guard. Orders to halt followed, then orders
to send forward reinforcements.
"During all this time the rattle of rifle fire waxed heavier and
heavier. It soon became apparent that every road and street leading into
London was barricaded and that the houses on either side were crammed
with riflemen. Before any set plan of action could be determined on, the
retiring Saxons found themselves committed to a very nasty bout of
street fighting. Their guns were almost useless, since they could not be
placed in positions from which they could fire on the barricades except
so close as to be under effective rifle fire. They made several
desperate assaults, most of which were repulsed. In Goldhawk Road a
Jaegar battalion contrived to rush a big rampart of paving-stones which
had been improvised by the British; but, once over, they were decimated
by the fire from the houses on either side of the street. Big high
explosive shells from Richmond Hill, too, began to drop among the
Saxons. Though the range was long, the gunners were evidently well
informed of the whereabouts of the Saxon troops and made wonderfully
lucky shooting.
"For some time the distant rumble of the firing to the south-west had
been growing more distinct in their ears, and about four o'clock it
suddenly broke out comparatively near by. Then came an order from Prince
Henry to fall back on Ealing at once. What had happened? It will not
take long to relate this. Prince Henry's covering position had lain
roughly between East Bedfont and Hounslow, facing south-east. He had
contrived to hold on to the latter place long enough to allow his right
to pivot on it and fall back to Cranford Bridge. Here they were, to a
certain extent, relieved from the close pressure they had been subjected
to by the constantly advancing British troops, by the able and
determined action of Froelich's Cavalry Brigade.
"But in the meantime his enemies on the left, constantly reinforced from
across the river--while never desisting from their so far unsuccessful
attack on Hounslow--worked round through Twickenham and Isleworth till
they began to menace his rear. He must abandon Hounslow, or be cut off.
With consummate generalship he withdrew his left along the line of the
Metropolitan and District Railway, and sent word to the troops on his
right to retire and take up a second position at Southall Green.
Unluckily for him, there was a delay in transmission, resulting in a
considerable number of these troops being cut off and captured.
Froelich's cavalry were unable to aid them at this juncture, having their
attention drawn away by the masses of 'Leaguers' who had managed to get
over the Colne and were congregating near Harmondsworth.
"They cut these up and dispersed them, but afterwards found that they
were separated from the Saxons by a strong force of British regular
troops who occupied Harlington and opened a fire on the Reiters that
emptied numerous saddles. They, therefore, made off to the northward.
From this forward nothing could check the steady advance of the English,
though fierce fighting went on till dark all through Hanwell, Ealing,
Perivale, and Wembley, the Saxons struggling gamely to the last, but
getting more and more disorganised. Had it not been for Froelich's
division on their right they would have been surrounded. As it was, they
must have lost half their strength in casualties and prisoners.
"At dark, however, Lord Byfield ordered a general halt of his tired
though triumphant troops, and bivouacked and billeted them along a line
reaching from Willesden on the right through Wembley to Greenford. He
established his headquarters at Wembley.
"I have heard some critics say that he ought to have pushed on his
freshest troops towards Hendon to prevent the remnant of our opponents
from re-entering London; but others, with reason, urge that he is right
to let them into the metropolis, which they will now find to be merely a
trap."
* * * * *
Extracts from the diary of General Von Kleppen, Commander of the IVth
German Army Corps, occupying London:--
"DORCHESTER HOUSE, PARK LANE, _Oct._ 6.
"We are completely deceived. Our position, much as we are attempting to
conceal it, is a very grave one. We believed that if we reached London
the British spirit would be broken. Yet the more drastic our rule, the
fiercer becomes the opposition. How it will end I fear to contemplate.
The British are dull and apathetic, but, once roused, they fight like
fiends.
"Last night we had an example of it. This League of Defenders, which Von
Kronhelm has always treated with ridicule, is, we have discovered too
late, practically the whole of England. Von Bistram, commanding the
VIIth Corps, and Von Haeslen, of the VIIIth Corps, have constantly been
reporting its spread through Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield,
Birmingham and the other great towns we now occupy; but our
Commander-in-Chief has treated the matter lightly, declaring it to be a
kind of offshoot of some organisation they have in England, called the
Primrose League....
