THE WAR OF THE FUTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81894, 26 November 1906, Page 3

THE WAR OF THE FUTURE.

A GERMAN PROPHESY

Modem writers of lie lion in tins count!y and on ihe Continent have found abundant inspiration in the idea »f 111'' lu'ure Wchkricg. or universal war of nations, which, tiny are agreed, will shake the- entile civilised w-oild i" it- Hiundaiion and lesuli in a complete rcdisti ibution of work! power. Germany, as perhaps is natural in view of her boasted supremacy in milium- mailers, has contributed a large share of the books rcceivly i published on lids "The XV Ijons of Kurope, 01 the War of llu-l-uniro.- is tie- latest addition i„ delist, and is a survey of world politicup to dale. It cerlainly possesses a peculiar interest of lis cwn, ina-much ai its anonymou- author would seen", t i be well napiainicd not only with ile.; military and naval condition of vaiiou* Kur'ipeau and e x -Kuropean States of to-day, but also with their innermost political life and aspiraI lions.

With this knowledge at his command, llv? writer places before his readers a graphic description of what he conceives will be (he great worldwar of to-morrow, and at the -nme time, gives them inter-ting glimpses behind the scene's, so to spyak, nf that great international melodrama. Hi object avowedly is to sound a note loi warning to the disunited States of 'tutope, for, like his illustrious Sove-

j reign, the Kaiser, he is convinced [ that Europe must sooner or later — (and probably very soon—face the jdaiger which thnatciis them from without—namely, through the entry of the \vmld's stage of two youthful', but increasingly powerful, nations — the United Stales of America and Japan. He professes to deplore tie puiy misunderstandings and differences which, he thinks, are all that, separate the great European Powers at the pieseiit day, and calls upon lliem to cease these internecine quarrels in order that they may show ; united front against the ambitions of, their common enemies.

The story opens with the dcclara tioi. of war by Germany in consequence of the action of France ir. marching her troops into Morocco Through the mouths of the varioudiplomats who attend a confetence 11 London on the eve of the outbreak ei hostilities, the author attempts U show the mutual distrust and jeulnust whi-h exist between all the grea, poweis of Europe—and even betweci. those which are professedly joined 't gether by friendly alliances. The re cent Franco-British entente is especially the object of his contempt am scorn, and he openly argues that while France has gone into the ar rarigement with a view to wiping 01. old scoies with Germany, Britain ha' li'kow'sc signed the treaty with ul terior motives in view against tin peace of ih e world. Japan, too, i: made to take a very lukc-warm at ii tudc towards her western ally in th' time of need, and America is chargee with intrigues against this countn of the most .Maclnavelian nature. Hi insists that, because Briton and Yan kec have many things in common that is no reason for thinking thai their interests are one. There an in families brothers hostile to one an other, and who oppose each cthn whenever it is possible. Both Briioi, and Yankee he holds, are juggling fo the phantom of world power, and bot„ cannot reach it. "With the umn tcrupted growth of population, am cot responding over-production, th* Union,' 1 he says, "if it is to avoid ;. Social Revolution, must seek fresi. woild markets; therefore, Germain is inconvenient for her, and Englani. more so.''

The calm reckoning of the Amcr, can mind is not likely to cast a senti mental thought on "The Old Home., ling-land, but rather to "reckon' an"•calculate"-' thai it ia "time to put ; spoke in the wheel of a dangorou. competitor. . . But the iron logic of events will eventually bring Euiope to reason, and to make it realise that it must unite in order to resist America and the Far East." The author waxes eloquent regarding the hatred with which he thinks his countrymen are regarded in Britain. German commercial travellers and tour isiSj he says, are made to feel tt while they are with us. Such a sta;e of affairs its a black look-out with ;. new "Hague Conference in prospect, at which Britain, more strongly entrenched than ever, will culminan Germany as the disturber of tii world's peace.

The conclusion of tho great W'clt kneg, the author prophesies, will be i.'i-' conclusion of a peace between ah tin. European nations, including Bri lain, and the formation of an alliance against America and Japan. Suci. is the bouk in brief. The ideas expressed by the author are not likely tc hud acceptance at the hands of the average Britisher, however fair-mind-ed and unbiassed he may be, for thej are evidently dictated by a desire to Britain's power curtailed, as wel, a-i the elimination of the chimerical ucUgrfahr presented by America to Japan. Most Britons have sufficient faith in the maxim that blood is thicket than water and in ihe good intonlion.ot our Ear Eastern allies to disregard such opinions—at anyrate, for mam a day 10 come. At the same tme anyone who is acquainted with Geiman opinion, even in the must ixalteu quarter.-, will recognise that this kind »t reasoning represents faitly accurately by ihu views of a large numbc; of the Kai-er's subjects. There ihowever, in the book which is ex tremely interesting to anyone who fol ows the course of inlet national politics, and while there is much which is evidently inspired by jealousy and a desire lo belittle Britain and the idilish, there is likewise a great de.i! <>; criticism over which it is worth while for the pa:iiolic Bii'.on to pun tier. The bouk i- provided with an '■xi.elleni series of maps illu-trat'ng '.he progress of the great wurld-wa: of ihe future, and these give an add"'l interest and semblance of lealil; to the text.