The Daily News. MONDAY, AUG. 7, 1905. A GERMAN DREAM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7892, 7 August 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, AUG. 7, 1905. A GERMAN DREAM.

"As a straw shows which way the wind is blowing, so do recent events in Germany point to a great movement hty that Power at a no distant dale. And remember, Germany is at present layijtg down two •battleships to our one, and every roan in the Germany Navy is fired with the Kai- ■ scr's ambition to secure the command of the sea, and the sea carrying traf- • fie of the world." Thus writes a contributor to the columns of the Lancaster Standard in relation to a possible attempt hy Germany in the near future to annex not only- Holland, but the Dutch East and West ■ Indian dependencies, and Dutch Guiana. The question is one that deeply concerns Great Britain, America, Australia and New Zealand, and may in some measure account for the attitude of the New York Sun in strongly advocating a British-Frcnch-United States alliance. The reasons which may be taken as the lever ior Germany's action in the direction indicated as not difficult to find. In tite first place it is well known that Germany has for years cast longing eyes cm the coast line of Holland, especially in view of the possibilities it affords in the event of a conflict with England. then there is the somewhat galling fact that the Rhine, Germany's chief river, which for industrial purposes is of the greatest impoitai.ee to the Teuton, flows to the sea through Holland, while the great Dutch North Sea would be a most desirable acquisition for the use of the rapidly growing German Navy. In addition to the foregoing there is Hie policy of expansion which the Kaiser is bent on pursuing in every possible direction, and in view of the remarks which ' from'lime to time appear in the Get- < man press relative to Holland's East Indian dependencies there is evidently good ground for assuming that Germany is perfectly willing, if not inaniiestly anxious, to annex this valuable territory, There can be no nuestion as to the strategic importance of these dependencies to England, or, for that matter, to all the Great Powers, as a glance at the map will convincingly prove. The same glance will also reveal the magnitude of the menace to Australia ami New Zealand if the German (lag were ever permit led to float over .I'lwsc Dnte.li East Indian dependen-'' cics. With regard to Germany's possible acquisition of the Dutch West Indies and Dutch Guiana, the question is one that would chiefly affect/ America, for were the Germans once, masters there, Brazil would certainly be menaced, and probably Venezuela, as well as other South American States. Hence there is good reason for entertaining the formation of that triple alliance which is advocated by the New York Sun in order to' convince Germany of Hie futility of any efforts to aggrandise herself at the expense of other nations. The weakness of Holland an a power as compared with Germany is so great' that it would be impossible for the

former to resist any sudden attack : by tli.j latter either on land or sea, ■ but the interests involved are of i such vital importance to Great Bri- j tain and her colonics, as well as to I America that concerted action iShouM be taken with a view to imipressing on life Kaiser that alt interference with Holland cither at home i.r abroad will not be tolerated eithu i.'y Great Britain, France or the i'iiited Stales. Of course, Germany is quit* within her rights in to her navy as many ships and men as the nation will pay lor, but as her present rate of shipbuilding is altogether out of proportion to , her lueds, it is only (air to assume that there is an object in view which is antagonistic to the interests of peace. In all probability the Germans quite realise that there is no hope of entering into a friendly arrangement with the Dutch, whose industries have already suffered, and are still suffering, too much at the hands of the Germans, so that additional force is lent to the possibility cf other means being adopted to , carry out the dangerous ambitions of the Kaiser. The warning conveyed by a view of the circumstances surrounding the question cannot be regarded as an idle scare, but it would seem to he prudent for all those interested in the trend of events to seriously consider-the danger ahead, and to take a firm and united stand for tlic protection of their interests ere it is too late to avert a terrible war. With Russia on the look-out for a footing in Norway, and Ger"Uny keen on absorbing Holland, there would seem to be trouble ahead unless the situation is forced in the only way which can effectually checkmate both those Powers, and now is ihe time for action.