"Yesterday, at the Council of War, however, he was compelled to
acknowledge his error when I handed him a scarlet handbill calling upon
the British to make a concerted attack upon us at ten o'clock.
Fortunately, we were prepared for the assault, otherwise I verily
believe that the honours would have rested with the populace in London.
As it is, we suffered considerable reverses in various districts, where
our men were lured into the narrow side-streets and cut up. I confess I
am greatly surprised at the valiant stand made everywhere by the
Londoners. Last night they fought to the very end. A disaster to our
arms in the Strand was followed by a victory in Trafalgar Square, where
Von Wilberg had established defences for the purpose of preventing the
joining of the people of the East End with those of the West...."
CHAPTER IV.
MASSACRE OF GERMANS IN LONDON.
"'DAILY TELEGRAPH' OFFICE,
"_Oct._ 12, 6 P.M.
"Through the whole of last week the Germans occupying London suffered
great losses. They are now hemmed in on every side.
"At three o'clock this morning, Von Kronhelm, having withdrawn the
greater part of the troops from the defence of the bridges, in an
attempt to occupy defensive positions in North London, the South
Londoners, impatient with long waiting, broke forth and came across the
river in enormous multitudes, every man bent upon killing a German
wherever seen.
"The night air was rent everywhere by the hoarse, exultant shouts as
London--the giant, all-powerful city--fell upon the audacious invader.
Through our office windows came the dull roar of London's millions
swelled by the 'Defenders' from the west and south of England, and by
the gallant men from Canada, India, the Cape, and other British colonies
who had come forward to fight for the Mother Country as soon as her
position was known to be critical.
"In the streets are to be seen Colonial uniforms side by side with the
costermonger from Whitechapel or Walworth, and dark-faced Indians in
turbans are fighting out in Fleet Street and the Strand. In the great
struggle now taking place many of our reporters and correspondents have
unfortunately been wounded, and, alas! four of them killed.
"In these terrible days a man's life is not safe from one moment to
another. Both sides seem to have now lost their heads completely. Among
the Germans all semblance of order has apparently been thrown to the
winds. It is known that London has risen to a man, and the enemy are
therefore fully aware of their imminent peril. Already they are beaten.
True, Von Kronhelm still sits in the War Office directing
operations--operations he knows too well are foredoomed to failure.
"The Germans have, it must be admitted, carried on the war in a
chivalrous spirit, until those drastic executions exasperated the
people. Then neither side gave quarter, and now to-day, all through
Islington, Hoxton, Kingsland, and Dalston, right out eastwards to
Homerton, a perfect massacre of Germans is in progress.
"Lord Byfield has issued two urgent proclamations, threatening the
people of London with all sorts of penalties if they kill instead of
taking an enemy prisoner, but they seem to have no effect. London is
starved and angered to such a pitch, that her hatred knows no bounds,
and only blood will atone for the wholesale slaughter of the innocent
since the bombardment of the metropolis began.
"The Kaiser has, we hear, left the 'Belvedere,' at Scarborough, where he
has been living incognito. A confidential report, apparently well
founded, has reached us that he embarked upon the steam-trawler _Morning
Star_ at Scarborough yesterday, and set out across the Dogger, with
Germany, of course, as his destination. Surely he must now regret his
ill-advised policy of making an attack upon England. He had gauged our
military weakness very accurately, but he had not counted upon the
patriotic spirit of our Empire. It may be that he has already given
orders to Von Kronhelm, but it is nevertheless a very significant fact
that the German wireless telegraph apparatus on the summit of Big Ben is
in constant use by the German Commander-in-Chief. He is probably in
hourly communication with Bremen, or with the Emperor himself upon the
trawler _Morning Star_.
"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?
