POWER OR RUIN?

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1918, Page 1

POWER OR RUIN?

TI-ItPITZ’S GLOOMY FORECAST OF TtfE FUTURE.

ECONOMIC WAR. The fuller report of Admiral Tirpitz’s Essen speech in the “Hamburger Nnchrichten” contains, says the Amsterdam correspondent of the. “Times' an interesting passage which was not published elsewhere. Admiral Tirpitz said that Russia’s collapse represented for England security for India v India’s communication with Africa and the Suez canal. After saying ( that Germany must recognise that England has won far more in this war than she has lost, he continued:

“Noi 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 prestige and honour of Germany by an unprecedented system of calumny and lies. In the whole transatlantic world we are considered conquered and done for.” The Admiral painted a gloomy picture of Germany’s future in the event of a .successful economic wai* against her: —

Without the existence of that vigorour industry which, after the shutting in of Germany, wo converted mainly into a war industry, we should long ago have lost this wfi'r. This kind < war industry, however, must after peace becomes relatively small, while millions of our fellow-countrymen will stream hack into Germany from the trenches without finding sufficient work there, and in any case, wages corresponding to the enormously increased prices of necessaries of life*. Imagine if wo simultaneously had to bear the burden of taxation which must fall on every German, even the poor for t'greatest exaction from property would not he sufficient even remotely to meet it—and, further, if, in spite of the fallen value of German money, we must still buy the most necessary raw materials and food supplies from abroad, notwithstanding all the political and other hindrances which the situation would produce for all! Can anyone in his heart of hearts really believe that under these circumstances) without an increase of power, without an indemnity, without security, we could avoid Germany’s ruin?”