The Empire's Greatest Problem.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 229, 24 November 1916, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Empire's Greatest Problem.

There can be no reasonable dou t that the present war was brought about by Germany for the purpose t.f increasing the wealth she had acquired during the previous forty or fifty yea-s by great energy and astuteness in trade —a wealth which had been largelv applied in perfecting the most wonderful organisation of military strengt'i the world has ever seen, a power intended to be used to crush every attempt at competition in future except yndei - conditions to be imposed by " the mailed fist." This with her has reallv been a Trade war. To combat in the future such activities —in so far • t least as to prevent them being employed ageinst the Allies—is a most necessary ; recaution towards averting a recurrence of the disturbance and is also justified in the interests of a lasting peace. The German attack ■ n France through Belgium was to some extent based on commercial in addition to military considerations; indeed, all through, the two interests will l;e found associated in a remarkable degree. The possession of the mines and factories of Belgium and northern Franco gave Germany an initial advantage by not only maiming her opponents but also providing means and resources for carying on the War. Within the German battle-lines, which speedily included a most important if • dustrial part of Francs, and all but the south-western corner of Belgium—a country which had been teeming with industries —Germany immediately utilised ttie mineral resources of the occupied territories, and every piece of machinery not required for use on the spot was removed across the frontier. She also removed the workers remaining at their posts, or as many as did not prefer imprisonment, with a view to continuing the captured industries elsewhere. The same ruthless policy followed in the wake of her conquests on the eastern front; and, indeed, in every direction, wherever success gave her arras the opportunity, she has confiscated property and spread the work of rpoilation and disaster.

Now, at last, it may ba assumed tha*, the military minds of Germany recognise that their stupendous effort can not prevail. But this oifly means that once her militarism is broken it will give place to commercial activity with aim and determination of asserting herself again as noon as possible. In that endeavour Germany will assuredly prove a most formidable adversary, and will exert all the undoubted ability and astuteness which distinguished her in the past, sharpened, if that bo possible, by the memory of defeat. Tho War-after-the-War will therefore require all the resources of mind and matter available on the part of tho Allies to retain the advantage whicn the immense sacrifices of the War will have cost them. I WE ARE VITALLY CONCERNED. That the present war has a special significance to us, even here at the Antipodes of Berlin may also be taken as beyond any reasonable doubt. We know that one of the principal aims of Germany was to extend her colonial possessions, and in that way increase her trade. This was in effect admitted by her declarations before the War actually began. Although no dependonce can be placed on any statement •however solemnly made by an official I German, high or low, yet a certain in- j dication of fixed intention may be in- j ferred from the assurance given by the German Chancellor to our Secre- ! tary of State for Foreign Affairs in { the' week before the outburst of the War, with the object of keeping Britain for a time out of the conflict, — namely, that although Germany desired no increase of territory at the expense of France in Europe, her victim would liave to pay by the loss of somj of her colonial possessions. Such may be taken to have been the irreducible minimum of Germany's intentions at the outset, but when Britain decided to stand by Belgium and help France, the dream of German conquest to doubt became enlarged to include : s much in the way of annexation of British as well as French over-sea possessions as it might be possible to exact And in that dream of conquest be surd that the natural advantages of New Zealand were not overlooked or undervalued. A VON BISSIN'G IN WELLINGTON! If Germany had been as successful ,as she believed she would be, and as .ve jiow know she nearly succeeded in being, and if the conquests she intend'd had been achieved, the affairs of New Zealand would by now have been administered from Berlin and another Von Bissing would have been in authority in Wellington, with powers of life and death. So it is a real and personal subject for every one of us *o consider what part New Zealand should take in strengthening and extending the commercial position of the Empire. In view of the approaching contest 't is to the credit of Australia that she. at least 111 tho matter of the future Trade-War, has taken a decisive stand. THE GOSPEL OF HUGHES. Mr. Hughes, the Prime Minister < f the (Jomonweaimth, went to the Home Country c-irly tins year umt succeeded to a remarkable degree in arousing the determination of England to be prepared and fore-armed for the coming economic struggle; and lie also sue reeded to a remarkable degree 11 arousing the determination of England to be prepared and fore-armed for the coming economic struggle: end he a's > succeeded in getting the Allies to rn-e'. and decide upon a programc oi preparation. In the spirit of true st'iie--manship he interpreted 111 for i fill lan guage the thoughts that had been cry - tallizing in the minds ot the more observant, and hi' interpretation loon I response in the indecisive minds o others who wore ready to declare mi mediately that what lie propo-ed >va ■ just what they were waiting to c\pre~-. all the time." The translation of thi new political evangel into the sho,". form of resolutions was affirmed unanimously at the Economic Conferen e bold in Paris a few months ago. After declaring their i.nited duty to adopt and realise "full economic independence," the representatives of the Allie' -—including representatives from Australia and Canada —proceeded to outline a definite course of action : Firstly: during the continuance of tho War; Secondly: during the period of transition after the War; leading up "o —Thirdly : a settled and comprehensive trade policy to be maintained ther •- after amongst themselves. The fir- 1 : of these divisions—that of measures