"An hour ago another desperate attempt was made on the part of the men
of South London, aided by a large body of British regulars, to regain
possession of the War Office. Whitehall was once more the scene of a
bloody fight, but so strongly does Von Kronhelm hold the place and all
the adjacent thoroughfares--he apparently regarding it as his own
fortress--that the attack was repulsed with heavy loss on our side.
"All the bridges are now open, the barricades are in most cases being
blown up, and people are passing and repassing freely for the first time
since the day following the memorable bombardment. London streets are,
however, in a most deplorable condition. On every hand is ruin and
devastation. Whole streets of houses rendered gaunt and windowless by
the now spent fires meet the eye everywhere. In certain places the ruins
were still smouldering, and in one or two districts the conflagrations
spread over an enormous area. Even if peace be declared, can London ever
recover from this present wreck? Paris recovered, and quickly too.
Therefore we place our faith in British wealth, British industry, and
British patriotism.
"Yes. The tide has turned. The great revenge now in progress is truly a
mad and bloody one. In Kilburn this afternoon there was a wholesale
killing of a company of German infantry, who, while marching along the
High Road, were set upon by the armed mob, and practically exterminated.
The smaller thoroughfares, Brondesbury Road, Victoria Road, Glendall
Road, and Priory Park Road, across to Paddington Cemetery, were the
scene of a frightful slaughter. The Germans died hard, but in the end
were completely wiped out. German-baiting is now, indeed, the Londoner's
pastime, and on this dark and rainy afternoon hundreds of men of the
Fatherland have died upon the wet roads.
"Sitting here, in a newspaper office, as we do, and having fresh reports
constantly before us, we are able to review the whole situation
impartially. Every moment, through the various news-agencies and our own
correspondents and contributors, we are receiving fresh facts--facts
which all combine to show that Von Kronhelm cannot hold out much longer.
Surely the Commander-in-Chief of a civilised army will not allow his men
to be massacred as they are now being! The enemy's troops, mixed up in
the maze of London streets as they are, are utterly unable to cope with
the oncoming multitudes, some armed with rifles, and others with
anything they can lay their hands upon.
"Women--wild, infuriated women--have now made their reappearance north
of the Thames. In more than one instance, where German soldiers have
attempted to take refuge in houses, these women have obtained petrol,
and, with screams of fiendish delight, set the houses in question on
fire. Awful dramas are being enacted in every part of the metropolis.
The history of to-day is written in German blood.
"Lord Byfield has established temporary headquarters at Jack Straw's
Castle, where Von Kronhelm was during the bombardment, and last night we
could see the signals exchanged between Hampstead and Sydenham Hill,
from whence General Bamford has not yet moved. Our cavalry in Essex are,
it is said, doing excellent work. Lord Byfield has also sent a body of
troops across from Gravesend to Tilbury, and these have regained Maldon
and Southminster after some hard fighting. Advices from Gravesend state
that further reinforcements are being sent across the river to operate
against the East of London and hem in the Germans on that side.
"So confident is London of success that several of the railways are
commencing to reorganise their traffic. A train left Willesden this
afternoon for Birmingham, the first since the bombardment--while another
has left Finsbury Park for Peterborough, to continue to York if
possible. So wrecked are the London termini, however, that it must be
some weeks before trains can arrive or be despatched from either Euston,
King's Cross, Paddington, Marylebone, or St. Pancras. In many instances
the line just north of the terminus is interrupted by a blown-up tunnel
or a fallen bridge, therefore the termination of traffic must, for the
present, be at some distance north on the outskirts of London.
"Shops are also opening in South London, though they have but little to
sell. Nevertheless, this may be regarded as a sign of renewed
confidence. Besides, supplies of provisions are now arriving, and the
London County Council and the Salvation Army are distributing free soup
and food in the lower-class districts. Private charity, everywhere
abundant during the trying days of dark despair, is doing inestimable
good among every class. The hard, grasping employer and the smug
financier, who had hitherto kept scrupulous accounts, and have been
noteworthy on account of their uncharitableness, have now, in the hour
of need, come forward and subscribed liberally to the great Mansion
House Fund, opened yesterday by the Deputy Lord Mayor of London. The
subscription list occupies six columns of the issue of to-morrow's
paper, and this, in itself, speaks well for the openheartedness of the
moneyed classes of Great Britain.
