THE NAVAL FEVER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 7

THE NAVAL FEVER.

HOLSTEIN'S DISAPPROVAL. THE GROUNDLESS FEAR IN GERMANY. ' YELLOW PROBLEM. ' (By Telegraph—Press Association I —Copyright.) (Rec. September 28, 10.30 p.m.) Berlin, September 28. A retired German official, Horr Von Rath, contributes to the "Deutsche Revue" au article entitled: "Reminiscences of Von ffolstein" (Herr Friedrich Von liolstoin, who iu 190G retired from the position of Chief of the Political Department of tho German ; Foreign Office, after having helped, with. his. counsel four Imperial Chancellors,' beginning with Bismarck). Theso "Reminiscences" show that Herr Holstein, who died last May, was a strong opponent of tho German policy of unlimited naval sx-, pension. r ,He was,credited with approving .the campaign pursued by Vice-Admiral Von aalster and others against the big ships policy. He declared, referring to ono of Admiral Galstet's pamphlets:— "The main thing : is to. expose the' lying; treacherous fallacy embodied .in the statement that overy fresh ship is-an addition to .German power, when ovory fresh ship causes England— to say nothing of France —to build two ships." ■■ In December, 1907, Horr ,Von HoWtein was reported to liavo expressed himself as follows:— ''In Germany tho pernicious, costly, naval fever, is a raging, dangerous disease. It has fedupon the groundless fear of an attaok on Germany by. England. ' ! "Tho danger of war between Germany on the one hand and England and Franco on the other Is entering iuto .the calculations : of ri .other Powers.,. Japan'.takes it into account in )ng'.the'moment for the settlement'/of j/ t'er irith''America. ; ".Wero;tho"Gernian fleet to be dostroyo'd, It ; is at lcast doubtful whether England and France' ihigtt not' join America in a struggle ;with(.the jrellowracei". v ... • | r ; : .--. ; [ - HOLSTEIN'S POLICY. v..: ;.[. i' Somo light on . Herr Holstein's attitude; to Britain and on his. policy; towards tho yellow raco is thrown by tho obituary notice of him thut appeared In "'l'ho Timos." Ho would have liked' to ceo an Anglo-German, understanding, but'he wished it to bo oii distiuotly German line's;.' Wo quote:— ■• .. "The" present writer's first conversation "with .him' began, by;Holstein's observing tone:—"i'be, position of. tho English' ip. Egypt, is' primarily due to Germany. That fact, is net generally recognised in England; If. it were,: tho English ought to be more grateful.' At times he used to advocate an Anglo-German understanding. The basis pf it was to be that England Should, treat •; German colonial, arabi-tions-iwifh| friendly 1 interest, while Germany .4t£ rayaueho.' should arrange—he did not 6'ay, "but:-hb* probably'llieaut, 'control— English l'relations with'. •Rnssia.-- Ho lived to se« the cstablishnienj of - good- Anglo-Rufsinn.gelations without, German intervention, and to "seo, the position'b£ England in Egypt cordially, rebogliifed by Frincdi • ' ' "The acquisition of Iviao-oliau at)d tho assei 1 - tidri'of German interests in China weto.nlm6st entirely his work, and now the great majorjty pf Germans do not believe that tho game wqs worth the' candle,-, ,The .policy ■■ entailed , far-i-eaohing, consctjiienees which a Bisniarek would-navo foreseen/or at least have apprehended. . . . The.England .of which, lie 'had known something was' the England of .Lord Palmorston's later'days, and he could not be lierstiadetl- tli&t it had ohanged. ?Ih'tho' time' nf D;i Matirier he once pravoly informed somo English linteneis that 'Ptinoh' was ttnti-Ge/-mhn, and that the reason of it was the riumbef.of'people of'Frenoh>origin on its stuff.- r'.-'i . His arid his official pride could not hnve. survived the results of Alceoir.is, the Aliglo-Ffenoh'"cntßhte,: nnd the Anglo-Russian ratipr6ohement,'vpinc6. these were .all, .things which ho had. set. himself'to prevent." ,- .;. .