NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1924, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

T:\-ixA is i'll; and Britain. LF.MI.IN. dune lb A nuinber ol documents .'hewing the ex-Kai'er’s hostility to Britain are given in the new ami thirteenth volume of diplomatic paper- published by tin' Foreign Office. A - far back as ]s')li William 11. conceived the idea of forming a league ot Continental I’owers against Britain, or at any rate, a defensive league to pievent Britain getting more felonies. On October 'bub. ISllli. be telegraphed to I’rinee volt I lolmubdie. the Chancellor. •‘Wisdom and foresight demand we should get friend', it not allies. wherever we can. Negotiations must be begun in St Petersburg ami Paris. as soon as pus-ib!" with a view to beginning defensive measures for guaranteeing present eoldtial possession'. Once more it is seen with imini'takeable dearness that it wits foolish to enter on a colon in I policy ten years ago without having a licet to develop this policy, and without building up a licet at the same rate." On duly dllth. IHPI. Britain denounced tile Herman Treaty of Coltlineree ot A>;• deth. I. and proposed to 1011dude a new treaty promising Oerinany niost-favoured-imtion treatment. The ex-Kaiser declared this indicated war to the knife against the nourishing trade of (leriiialiy. lie wrote:--"After the recognition ol t lie superiority of Herman industries. Albion will soon attempt to destiny them, and will undoubtedly succeed unless the evil is remedied by the etiergetie and rapid building up of the licet."

lie seemed obsessed with this idea, for he wrote to the Chancellor: ‘‘Had we had a strong fleet which inspired respect. the dennneiatiiHi of the treaty would never have happened."

CFTTING PRICES. LONDON. June 9. Mr C. F. I- Rsmsdeii. who is in charge of the South Eurojicnii section of the Federation of British Industries Overseas Organisation, has just returned from a tour in (formally, and has compiled a report for private circulation among members o! the federation. To a reporter. .Mr Ramsdeii said: There is no doubt that German industry L passing through an extremely difficult stage. Prices for most goods arc too high for export, being in many instances much above world mires. "While industrialists were able to keep going mi internal demand, which was very active up to about six necks ago. the home market lias now also consider ably fallen off. There is. of course, little doubt that it is part of Dr. Schaclit's policy to force down prices to a point which will enable Germany to compete effectively in the markets of the world, a.s he is convinced of the necessity of a great development of export trade for the relialdlitntion of Germany.