GERMAN COLONIAL AIMS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 226, 24 September 1926, Page 4

GERMAN COLONIAL AIMS.

It has been understood all along that there was every probability of the question of mnndn.tes ibeiug raise-d S'Oon after Germany boeamie a menrber of the League of Nations. The siupposiition, thouigh not direetly coinfirmed, was strengthened th rough the interview given British and Dominion joiurnalists at Geneva by Dr Stresemann. The German Foreign Minister himself was non-coniuiittal, declininig to replly in set iteums to the pointed question w her her Ge.nmiany int ended to taike immediate fiction iu order to obtain eolonial possessions ; buit, aceording to the Sydney Sun's representafdve, Dr Stresemann and the dennan public scem to think . that Germanv is now entit led te receive mandates, as implied by.the Locarno Paet, although at present sh.e is not decideid when and whare to press her elaims. The correspondent adds: German ohicial cireles pointed out that -a. strong feeling prevailed jn Germany that Britain was not justiiled in taking over ma rida t os. German' opinion would nevor aecept the legality of that, although it is realised that Britain was determined. to imaintain them. Tho Germans ihe ro seern. to. snggesit that Germany does not intend to demand a mandate ever any territory lost in t.he.,war. They go furt'her, and assert that she has no desire to cladm. New Guinea or Samoa. British ciricles also believe that such mandates are least likely to be clainied, but the Germans, by imjpli'cation, suggest that they still hope to regain West Africa. In th is ascertainment there is vc-ry little. of substanco to perturb the world as to the spir.it in which Germany is dispiOiSed to use her new stat.us^ among the nations. Least of all is there c-auso for alarm on the part of Great Britain; and her Dominions. Moreoiver, the impressions gathered by the Geneva correspondent largeiy ibear out the eomments that. were made iby the Berlin correspondenl of Ihe l.ondon Times on the German. Colonia.l Congress held at Ha-miburg last month. •Althorligh the* eolonial movement in Germany is very highly organised, said Ihe latter, very little interest is takeu by the general piublic of the nation in the German eolonies or in the ' ' eolonial idea. " In spite of the offorts of the German Colonial Party, and many kindred origanisa.tions, the - question appeals only ito that small part of the nation which had direet relations with ihe eoloni' . in the past or hopes to. ge.t a protii. from its interest in them now. "In responsible German cireles, ' ' wrote the Berlin correspondent, "X have 'heard it said that if the eolonial question were to show signs of becoming a serious issue such as to dnvOilve Germany in a quarrel with Great Britain, all serious politicians would do their utmost to remoive it froim tho arena of disicusgion and they would have the support of the Gorverniment. " The Germans regard as their most severe loss the Tanganyika distriet, with its valuablo plantation.s and estates, now for the great part in the hands of Greeks, . Indians and Levantines. It is hcro that they hope for somo form of jianicipation in the future. But it is plain that the more thoughtful section of the Germans interested in colonial policy are aware that eo-operation with, and not opposLtion to, Great Britain must be .the guiding line. The Berlin C'Orrespondent whose article we have been quoting anticipated that Germany, as o member of the League oi Nations, would raise the question of mandates at an early date, but he says it rnay be very strongly doubted whether the German Govemmcnt wouldi allow yt to imperil good relations with Great Britain. At the sarac time, it will be all to the good if the question is regard od with coolness and detachmoht in Great Britain as woll as in Germany. Strong declarations, needilessly pointed, would be grist to the mills ef the political propagandists headed by Dr Schnee, formerly Ctovernor of German Ea'st Afiifa.