GERMANS IN PACIFIC.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1808, 2 April 1918, Page 2

GERMANS IN PACIFIC.

A FORMER vicar at Fairlie, Christchurch, the Rev. H. N. Roberts, who has returned from the front, states that before leaving England he saw the following in a German paper, which he believes to have been the Berliner Tageblatt: —-“After dealing with England, it will be necessary to finish the United States, and after that there will be only Japan to oppose German dominion of the world. We ha ve spent a great deal of money at Samoa, but it is not a good harbour, therefore it will be necessary for us to secure New Zealand, where there is a harbour, Aka - roa, that could easily be made impregnable. Banks Peninsula, where Akaroa is situated, is a mountainous peninsula that could easily be fortified so that it could not be taken. The inhabitants of New Zealand, are an indolent, pleasure-lov-ing people, and we would make them work .to complete the fortifications that would make Akaroa impreg--nable against any nation, and a base for attacking. .'Japan or any other Power in the Pacific. The New Zealanders are so indolent that they do not utilise the magnificent rivers they have; which, if harnessed, could produce power to run many manufactories for the production of munitions or anything else they liked.” The paper contained a splendid map of the port hills and Banks Peninsula, showing how Akaroa Harbour could be made a fortress safe from attack either by land or sea.