GERMANY'S METHODS AND AMBITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1104, 18 April 1911, Page 2

GERMANY'S METHODS AND AMBITIONS.

Sir,—Having received many appreciative letters irom various parts ol tlio Dominion, and also been personally addressed by many of the leaders or my communication to you oil the abovo subject in your issue of March if, i feel encouraged to ask you to giant me space lor a further contribution thereon. By way of introduction, I may take as a text Count, Billow's, reply when askeel in the Reichstag why ■ Germany had not managed to create friction between France and .England in connection with the Moroccan question, he replied "that Frederick the Great could only make trouble alter disclaiming all intention to do so." (Vide "National Review." page 701, January, 1905.) .It will be well, then, to ascertain the meaning of this reference to Frederick the Great. In Macaulay's essay on that King we are informed "that Charles the Sixth, Emperor of Germany, who loft no son, promulgated a new law, under tile name of the Pragmatic Sanction, by virtuo of which his daughter, Maria Theresa, wifo of Francis of Lorraine, succeeded to tho dominions of her ancestors. This new law was ratified by all the kingdoms and principalities which made up the great Austrian Monarchy. England, France, Spain, Russia, Poland, Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, the Germanic body had bound themselves by treaty to maintain tho Pragmatic Sanction. From no quarter did the young Queen of Hungary receive stronger assurances of friendship and support than from tho King oi Prussia. let the King of Prussia had already fully determined to commit the great crime of violating his plighted faith of robbing the ally ho was hounc to defend and of plunging all Europe into a long, bloody, and desolating war." This, to bo "brief, was done bj his invading and seizing Silesia. A few more words from Macaulay sum up the outcome of this perfidious action of the King of Prussia, called by him the "Anti-Machiavel": "The whole world sprung to arms. On tho head of Frederick is all tho blood which was shed in a war which raged during many years and in every quarter of the globe, the blood of the column of Fontcnoy, the Siood of the .mountaineers who were slaughtered at Cullodcn. .. The evils oi his wickedness were felt in lands where the name of Prussia was unknown; and in order that lie might rob a neighboui whom lio had promised to defend, hlacli men fought oil the coast of Coromandel. and rod men scalped each other by the Great Lakes of North America." 'these are terrible results arising out of one man's ambition. Such, then, arc the teachings of jistory. It is to be earnestly hoped that his descendant's effort; to emulate tho deeds of his progenitoi will not have like far-reaching effects. Arc these facts and statements based or this reference to Frederick the Greal to bo taken as an . illustration of the German "Pimica Fides" of the past, the accepted policy for the present, and its continuance in tho future? Germans has her tentacles well extended for future action—Holland's Queen is married to ft German, tho .reigning Kings oi Rumania, and . Bulgaria'aro Germans and, blooel being'' thicker .'.'than water their sympathies will '.have a Genual tendency, which may bear fruit at the appointed time. With Germany desirous of making the Rhino a German river to its mouth, anei thus enable Westphalia and the liheinish provinces free exit to the sea, without paying toll to Holland (which she now desires to;-!\cq'(iii'e)5'a'lid ,, " c who wishes to. make the Danube hei own waterway, we. may assumo thai tho interests of both will be best serv ed by each' helping tlift - other. Aus t-ria is much indobtcd < "'to Geramn; inasmuch as she .has already . assistee her materially by enabling that Powe: to absorb Bosnia and Herzegovina within, her : Empire, and so add to he: contracted sea-board. Tho "quiel pr< quo" will be expected when German; inoves in the direction of Holland ane Belgium. These represent somo o tho moves of the game, in the elevelop nicnt of which Russia is to bo placatee with the offer of _ assistance,to obtaii possession of India, plus,, maybe, e ioejthold in "the vicinity' of Momi; Athos, where she already has a monastery of supposed monks. France, though -friendly to England unless she accept tho terms offered tc her, will be forced to act as Gormany the controlling partner, and Austru direct. Italy, owing to the configuration" of her country, will also be compelled to follow tho dictation of these Powers; the presence of millions oi armed men on their frontiers would be a very compelling argument.. (There are over thirty millions of armed met in Europe at the present time.) Tlii: confederation of the Teuton, tho Latin and the Slav races, even if they wen to bo victorious all along the line wher hostilities broko out, which is mosl likely, containing, as they do, so iuan\ conflicting elements arising out of raei;i : distrust, however dormant .it might be when making common cause together, would lack permanent cohesion, which would bo a large factor in causing their downfall. I have not yet read Sir Harry Johnston's article, but it has oeeu liberally quoted from, and I here give his evidence on this subject as follows:—"There is 110 clianco (Sir Harn Johnston thinks) of an understanding with Germany unless Great Britain wil be prepared to pay for it, and the price, or rather tho first instalment oi the price, is exorbitant. Great Britain must enter into a compact by which sho will recogniso Germany as tho protectress or the predominant partner of tho Netherlands, together with all the oversea possessions of that little State, of the Balkan Peninsula, mid of the Ottoman Empire." "The Germans," he says, again, "propose as their theatre of political influence, commercial expansion, and agricultural experiments, tho undeveloped lands of the Balkan Peninsula, of Asia Minor, and of Mesopotamia, down even to tho mouth of the Euphrates." Now, this is strangely in accord with what- was stated in my previous letter would bo Germany's objective. AVherea's Sir Harry Johnston sets it forth as a prico to bo paid (which England certainly will not agree to do), tho view taken in these communications is that a surprise attempt will bo made to seize the coveted lands "vis ct armis." In all theso forecasts of events to come tho part that Turkey is to' take appears to have been overlooked. Tho advent of tho Young Turkish party has altered tho position somewhat, whereas the* cx-Siili-an looked upon the Kaiser us his only friend in Europe. He always posed as such, and concessions for tho construction of tho Bagdad railway wero granted to German manipulators, heavily handicapped, however bv certain charges. It costs Turkey', so David Eraser, author of '.'Tho Short Cut to India," says, in reference thereto, "11,000 francs per kilometre per annum to finance tho concern, paid in the shape of interest at 4 per cent, on tho State loan which provided the capital for construction together with 4500 francs per kilometre per annum for working expenses, less tho trifle earned. This moans 2,200,000 francs, or £88,000 sterling, phis the allowance for working expenses' which in 190G came to £25,000, and thisfor Sections one and two only. Naturally tho Young Turkish party will resent and resist tho cool projects of Germany to take jwssession of their territory, and will throw in their lot with England, who Germany looks upon as tho Power that she has to fear and will have to reckon with. In support of this viow of tho position that Turkey will tako up, and other Mohammedan

