GERMAN NAVAL AIMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 708, 6 January 1910, Page 6

GERMAN NAVAL AIMS.

PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATIONS. .;'. AMERICAN/UNCONVINCED. ; " ; . The ; New. York, correspondent; of the "Standar.d," "writing on ; . November 17, states:—■:' \ -.-:; ; - ■'•■;■ ...- ••■ '-. ■ Among American observers of , European political. developments the, belief is growing that.the tentative .efforts being made in Germany, to .bring about a-bet-ter. Anglo-German. understanding ..will ..be successful. This, feeling is based on -the indifferent reception -accorded the per-' sistent. efforts of. Count von Bernstorff, the .German: Ambassador at .Washington, to explain'.- Germany's > world, attitude ; to ; American. audiences. ' .■ .• . : :. ,;

V .Generally ■■ speaking,:..Americasfli.have beon sceptical ; of;. : Coun t... jpn ., Berhs torff 's assurances, of the' absence.:-of'.'lmperial

designs'.froni; Germany's .foreign;rpblicy, I .and -,'this.';sceßticisin''.iiiujt;- be/exerting', a profound' influence ; at. Berlin. -'..The.; Am-/ bassadbr's .hiost. recent speech, in .which. , he 'attacked?; pah-Germanism," rec'ogiiisedthe; Monroe .-.doctrine,; and .declared,.. '.Ger-: taany v ; had .no ' colonial , , ambitions/'.'has' fallen .-flat, ''so >far';as' ; the ■'.United? States' is ';.concerned,../ This: speech .was., entirely ■ignored ;by many.;- newspapers,": and those" .that Sprinted.: it •■:Eave:pnly.;a;'brief : .para-: "columns;, /Fditorial Comments on,;the, speech ban •■ ■be ..counted V.pii '• the- .fingers' ;b£ ; ; one, '.h'a'nd i r , '^v.;^r'.: 1 : .",i;;V-:- : .--;\: , -;y:ii."--y.-..-. ; ;V'.. ; .'.-'i-v'-..'- . v-'''-.!t>:: ;^-VAmer!c.an:\l jSusplc'loii.if:-- : ';;-v'./>,i-'.. : i.-Thisrattitude^of-the /UnitedlStates : : 'iß due.vto .."one-. Gerniany.' has. failed' completely { in.' ipryin'E - toj. convince ■ Ameri-.. pan any {'real.need for -her tremendous efforts!" to. overtake Great .Britain's.'; lead- in .naval' streigth. American! i suspicion';. ' of- Germany; lis thev'same as i.Great:..Britain's.-•America' cannot 1 . understand.l. ; why - Germany--; is, so: desperately..'anHous;:. to ;■'.become the first:.naval ..Power "in 'the; world< unless. shV'has ..offensive 'designs 'a'gainstvsom'ej .other ' ; iiation.;-.i In 'almost-; every speech Cdunt i.von '-Bernstorff.-.has . ;juade v ; in. America 1 he 'has,; explained :■ that! Germany I requires a.h'uge-.hayy to-defend'her;, over- j seas commerce,-- but this has not.Jjeenv accepted'! by oient reason .why-the, German., taxpayers-.should;.bOi.-forced tpi'support '&l great,fleet' of--warships- that .do ;not:'. leave, /home 'Waters.,; The; American 'reasoning is - that "Great Britain : ;must'; maintain: her; -naval 6UperibrHy"as 'a v matter. x !of vital self-pro-tection,, while no [other "count'ryVnational. safety : is' dependent, on nayal'strength.'; ,'■ - Count yon has .failed .to..Tβih'oye': this opinion from-'the American mind. The chief"result.'.'of.his'oratorical efforts .has .been., to -elicit : riiuch 'plain ■ speaking;.:from : the'! Amcrican';'press'.;conoerhing thevever-growin| .'German. : ;battle! fleet. It is 'directly to , thisplainrspeaking,: American observers■fbelieve.'.that.the new inoveme'nt'in'Germany to reach'an!under-. :standing -with X : Great -Britain',vis due. , .Americans have, reasoned• the .matter .out' in.this manner: Count, ybn'. : B,ernstorff f was. sent -'to, "Washington; to'.sourid'/American, "public ..opinion,.' ,eo."that.; -the ';■■ German .Foreign Office could obtain .data,'on. which to ! base' : 'an "estimate.'"-of■ 'i.the'-. attitude America'!might .beexpected to assume! in] the . event of , an: AnirlorGerman.!: crisis.: Count ,vori- Bernstorff! has-done; his.; work, .with' consummate.- skill;' and: the; result can , bear 'only one possible interpretation.

