THE OLIVE BRANCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 39, 13 February 1903, Page 4

THE OLIVE BRANCH.

A remarkable speech has been made in the Reichstag by Count von Bulow, who seeks to again establish the most friendly relations with Great Britain The difficulty is to explain away the attitude of the German Government in regard to the Dardanelles, but the Count does not hesitate to try and smooth all that over. It is rather a i idiculous sort of excuse, for any nation that takes part in a treaty should be prepared to join in enforcing that treaty. But our German friend takes up the position that because it did not greatly concern his interests directly—the fact being that he was looking for advantages behind Great Britain's back—it must be considered as somebody else's troubles. not his.; but he displayed wonderful alacrity in enmeshing Great Britain with him in bouncing little Venezuela into a desired line of action, and he takes good care that the most has been made of this " friendship," distasteful as it is to the British people generally. There is not much to be proud of in a friendship that causes a large Power to act- as was done in the case of the Panther, and probably the sharp lesson which the Germans got on that occasion will be considered by Uritishera and Americans to be richly deserved. For such a thing to be done just when arbitration was agreed upon by all patties is about to take place, is nothing short of an outrage. There is no reason why British and Germans should not be warm friends, but the trouble is that Germany is showing too great a desire to make use of that friendship merely to gain her own ends. That nation has too often been found on the side of those who have proved their strong antagonism to Great Britain's rightful interests, and all the palavering statements of Count von Bulow will not alter the position unless Germany in a practical form shows that she has a just valuation of British friendship—not that of the pugilist who is ever ready to side against a friend when some one has sought to smite that friend in an unfair way.