"No movement has yet been made in the financial world. Bankers still
remain with closed doors. The bullion seized at Southminster and other
places is now under strong British guard, and will, it is supposed, be
returned to the Bank immediately. Only a comparatively small sum has yet
been sent across to Germany. Therefore all Von Kronhelm's strategy has
utterly failed. By the invasion, Germany has, up to the present moment,
gained nothing. She has made huge demands at which we can afford to
jeer. True, she has wrecked London, but have we not sent the greater
part of her fleet to the bottom of the North Sea, and have we not
created havoc in German ports?
"The leave-taking of our two gold-spectacled censors was almost
pathetic. We had come to regard them as necessities to puzzle and to
play practical jokes of language upon. To-day for the first time we have
received none of those official notices in German, with English
translations, which of late have appeared so prominently in our columns.
The German Eagle is gradually disentangling his talons from London, and
means to escape us--if he can."
* * * * *
10.30 P.M.
"Private information has just reached us from a most reliable source
that a conference has been arranged between Von Kronhelm and Lord
Byfield. This evening the German Field Marshal sent a messenger to the
British headquarters at Hampstead under a flag of truce. He bore a
despatch from the German Commander asking that hostilities should be
suspended for twenty-four hours, and that they should make an
appointment for a meeting during that period.
"Von Kronhelm has left the time and place of meeting to Lord Byfield,
and has informed the British Commander that he has sent telegraphic
instruction to the German military governors of Birmingham, Sheffield,
Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Northampton, Stafford, Oldham, Wigan,
Bolton, and other places, giving notice of his suggestion to the
British, and ordering that for the present hostilities on the part of
the Germans shall be suspended.
"It seems more than likely that the German Field Marshal has received
these very definite instructions by wireless telegraph from the Emperor
at Bremen or Potsdam.
"We understand that Lord Byfield, after a brief consultation by
telegraph with the Government at Bristol, has sent a reply. Of its
nature, however, nothing is known, and at the moment of writing
hostilities are still in progress.
"In an hour's time we shall probably know whether the war is to
continue, or a truce is to be proclaimed."
"Midnight.
"Lord Byfield has granted a truce, and hostilities have now been
suspended.
"London has gone mad with delight, for the German yoke is cast off.
Further information which has just reached us from private sources
states that thousands of prisoners have been taken by Lord Byfield
to-day, and that Von Kronhelm has acknowledged his position to be
absolutely hopeless.
"The great German Army has been defeated by our British patriots, who
have fought so valiantly and so well. It is not likely that the war will
be resumed. Von Kronhelm received a number of British officers at the
War Office half an hour ago, and it is said that he is already making
preparations to vacate the post he has usurped.
"Lord Byfield has issued a reassuring message to London, which we have
just received with instructions to print. It declares that although for
the moment only a truce is proclaimed, yet this means the absolute
cessation of all hostilities.
"The naval news of the past few days may be briefly summarised. The
British main fleet entered the North Sea, and our submarines did most
excellent work in the neighbourhood of the Maas Lightship. Prince
Stahlberger had concentrated practically the whole of his naval force
off Lowestoft, but a desperate battle was fought about seventy miles
from the Texel, full details of which are not yet to hand. All that is
known is that, having now regained command of the sea, we were enabled
to inflict a crushing defeat upon the Germans, in which the German
flagship was sunk. In the end sixty-one British ships were concentrated
against seventeen German, with the result that the German fleet has
practically been wiped out, there being 19,000 of the enemy's officers
and men on the casualty list, the greatest recorded in any naval battle.
"Whatever may be the demands for indemnity on either side, one thing is
absolutely certain, namely, that the invincible German Army and Navy are
completely vanquished. The Eagle's wings are trailing in the dust."
CHAPTER V.
HOW THE WAR ENDED.
