VON TIRPITZ'S THREAT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 16, 26 February 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

VON TIRPITZ'S THREAT.

WHAT GERMAN SUBMARINES CAN DO. WAR AGAINST BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPPING. "America did not raise her voice in protest, and has done nothing, or very little, against the closing by England of the North Sea aga'nst neutral shipping. What would America say now if Germany wore to declare a submarine war against all hostile merchant ves-* sels?" These are the opening words of tho interview granted by Grand Admiral von Tirpitz, German Secretary of State for the Navy, to Mr. Carl ven Wiegand, the Berlin correspondent of the United Press of America, at the Genoral Headquarters of the German Army. It was taken in full from tho German newspapers and reproduced in the "Daily Mail."

Asked by the interviewer if he was considering such measures, Admiral von Tirpitz replied. "Why not? England wishes to starve 113; we might play th* same game and encircle England, torpedoing every Bi itisli ship, every 6hip belonging to th e Allies, that approached any Brit'sh or Scottish port, and thereby cut off the greater part of England's food supply." In reply to a further question as to whether Germany had enough submarines to carry out what amounts to a part ial blockade of England by submarines. Admiral von lirpitz said that Germany had more submarines of tho latest type than England. _ Mr. von Wiegand says that Admiral von Tirpitz, at the opening of the conversation. went straight to the origin of the war, describing in most interesting fashion England's rise to worldpower and her supremacy of the sea until her arrogant presumption reached its height in the present war, which England incited in ord.r to smash the growth and development of German power. He declared that England's sea power was based originally on piracy, acts of violence on land, and robbery in every quarter of the wcrld. "PEACEFUL GERMANY." "England, yes. England alone, 13 responsible for tlrs war. Did Germany ever want anything? Did she ever make any demands on anyone? No, she wanted to lie left alone in order to bo able to pursue her peaceful growth and her peaceful developnmt. England's anti-German policy goes back to 1870. to our victory over France. "Ever masterful, like a dictator, she did not want Germany to spread herself economically or to take up the place in th© world 'to which she had a right, England would cut the throat of any body who comes in her way or. in hei. on in'on, is likely to come in her way England lias not got tho conscientious ness of the white race, as her alliance with Japan shows. If she can profit, thereby she would l conclude an alliance with anybody regardless of race or colour.