peoples, it would bo well to noto a most significant incident that occurred at Jlccca some few years back. The correspondent of 0110 of the leading London papers stated that tho Chief Mullah, "hen praying in the Holy of Holies in the presence of the assembled pilgrims, prayed that some strong Power like Lngland would take them under its protection. Ihese words, the correspondent goes on to say, were rcceivcd in dead silence, and will lose nothing by being fold in every bazaar in the East. The above is a strong indication of the trend of Mohammedan inclinations and hopes. Distrust of tho ominous Hussian detlic l >r °P°s<!d expenditure of £00,000,000 011 tho Black Sea ileot will bo another incentive to Turkey to attach herself to England. This menace to Constantinople might induce Turkey to invite England to co-operate witii nor 111 the defence, of that city—another gate, and not the least'important either. It is a well-known fact that tho feudatory or'native States of India of>tered, 111 tho time of the Boer War, to equip and send trained troops, somo 150,0011 in numbers, to England's assistance, tho population of Ihese States being between 60 and 70 millions in number. This is a tangible proof of what they are prepared to do in the case of a general war. Admiral Mahaii frankly declares that ' there must be an alliance between England and the States, based on commercial relations, community of speech, and political interests and traditions." During tho debate on the Imperial Chancellor s Estimates, tho Chancellor, speaking in allusion to. the projected unlimited treaty between Great Britain and tho United States, said universal arbitration was as impracticablo as universal disarmament. Finally, lie said: I would like to sec tho arbitration treaty that would not burn like tinder," giving expression to such words as theso because-tho drawing together of these two largo sections of tho Anglo-Saxon race indicates that it is very unpalatable to those who would fear them when they becamc united, and tho dream of tho late Frances 13. AYillard be advanced a Stage towards its realisation, when she penned such words as these— "Tho long march of tho nations shall be led By these two flags—till war and tumult cease Along tho happy highway, wbcro shall tread Tho brotherhood of labour and of peace— With their red for lovo and their white for law, And their blue for the hope their fathers saw Of a larger liberty." Before theso golden days iuay be reachcdj there will bo much refilling tribulation, much war, and all its attendant miseries to bo borne and surmounted. Meantime wo must prepan ourselves for all eventualities. Om forefathers, in what Bacon called theii hortativos by sea and land, forgot not to put their trust in God. Let us alsc not forget. Can we not re-ccho these lines of Kipling "God of our fathers, known of old. Lord of our far-flung battle-line, Beneath Whose awful hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine— Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest wo forget—lest wo forget 1 Tho tumult and the' shouting dies, J he Captains and the Kings depart . , s . . 'J-'hine ancient sacrifice. All-humble and a contrite heart— Lord. God of Hosts, bo with us yet, Lest we forgot—lest wo forget!-. Far-called our navies melt away, ' _ O'er duns and headland sinks the fire Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is ono with Nineveh and .Tyro I— Judgo of the Nations, "spare us yet. ■ Lest we forget—lest we "forget 1If drunk with sight : 0 f power, we loos ( W lid tongues that havo not Tlieo ii awe, •, Such boastings as the' Gentiles use', Or. lesser breeds without the LawLord God of Hosts,-bo-with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget 1 For heathen heart that puts her trus In reeking tube and iron shard, * dust that builds on dust. And, guarding, calls' not 'on Thee t< guard, . For'frantic boast and foolish word— Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord I • Ihy mercy oil Thy people, Lord!" I am, etc., - . GEORGE HENRY DAVIES Karori, April lOi