America Linked to Britain. >-| " -Whilst:America'is-ajnicably disposed, to-: ,ward■; Germany,;;and'is. bound to: herv by oomineroial tiesi-and .whilst; , there exists: in. the United' States a feeling .of profound respect' for x and : -intense; : admiration of the^,German- people's industrial;: ability, "and intellectual ■ and','. scientific '..attainments, iAmorica. is linked to Great Britain by immeasurably closer, bonds'of/eympa-; , . .thetic Apolitical aims and; ciyio'development.'jThere' can ; be io;, doubt > whatever' that; the' iGe'r'mffei: Foreign •'■' Office:.■ has; '■■ -learned ;■;from Count ■',von Bernstorii's ; experience r that ■there ''is among' the 'direotors oJ American public opinion .that imerit ;of ■.-Britishi; political; institutions"' is i'a matter of ■' vital ■: concern, to the; cause, of 'civilisation, and,'that./the,destruction:'.of (Great .'Britain's"■'.present jposition. in .the. : wo"rld>would be"a disaster 1 of : the first mag; ;nitu'de : f6r:the '- 1 ,. ■'■■ '■:?■■ : : : '. Ajherican. observers.believe;': that Ger-. iniany ;has]been' anxious'to; : secure an- absolutely; honest view of public.opinion; in ;the I.United. 1 States,:- and- the."■ information 1 'the , German' , Foreign, : Office has obtained as- the , result t ofs Count .von BernstorfE's, iofatbrical-tours,must. leadvto;the. ; conclu-, ■sion that Americans> believe- '.reasons .'of; •earf-interest.would;:compel-:.them to. side ; with': : Great Britain in the. event;.of .• a. -European ■<■ ' unternatipnalA political ■■•■ cataiclypin; ' the' -hard-heade'dness 'va&+'sscae-. •ticabilitr- ofithe ■■ Germans is being; counted ■ upon" by: Americans ■■■ to. ; lead the /German to ,the cbnclu?ioiv : that ,its:. present enormous 'naval' expenditures -.are. useless 'ih' ; vieTV ; of s > the ' : in,ti.mate;feelings", which'; • Coiint- vbn■ Bernstorff-: lias :been ■ ■' instru'-. exist ■ between ■ the. ■United '.States^ and':'Great.Britain v It is : beHeVcd!by "observers :'dh'.this side of'the : Atliintic'. that' the.-present: 'tentative;, over'tures.'for';'an:; 'Anglo-German- understand-; ! in'" •beifig-made.-in..Germany are for .-the. 'purpose' of'moulding German , public 6pin- : ■lon'into'the 'shape necessary. : -fqr,.the.:Ger-. ■man ','Government..' to 'take up. at. some ;time.-im'-.the • not ;remote. future, the', ques-. tion 'of ■ liinitatidn of "armaments.:, In a -word,' ; A'merican''.obsprvers;believe' the: :turriing'point rin-'Angld-German: relations: )is"'.being-approached, and:there:is.a,.distinct fe.eling-that the'way 'is-beingicleared ■in 'Germany for a ;far-reaching change an; 'German-" fonbign that,; will, result 'in the ,, " formulation of-an : r'approcKemcnt'; acceptable : to;. Great i bntam'and welcoaiedljy'the world. ,