Days passed--weary, waiting, anxious days. A whole month went by. What
had really happened at sea was unknown. After the truce, London very
gradually began to resume her normal life, though the gaunt state of the
streets was indescribably weird.
Shops began to open, and as each day passed, food became more plentiful
and consequently less dear. The truce meant the end of the war,
therefore thanksgiving services were held in every town and village
throughout the country.
There were great prison-camps of Germans at Hounslow, Brentwood, and
Barnet, while Von Kronhelm and his chief officers were also held as
prisoners until some decision through diplomatic channels could be
arrived at. Meanwhile a little business began to be done; thousands
began to resume their employment, bankers reopened their doors, and
within a week the distress and suffering of the poor became perceptibly
alleviated. The task of burying the dead after the terrible massacre of
the Germans in the London streets had been a stupendous one, but so
quickly had it been accomplished that an epidemic was happily averted.
Parliament moved back to Westminster, and daily meetings of the Cabinet
were being held in Downing Street. These resulted in the resignation of
the Ministry, and with a fresh Cabinet, in which Mr. Gerald Graham, the
organiser of the Defenders, was given a seat, a settlement was at last
arrived at.
To further describe the chaotic state of England occasioned by the
terrible and bloody war would serve no purpose. The loss and suffering
which it had caused the country had been incalculable; statisticians
estimated that in one month of hostilities it had amounted to
L500,000,000, a part of which represented money transferred from British
pockets to German, as the enemy had carried off some of the securities
upon which the German troops had laid their hands in London.
Let us for a moment take a retrospective glance. Consols were at 50;
bread was still 1_s._ 6_d._ per loaf; and the ravages of the German
commerce-destroyers had sent up the cost of insurance on British
shipping sky-high. Money was almost unprocurable; except for the
manufacture of war material, there was no industry; and the suffering
and distress among the poor could not be exaggerated. In all directions
men, women, and children had been starving.
The mercantile community were loud in their outcry for "peace at any
price," and the pro-German and Stop-the-War Party were equally vehement
in demanding a cessation of the war. They found excuses for the enemy,
and forgot the frightful devastation and loss which the invasion had
caused to the country.
They insisted that the working class gained nothing, even though the
British fleet was closely blockading the German coast, and their outcry
was strengthened when a few days after the blockade of the Elbe had
begun, two British battleships were so unfortunate as to strike German
mines, and sink with a large part of their crews. The difficulty of
borrowing money for the prosecution of the war was a grave obstacle in
the way of the party of action, and preyed upon the mind of the British
Government.
Socialism, with its creed of "Thou shalt have no other god but Thyself,"
and its doctrine, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," had
replaced the religious beliefs of a generation of Englishmen taught to
suffer and to die sooner than surrender to wrong. In the hour of trial,
amidst smoking ruins, among the holocausts of dead which marked the
prolonged, bloody, and terrible battles on land and at sea, the spirit
of the nation quailed, and there was really no great leader to recall it
to ways of honour and duty.
The wholesale destruction of food, and particularly of wheat and meat,
removed from the world's market a large part of its supplies, and had
immediately sent up the cost of food everywhere, outside the United
Kingdom as well as in it. At the same time, the attacks upon shipping
laden with food increased the cost of insurance to prohibitive prices
upon vessels freighted for the United Kingdom. The underwriters after
the first few captures by the enemy would not insure at all except for
fabulous rates.
The withdrawal of all the larger British cruisers for the purpose of
defeating the main German fleets in the North Sea left the
commerce-destroyers a free hand, and there was no force to meet them.
The British liners commissioned as commerce-protectors were too few and
too slow to be able to hold their adversaries in check.
Neutral shipping was molested by the German cruisers.
Whenever raw cotton or food of any kind was discovered upon a neutral
vessel bound for British ports, the vessel was seized and sent into one
or other of the German harbours on the West Coast of Africa.
The United Kingdom, indeed, might have been reduced to absolute
starvation had it not been for the fact that the Canadian Government
interfered in Canada to prevent similar German tactics from succeeding,
and held the German contracts for the cornering of Canadian wheat,
contrary to public policy.
