GERMANY'S AMBITION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 4

GERMANY'S AMBITION.

HARMLESS TO BRITAIN. A GERMAN'S POINT OFVIEW. - A man, w.ho/,is a Gorman by birth, but a naturalised who has lived raaaiy years in Now Zealand, has recently paid vials to Mb Fatherland and America, who approves Gorinany,. but professes himself "heart and soul for England," and who claims to havo ( studied politics for many years as reflected byHho English, Colonial, French,. and German press, should" have qualifications for expressing some .useful opinions on tho ambition and designs of Germany. Such a inan has just arrived in Wellington, and his views on that absorbing topic, as expressed to a Dominion representative yesterday, wore :• interesting and unusual, though they will not convince all minds. Tho visitor fought for Germany in " (ho Franco-German War, and ho naturally alluded to that struggle in commencing his remarks. .Ho was also present in the House of Commons when Mr. Gladstone announced , that England would bo neutral to that war, and this decision, on Mr. Gladstone's part, ho thought a groat mistake, bearing in no small manner on our present anxiety. If tho announcement had been made that England would immediately! ally herself with whichover nation might bo first attacked, tho war would never have taken place, since- Gcr. many would not havo risked a douhlo opposition, and no other Power, at that time, was in a position to interfere. As' the result O'jtbat war, Germany extracted two hundred millions sterling as an indemnity froia Frajice, and the greater part of th'is sum, our informant states, is still conserved at bpandau, near Berlin, as a war-fund. If tho war had been averted, Franco would nave been a strongor Power to-day, and Germany's capacity and ambitions would hardly havo developed so fast-as to mako her tho rival of Great Britain at the present time. But it it not against Groat Britain that German ambition is directed, according to'this 6tudoni of tho situation. About 1916, ho believes, tho great .war will conio which is. to test Germany s naval forco, but instead of being against England it will bo against tho United btatcs, m his opinion.' By tlio time tho lanauia Canal is finished, America will bo a Strong naval Power, and it is probable that sho will affirm more-strongly than at present the JUonroo doctrine, winch is opposed to Gorman interests'in South America. Germany has lent great sums of money to .Venezuela and other South American States, and it is probable that sho has hopes of colonial development in that, continent. But tho direct quarrel is likely to be precipitated, .in this naturalised German's view, by the desiro which tho United States will feel,' on tho completion of tho canal, to obtain possession of .German Samoa-for- a coaling station. By that time, he ■ conceives, English feeling towards tho United. Sta'tes will bo by no means so amicable as it is at present, for tho latter, with its huge advantage of resources, ana under the influence of the "boom" period which is certain to succeed ttio present depression, will bo swamping Great Britain and her colonies with, American manufactures oven more disastrously than was tho case before tho present depression began. In those circumstances, ho 'asserts/ it/is easier to imagine Great Britain making common cause with Germany against hor industrial rival, than siding with America against tho European Power. The present development of Gorman naval strength, wo aro given to suppose, is for prospective uso against America. ■ It is ridiculous to suggest," according to this authority,'that Germany has any idea of attacking England. If sho did so, it is argued, Russia, France,- Holland, Bolgium, and Denmark would bo among her foes. Even if sho succeeded in effecting an entrance into England, all Germany's commerce would bo stopped, and America, and probably Japan, would soon como to tho assistance of Great > Britain. It is' urged that certain highhanded international proceedings for which England has beon responsiblo in the past, such as the destruction of tho Danish fleet to provont its being'useful to Napbleon, 'are entirely without*'parallel in the history of Germany. But, as trust begets trust, and mistrust begets mistrust; tho. agitation, against' Germany which is -going on-just novr in Britain, and for- which a capitalistic origin. is;by this authority suggested, bids fair to raiso a corrospondng feeling of hostility in Gorman breasts against: England. Our informant states 'that when ho visited the Father-, land a f/.w -yoars ago all tho Germans wiih wbom ho talked, alike in Berlin,' Hamburg, Frankfort, and other towns, expressed themselves astonished at' the suspicions of Ger-. many which wero constantly boins: expressed in Britain. As far as shipbuilding is concerned, says this authority, England can outbuild 'Germany a hundred times, because she has tho.money. Sho could got slffps built in other countries if sho wished, but there.is no; 1 press-gang nowadays, and the real want fa mon. ...■■'■