POWER OR RUIN?

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 10

POWER OR RUIN?

TRIPITZ'S GLOOMY FORECAST OF THE FUTURE ECONOMIC WAR The fuller report of Admiral Tirpitz's Essen speech in the "Hamburger Nachrichten" contains, says the Amsterdam coirespondent of the "Times,' an interesting passage which was not published elsewhere.' Admiral Tirpitz said that Russia's collapse represented for England security for India and India's communication with Africa and the Suez Oanal. After saying that Germany'must recognise that England had won far more in this war than sho had lost, he continued: —

"Not only lias England taken our colonies and Mesopotamia, but everywhere she has anchored deeper and firmer the bases of her maritime and colonial supremacy. She has, further, to-day abolished German competition in almost all parts of the earth, and tarnished and trodden down the iVestigfc ond honour of;Geruiany by an unprecedented system of calumny and lies. In tho whole transatlantic world we 'are considered conquered and done for." The Admiral painted a gloomy picture ; of Gormany's future in the event of a successful economic war against lien— "Without the existence of that vigorous industry which, after the shutting in of Germany, we converted mainly into a war industry, we should long ago have lost this war. This kind of war industry, liowevor, must after peace become relatively small, while j millions of our fellow-countrymcn will stream buck into Germany from tho trendies without finding, sufficient work there,_ and, in any case, wages corresponding to tlie enormously increased prices of tho necessaries of life. Imagine if we simultaneously bad to bear the burden of taxation which must fall on every German, even the poor—for the greatest exaction from property would not bo sufficient even remotely i to meet it—and, further, if, in spite i of tho fallen value of German money, I we must still buy the most necessary I raw materials and food supplies from ! abroad, notwithstanding all the polij tical and other hindrances which 'he j situation would produce for all! Can |i anyone in bis heart of hoarts really believe that under these circumstances, without an increase of power, without an indemnity, without security, we could avoid Germany's ruin?"