ANGLO-GERMAN RUPTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 66, 7 March 1908, Page 5

ANGLO-GERMAN RUPTURE.

THE KAISER'S FINGEP.S BURNED. IMPROPER PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS WITH FIRST LOUD OF ADMIRALTY. ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES. THE TIMES ADMINISTERS A HOMILY. PUBLICATION OF COMMUNICATION DEMANDED. Received tith. 10.47 p.m. London, March 0. The Times states that the Kaiser has written to Lord Tweedmouth, First Lord of the Admiralty relative to the BritisiiGerman naval policy, and a reply has been dc'patciied. If affirmed, the Kaiser'* letter amounts to an attempt to influence, in German interests, the Minister responsible for the British Naral Estimates. . .

The Times urges that the letter be made public, and insists that if a complimentary title of Admiral in the Britten Navy can be held to warrant a foreign potentate interfering in our domestic affairs by secret appeals to the head of a department on which the national safety depends, it becomes an nrgent necessity to abolish dynastic compliments. •.**''

The Times asserts that if King Edward had similarly communicated with the head of the German naval or military department, there would lie a universal cry of anger from one end of Germany to the other, and the world would hold Germany within her right-. If the Kaiser bad anything to >ay to Britain tending a fair understanding about armaments, he could use the regular official channels for communicating with the British Government. No private relations with members of the Government can excuse a departure from regular methods, and recourse to private influences, to which some men are amenable when coming from an exalted quarter.