BY GEORGE HUTCHINSON.

No. 1. (Specially written for tli'is supplement.)

during the War —must, of course, be left to the control of those immediate.y directing the progress of the War; am! the third —as to the settled policy alter the War —may appropriately be hel l over until the period of transition ha» indicated the strongest lines on wine i the wo! k of confederation may proceed. The second sphere of action—that in the transtion period following on Peace -is proper for immediate con. sideratiou not only by the Allied Nations but also by those Dependencies of Gicat Britain, which, by their active participation in the War, have hecome entitled to be heard as to its outcome. THE PARIS RESOLUTIONS. The first resolution of the Conference reads like the expression of a Solemn League and Covenant: ■ " Whereas the war has put an end to all the treaties of commerce between the Allies and the enemy Powers, And Whereas it is of essential importance that during^the period of economic reconstruction which ! will follow the cessation of hostilities the liberty of none of the Allies i should be hampered by any claim j put forward by the enemy Powers to ; most-favoured-nation-treatment, the Allies Agree that the benefit of this i treatment shall not be granted to | those Powers during a number of j years to be fixed by mutual agree- | ment among the Allies." Then follows this resolution : I " The Allies decide to take the nec- ! essary steps without delay to render themselves independent of the enemy countries in so far as regards j the raw materials and manufactured ' articles essential to the normal dei velopment of their economic activi--1 ties. These measures should be oij rected to assuring the independence of the Allies not only so far as concerns their sources of supply, but also as regards their financial, commercial, and maritime organisation." You will notice that the decision is that the necessary steps should be taken "without delay," and assuredly the proverbial danger from delay was never greater than now. The former trade of Germany, which enabled her to enter upon the War with resources which have entailed such terrific sacri- , fiees by the Allies, has been partially arrested but will of course be free again as soon as Peace is declared. But the l means and ability of Germany to be employed for the restoration of her i trade have not been destroyed; they have rather been strengthened by the force of compression through the block- ; ade of her ports, and the fact of failI nre in her miiltary designs for the forc- • ible extension of her trade may bo expected to nerve her to the most desperate efforts for its recovery. At no time were the industries of German/ more active and successful than imme- . diately prior to the War. She stood ! supreme in all the more important departments of trade connected wit'i ; the manufacture of the principal proI ducts of chemical analyses and in I metallurgy. The accumulation of stocks j consequent on the closure of tier ports I (except a few of small importance on j the Baltic) automatically became conI siderable, and, as production continued 1 in the confident belief held up to quite j recent times, that the issue of the War I could not be other than favourable to ' her arms, her resources now, in the j shape of stocks of goods for sale, equip her for immediate action. ACTIVITY OF GERMAN AGENTS. It is known that already German agents are actively employed in buying up by present purchase and futuretime bargains raw materials throughj out every neutral country, and it is 1 not improbable that efforts are also--1 secretly and treasonably—being made to the same end within the borders o! I some of the Allies themselves. More particularly is Germany active in South America where extensive marj kets will be open to her penertation. 1 Every effort is being put forward by i her agents there to secure a resumption of trade. Exhibitions of German ! goods are being held and the fares of possible customers are being paid to i induce them to attend and inspect these samples, while the most favourable terms are being offered. German merchants are also busily engaged :n Europe in transferring stocks to neutral countries,—the country of origin being disguised in every possible manner. It is also known that certain foreign banks akin to Germany. ar-> offering to undertake British business at very low rates, probably with the object of thus obtaining opportunities cf examining shipping documents and .-o collecting information as to the prices and descriptions of goods, their trademarks, and other particulars likely to Ik? useful in re-capturing trade. Quite recently a new State department has been set up in Berlin for the co-ordin-ation of industry and the extending of Government assistance in the re-estab-lishment of trade. It was very remarkable even in pre-war times, to what an extent the German Government resisted commerce, not only _ by affording specially low rates on (••■!- mall goods for export and by subside I to oiersra shipping companies, but j even 11 the ixt. Nt oi legulating t:i" | pi oi goods oil rxport s> that losses 1 might l.c -hired among large combine-; j and trusts in tin* obtaining of a loetI ing ;u :..rci. :i mark.is. And this syst in may lie expeeied to be renewed j and extended under tee new regime. i j i- HI :v U ' I I'tis'l i':«* 1 ' ' el'el'e ' ! la t e .si!!.. - ... e i...i..-l y. I e.e iir ' I I a ]. •.hie' I rem coa'.-l >r i- < i:ia:e:i lor Iviej-ind. e. la r . :n I in lhe Roy I , I. ' : ' v in AI iii'tiia I'le Street, I. > 1 d n. t: e ; i "dee' am el " i\;raday .- iii:i•" ii,a: k o lhe b.-.; lining oi e re-, i . h hi the eoo; e . f «!iie!i many valuable i salt- ban- b; en at hievi (1. not only in dye-, but in mediein.the ant i-1-1:::11 oi diptli. ria. tur instance, having been discovered in ".he laboratory of a Gerinan manufactory in the course of experiments connected with the aniline-dye industry. tint England was content to let her discovery rest. She continued to look on while Germany developed the manut i - ture of dyes. During the last fifty years, for every single scientist engaged in England in the study of chemistry as applied to industrial problems Germany had fifty; and, for every

