The Dominion. SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1018. DR. SOLF'S PEACE FEELER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 288, 24 August 1918, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1018. DR. SOLF'S PEACE FEELER

CfitMANY has putoufc another pcacc feeler. This time it takes the formof an appeal by the Colonial Secretary (Dn. Solf) to the "lictloifeelings" of the British people The bully is less tnienlcnt now. His disastrous expcriencesi on the West front during the past month liavo compelled him to hoa-st. less. and think more. The extravagant hopes .created by the collapse of Russia and the crushing of Rumania- have been dissipated by the series' of smashing blows recently delivered bv Marshal Eoch, and gloomy fore.bodings as to. the future weigh like a nightmare oa. the soul of the German people.- . The nation's nerve has been severely shaken. The ' people' feel_ that they have been deceived. 'Disillusionment is a painful process, and is- apt to create, resentment .against those who have raised expectations they, cannot fulfil. Not long ago yon Kuhi.mann was drivcu out of office foi* daring to throw doubt upon the invincibility of. the. German Army.' .In a momont of candid indiscretion he assorted that Germany could not win the war right out, and that slic would have to be content with a compromise pcacc. This admission evoked a shriek of fury, from tho Pan-Germans, and von Kijhlmann had to go. But the logic of events is proving more and more conclusively that von Kuhlmann was more truthful, if less discreet, than his critics. It is -no longer possiblo to oonccal tho • fact that Germany's' desperate, attempt to.secure a victorious decision _on the West front has definitely failed. The spectaclo of the German armies in. full.retreat with tho Allied forces in close pursuit, has evidently impressed upon, tho Kaiser and his Ministersthe necessity of launching another fieace offensive. "Come let, us reason together," says Du. Solf to the Allies. But wc are hot going to allow ourselves to be duped by the diplomatic . trickery of an enemy steeped to the lips in insincerity of the most unscrupulous kind. Br. Solk js merely repealing a trick which, has been tried before. After tho'failure of his attack on Verdun the Crown Prince shed crocodile tears over the .horrors of war. "

Wo arc all tired of bloodshed (he said) . . . a terrible extinction of human life, blasting the hope and expectancy of youth, and mortgaging our energies and our resources far into the future. Kvery general, every officer, every man, would fur rather see all liis labour, skill, education, intellectual resource, and physical powers devoted ; to Ihe tasks of upbuilding and lengthening life, subduing the "common enemies of men—diseaso and the material obstacles to the progress of mankind—than devoted to the destruction of other men. . ' -

What impudent hypocrisy! The Germans must have a poor opinion of British intelligence if they imagine that we' can be deceived by such rubbish. The "English softies" must be soft indeed if they can make _ themselves believe that the L'russian swashbucklers really 'desire a just.and stable peace. In July of last year the lieichstag passed a resolution in favour of a peace by understanding and the permanent reconciliation of the peoples engaged in the war, and expressed the opinion that_ "with such a peace forced acquisitions of territory and political, economic, and financial oppressions arc inconsistent." But as soipn as the tide of war took a turn in their favour, the Ju}y resolution was repudiated with scorn and derision. Dr. Solf now assures the world that Germany intends to restore Belgium as an independent State. Germany is at present receiving some hard knocks, and knows that still harder blows have yet- to come. She is, therefore, posing oncc more as an advocate of "sweet reasonableness." Dr. Solf professes to be shocked at Mr. Balfour's declaration in favour of a fight to a finish, and says he is "convinced that the better .feelings of the people will revolt against such an intolerant spirit." Dr. Solf conveniently forgets that a German' Slinistcr recently asserted tliat Belgium was to be treated as a pawn to be bartered witli. In May last von Tirpitz declared bluntly and positively that Belgium would not be given up. "We must," he said, "keep Belgium in our hands, economically, politically, militarily." Wo may tako it for granted that Germany will never give lip Belgium unless she is compelled to do so. If Dr. Solf speaks truth it is a confession that the German Government recognises that Germany cannot win—that defeat is not far off;. '■

Dr. Solf's references to the German : colonies are so utterly at variance with known facts that it is impossible to take them seriously. Ho asserts that States ■which endeavoured before the. war .to re'sp'-jct the humanity of the ' coloured races have won a ,mor;;l right to be crflonial Powers. Judged by this standard, Germany has-no shadow of moral right to colonial possessions. Professor Bonn, in a lecture delivered in London in January, I9l<l, in describing Germany's methods of colonisation, -said : "We tried lo assume to ourselves the functions of Providence, and we tried to exterminate a native race'whom our lack o£ wisdom had goaded into rebellion/ Wc succeeded iii breaking up the native tribes, but wc have not yet succeeded in creating a new Germany." A. proclamation issued in 19QJ by ■"•The Great General of the Mighty Kmpcror, von Trotha," shows how Germany respects the humanity of tho coloured races. It reads:

The Hereros must now leave tTic country. If. the people do it not, I will coinpel them with the big tube. .Within the (JcTinan frontier every Herero, with or without u rille, will be shot. I will not tako over any more women or children, but I will either .drive tliem buck to their people or have tliem fired upon.

Are these samples of the "tender mercies" which have established Germany's "mural ripfht to be, a colonial Power"? The Germans jire not a colonising people. This has been' admitted over and over again in the Reichstag during debates on colonial f|uestions. In protesting against "wild schemes of colonial adventure," Heiiii Bernstein said: "Wo luivc a certain capacity, for following up the pioneer who lias borne the burden and heat of the day and building on the foundations he has laid, but that is all." Colonial expansion is merely a phase of Germany's world-dominion mania. Count Heventlow has enlightened

ns & regards the Pan-German idea of the purpose of a colonial empire. "Lot us build up," lie Kays," "proud

' ] places ox arms on the African coast [of the Mediterranean, on tho Atlanj tie coast of Africa, on the African coast of the Indian Ocean, and; above all, in the South Seas." In this way, lie deeiare% a complete reversal of 'the relative positions of Britain and Germany would be secured. The world will never have any real peace if Germany is allowed to rebuild the "proud places of arms" which she possessed before the war.