The want of food, the high price of bread and meat in England, and the
greatly increased cost of the supplies of raw material sent up the
expenditure upon poor relief to enormous figures. Millions of men were
out of employment, and in need of assistance. Mills and factories in
all directions had closed down, either because of the military danger
from the operations of the German armies, or because of the want of
orders, or, again, because raw materials were not procurable.
Unfortunately, when the invasion began, many rich foreigners who had
lived in England collected what portable property they possessed and
retired abroad to Switzerland, Italy, and the United States. Their
example was followed by large numbers of British subjects who had
invested abroad, and now, in the hour of distress, were able to place
their securities in a handbag and withdraw them to happier countries.
They may justly be blamed for this want of patriotism, but their reply
was that they had been unjustly and mercilessly taxed by men who derided
patriotism, misused power, and neglected the real interests of the
nation in the desire to pander to the mob. Moreover, with the income-tax
at 3_s._ 6_d._ in the pound, and with the cost of living enormously
enhanced, they declared that it was a positive impossibility to live in
England, while into the bargain their lives were exposed to danger from
the enemy.
As a result of this wholesale emigration, in London and the country the
number of empty houses inordinately increased, and there were few
well-to-do people left to pay the rates and taxes. The fearful burden of
the extravagant debts which the British municipalities had heaped up was
cruelly felt, since the nation had to repudiate the responsibility which
it had incurred for the payment of interest on the local debts. The
Socialist dream, in fact, might almost be said to have been realised.
There were few rich left, but the consequences to the poor, instead of
being beneficial, were utterly disastrous.
Under the pressure of public opinion, constrained by hunger and
financial necessities, and with thousands of German prisoners in their
hands, the British Government acceded to the suggested conference to
secure peace.
* * * * *
Peace was finally signed on January 13, 1911. The British Empire emerged
from the conflict outwardly intact, but internally so weakened that only
the most resolute reforms accomplished by the ablest and boldest
statesmen, could have restored it to its old position.
Germany, on the other hand, emerged with an additional 21,000 miles of
European territory, with an extended seaboard on the North Sea, fronting
the United Kingdom at Rotterdam and the Texel, and, it was calculated,
with a slight pecuniary advantage. Practically the entire cost of the
war had been borne by England.
As is always the case, the poor suffered most. The Socialists, who had
declared against armaments, were faithless friends of those whom they
professed to champion. Their dream of a golden age proved utterly
delusive. But the true authors of England's misfortunes escaped blame
for the moment, and the Army and Navy were made the scapegoats of the
great catastrophe.
When success did come, it came too late, and could not be utilised
without a great British Army capable of carrying the war into the
enemy's country, and thus compelling a satisfactory peace.
THE END.
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note
Obvious punctuation errors were corrected.
Hyphens removed: "hill[-]side" (page 152), "look[-]out" (page 221),
"mid[-]day" (page 149), "night[-]fall" (page 157), "rear[-]guard" (page
142), "sharp[-]shooters" (page 191), "wide[-]spread (page 230).
Hyphen added: "by[-]ways" (page 224).
The following words appear both with and without hyphens and have not
been changed: "back[-]waters", "motor[-]omnibuses", "pickel[-]haubes".
Page 43: the double quotation mark after "Well, Mr. Mayor," was changed
to a single quotation mark.
Page 50: "communciation" changed to "communication" (established direct
communication).
Page 60: "to" changed to "the" (came the VIIth Army Corps).
Page 76: "thei" changed to "their" (some of their field batteries).
Page 85: "Aryglls" changed to "Argylls".
Page 89: "squardon" changed to "squadron" (squadron after squadron).
Page 143: "fellow" changed to "fellows" (hundreds of poor fellows).
Page 166: "fo" changed to "for" (for our salvation).
Page 178: "Shepheard's Bush" changed to "Shepherd's Bush".
Page 187: "Rosyln Hill" changed to "Roslyn Hill".
Page 253: added "as" (and as soon as fired on).