fifty workmen employed in England in giving effect to laboratory research, Germany had five hundredfive times as many scientists and ten tinus as many workmen with abundant machinery perfected to the highest pitch and constantly renewed by most wonderful and secret improvements; while tier patent laws were most rigorously applied against outsiders, and the English patent laws riddled or evaded by Germany with impunity. In the course of fifty years from the first discovery, Gvrmany had command in every branch 'cf the aniline-dye industry. And it must be admitted that she deserved the prize in so far as research enabled her to progress. She applied her bruins to improve with infinite care the development of a d:s; overy which she feu-saw was certain t:> become the ki-v t.) numerous industries of worldw'de i:iii)ortailre. A recent English writer on tiie >ubject lias related an iiieidi'JU which is ail the mere convincing as it t-ell> against himself: —Three or" fo::r years ago he was taking a ho'.idav iii Switzerland and met at some health roort a German, also resting. Their conversation happened to turn on aiiaiytical chemistry—a subject in which the Englishman had a keen professional interest. He had been for some considerable time engaged in the study of aniline dyes under all the discouragements which had long surrounded chemical research in England. Consequently, lie welcomed the opportunitv of explaining to his companion how lie had been able to distinguish the sub-products of the dye known as a "methane" by evolving from its three hydrogen elements three distinct "phenyl'' groups, which he hoped would yield to still farther subdivision Then he was somewhat disconcerted to learn that the German had so far progressed in the study of the same branch as to have suggested to his University the adoption of the name of "triphenal methane" for one of these subdivisions which he explained he had been able to make amenable to manufacture. Tn switching off the discussion to the more elusive shade known as " dipthenalamine," the English chemist felt on safer ground, but when the German mentioned that lie was then engaged on experiments likely to result in a refinement of this shade ef yellow which he proposed designate "dipthenalamine alizarine No. 2 A," the Englishman mentally confessed himself beaten and hastened to change the subject of conversation to the wonderful effects of Alpine sunsets. (io be Continued.)