"Germany developed too quickly, be, camo too strong and powerful. Sh<J crossed England's path, and therefore her throat had to l>e cut. That s it in & word! Years ago King Edward laid down the linos of this policy, for lie had an inexpl : cablo aversion to Germany. He looked about h'm and seized upon the growing Pan-Slavism in tho East and tiie revenge idea in tho West as his instruments. England made the alliance with the Yellow Race in the Par East, and in the West with the French, who had not been able to abandon their idea cf revenge. "So Germany, crushed in between Pan-Slavism on the one hand, the lust for revenge on the other, and England on tho fi'-a, would have been shattered and pushed into the place ass'gned to her by England. These are the means by which England seeks to destroy or to shatter Germany, and she has tlie effontery to proclaim to the whole world that with her Allies, the Russian barbarian, the Japanese. Hindus. Senegal blacks, Tureos, and the rest. she. is fighting for the holiest and highest possession of civilisation and 'Kultur' by smashing Germany. Does the world really bel : eve this?" To'tho interviewer's remark that the impression had arisen that German militarism had contributed to the war, von Tirpitz replied: "Yes, that is England's outcry about our militarism. And what alwut .her 'marinism' which for years has claimed ttie supremacy of the sea? There is no militarism in Germany unless you regard universal service as such, and universal ij.rvic© is neceewary tor the defence of our country, which for cento ries has been the battle-ground of the countries of Europe. In the past -200 vears Franco has declared war en Geimany about thirty times. "]n my opinion universal service leads to place and not to war Ask the mothers among our people! They knew wliat war meant before it came, simply liccauso the'r eons are soldiers. England, with her hireling army, goes on with her football matches and her race meetings before ever-increasing crowds. Can you imagine such a thing in a German city? No; German mothers and wives weep. They freely give their all for the Fatherland, but tiiey weep! " I say again universal service is a strong p.ace factor. I was one of those who would not believe that th s war woe.M come about. I could not imagine that the peoples cf Europe would slaughter one another." With regard to th: qur«'t:on 01 Japan, von Tirpitz said that ths was a problem which the Americans would have to tackle. "One thing 1 can assure you: Germany will never abandon the white race, japan \v 1 i 1 make a vassal of China and militarise China's millions. Then your country (Aem'ra) will have to be on its guard. Admiral Togo once sa d t>i n European. "The next war w ill bo a universal European war. and then will colli j the great struggle between my race and yours. "THAT DEPENDS ON ENGLAND." Admiral von Tirpitz admitted that tho fall of Tsing-tau had touched him deeply, and said that the apparent indifference of Americans towards Japan s activity in the Pacific was a mystery to h'm. The interviewer notes that in speak'ng of America and the anti-Ger-man fooling there his tone was almost bitter. "Wo export from you Americans riothng exceot fair treatment, lie sa : d. :ind declared that Germany never dreamed oi violating the Monroe eloc.trino. . Tho interviewer asked the admiral how long the war would lust. "That dop nds on England. England is .sa d to want war to the knife. If clio ins's's on thin she can hi've it. but there arosomo who hope that England will he i-ensibU' and will hear t!ip voice of reason." And the Admiral admitted that ho v, ns one of these. Si>o:i l in% of Lord Ivtchener's now army. thi> admiral declared 111 *\t th'.v did not -I'nrm themselves in the ]f-:st about "Kitchener's millions." for Gernianv hid .several millions of peif etH fit men to fn 11 bark on. and sh,* could fheri put further million's in th> field from those who d'd not quite eomp up to tho average pilch of physical officienc.v. '■* rr fr» p nue'stion »s to whether

tho Zeppelins had proved their value as a naval weapon in this war, von Tir- 1 pita said: — " I am personally of the opinion that aeroplanes are also extraordinarily well suited to naval warfare. But Zeppelins aro far superior to them for carrying heavy loads over long distances." "Then the Zeppelins in the navy have not remained without a rival?" "1 cannot yet say which of the two types will in the end prove to bo the best in the weather conditions in which our navy has to work. But I can say this much, that both are employed for totally different purposes." "FORTY LARGE SUBMARINES." "I may mention incidentally," remarks the interviewer, "something that apparently is no longer a secret and which I have ascertained from another source —namely, that Germany j.3 building forty new submarines of the large 900-ton type." Admiral von Tirpitz expressed himself a.s entirely satisfied, with achievements of the German Navy hitherto. Asked whether in view of the success of the mibmarines one of the lessons of the war was that the large battleships had outlived their day, he Paid:—

"It is difficult to say yet. There is no denying that submarines are a new and important weapon in naval warfare. But it must not be forgotten that submarines oi>erate best on the coasts and in shallow waters, and for this reason the English Channel is very well suited to them. The successes achieved so far do not justify tho conclusion that largo ships aro played out. It is still a question whether submarines could have behaved so splendidly in other waters. In tlrs war we havo learnt a great, deal. Wo believed that thev could scarcely remain longer than three days from their base, as after that time their crew wou'd be exhausted. We soon discovered that the larger types of these boats could go round England and remain outfor as much a« fourteen days at a time. "It is only necessary for the crew to havo an opportunity for rest and recreation, and our men procure th's by running the boat into shallow, still water, whero it sinks to the bottom and remains there, in older that the men can have a proper sleep. That is only poss:ble where tho water is comparatively shallow." "When will the German fleet meet the British fleet in battle?" —"When tho Englishmen givo us the opportunity for a fight, then certainly." " Is there any truth in the report that an invasion of England by Zeppelins is in preparation?" —"I think a submarine war against British merchant shipping would be still more effective.'