THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, Feb. 17, 1916 PAN-GERMANISM

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 February 1916, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, Feb. 17, 1916 PAN-GERMANISM

Gradually, bit by bit, and line upon line, the evidence is accumulating that the Germanic Powers intended to wage war, first upon France and Russia, and afterwards, when they felt ready, on the British Empire. A recent pamphlet by the secretary of the Pan-German Association has been translated into English, printed in the January issue of the " Current History of the War," published last month by the i\lew York Times Publishing Company, and given to the English-speak-ing public for the first time. In reprinting the translation the great American journal has rendered a valuable service to the cause of the Allies. In spite of all the recent assertions in the German Reichstag by the Chancellor, Dr. yon BetthmanHollweg, that this great war had been forced upon the Germanic people through the mobilisation of the Russian troops in July, 1914, the pamphlet bears indubitable evidence that the Pan-German Association intended to force the pace, whether the responsible statesmen were willing or otherwise to fall into line. Whilst the Prime Minister of Bavaria was denouncing the Pan-Germans as cranks before the war broke out, they boast that he was carried along at their chariotwheels like so many of the other sober-minded statesmen at the first clash of arms. The author of the pamphlet gives many dates of the happenings oil the Pan-German organisation in various parts of Germany and Austria, from which it is quite evident that if the Austrian Crown Prince had not been shot at Serajevo some other mode of forcing hostilities would have been readily manufactured. No unprejudiced person in any neutral country can come to any other conclusion, after a perusal of the pamphlet, than that the PanGermans meant to secure their •' proper place in the sun," to use their own expressive phraseology, first by a thrust at France, then at Russia, and eventually at Britain. The " real enemy in the eyes of the Pan-Germans was neither France nor Russia. England it was who denied them their place in the sun, and they were determined to sweep her aside whenever they felt that their hour had come to humble "proud, perfidious Albion," as Napoleon had, according to the Pan-Germans, so well denominated their arch foe.