The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1914. ISOLATED AND FRIENDLESS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2253, 12 September 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1914. ISOLATED AND FRIENDLESS

Germany stands before the world to-day the most hated nation on earth. With the possible exception of Austria every civilised nation is, as the London Times points out, "praying for her downfall, and tho obliteration of the perverse ambitions' which lod her to : 'plunge' the world in strife." Even Austria has no real friendship for her. Tho Austrians have never forgotten their crushing defeat by the' Prussian Army at- Sadowa, and they are now beginning to realise , that German aggression has brought upon them a still greater disaster. A message from Vienna states that.it is very doubtful whether the Kaiser divulged, the whole of his plans; to the Emperor of Austria. This want of frankness so characteristic of German diplomacy has naturally embit-' tered the Viennese, and it is quite possible, that Austria, in her almost hopeless plight, may decide to' mako tho best terms she- can with the Allies and leave the Germans to, their own fate: It ip no wonder that the Kaiser is alarmed and disappointed at,tho untoward trend of events. It is said that he is now blaming two of his Ministers becauso inearly all the European State's have combined against him. But the isolation of Germany is due to bis own methods and ambitions. When ho "dropped the pilot" in 1890 he declared in his most bombastic, style: "There is only one master in this oountry, and I am he. I shall suffer no other beside me. . . .

Those who will help.me I heartily welcome; those who oppose me I shall dash to pieces." _ The Kaiser himself is responsible for Germany's foreign policy) more than anyone else, and he is now beginning to realise what a. huge failure it has been.. Bismarck tried to maintain friendly relations with Russia, but William II sacrificed Russian sympathy by his Balkan policy, and ho incurred the resentment of the Japanese in 1895 by forcing them to give up their conquests.on'tho Chinese mainland. With the'momorable words "our future lies on the water" he began to build up a huge navy which became a standing menace to ijritain, and he offended China by tho seizure and fortification of Kiaoohau. The aims and ideas of Germany have alienated nation after nation, and have been a constant menace to the peace of Europe. Since, the outbreak of tho present war she has violated the neutrality of Belgium,' and put Holland and Switzerland to enormous cost in order to prevent their territory being over-run by the Kaiser's troops, While by the reckless < mining of waterways in use by ships: of all nations much loss of life and property has been suffered by neutral States. It is because of these things that almost everv nation ia "prayang for her downfall."

It is not wonderful that a country which regards treaties as merescraps of paper and deliberately violates the law of nations should find itself isolated and friendless in the time of need. There cam be no such thing as friendship without mutual trust and confidence, and how oan a nation be trusted which does not hold itself bound by the generally accepted principles of international morality? Germany has to .thank her own unscrupulous diplomacy and oallous disregard of the rights of weaker nations for the fact that nearly all the States of Europe are combining against her. She has practically outlawed herself. Every nation that prizes freedom and good faith is anxious to see her crushed in the present struggle, for her triumph would bo a blowto liberty and a set-back to civilisation. The German War Party stands for' the worship of brute force; for the application of the ideas of Niu'Msohb into the spliero of international Bolitice.

What Nietzsohb claimed for the "superman," the German military caste claims for their country as tho "super-nation." "A new table, oh, my brethren, I put over you," writes Nietzsche. "Becomo hard." Tho traditional system of morals will not fit in with tho development of the "superman" 'and his claim that the best things belong to him and his, and if men will not give him what ho wants he will take it—tho best food, the purest sky, the strongest thoughts, the fairest women. Applying' these ideas to the affairs o! nations the Kaiser and the military clique which 'surrounds him have practically declared that the world belongs to the Germans for they are the strongest. They recognise no rights that happen to clash with this" audacious claim. It is the materialistic conception of history in its, most extreme form. Those nations who daro to oppose German aggression v are to be dashed in pieces. It is, however, a comparatively easy thing to talk grandiloquently about taking tho best things on the earth,' but it is a> much more difficult matter to seizo them, especially if the holder is strong enough to defend his rights. The Germans are now discovering to their cost that the other nations are not going to. allow the Kaiser to become overlord of Europe without a struggle, and judging by present- indications 'Germany's attempt to crush her neighbours is likely to end in disaster to herself. Her ally has already ,been humiliated, and there is no quarter from which_ the Germans, can expect any material help. Of all the nations in the world Turkey seems to be her only sympathiser, and the Turks are probably too astute to throw in their lot with a losing cause. They may be foolish enough to come to the' Kaiseh's assistance, but if they do the chances are that they will soon find themselves bundled but of Europe. The Greeks and the Balkan Slavs' will be able to keep the_ Turks fully occupied and their active interference in' the conflict is not likely to be, of much help to Germany. . .