ANGLO-GERMAN RIVALRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 288, 30 November 1908, Page 4

ANGLO-GERMAN RIVALRY.

THE MUTUAL SCARE. Mr. Harold Spender, who accompanied Mr. Lloyd-George on his recent visit to Germany, writes in the Contemporary Review on the subject, lie enforces the danger of increasing armaments, and the spirit of -panic which invents or exaggerates anything that may suggest warlike purposes. It was stated in England that the number of workmen at Krupp'a works had been suddenly and substantially increased. On investigation this proved to be exactly the op-1 posite of the truth. He reports that the belief prevails in Germany that her fioet are composed in the older part of little better than coffin ships, and an, enlarged tleet is absolutely necessary. Mr. Spender also ridicules the deep cunning imputed by each nation to the other. He says, "Ornuin foreign policy, if one has to criticise it, has seemed for many years to have all the faults of a fitful impulsiveness more like the spasms of a caged tiger than the deep cunning of a fox at large."

WHY NOT A COAIMERCIAL, TREATY? He concludes by urging:--The only remedy for this state of affairs is to show thai Croat Britain is as ready for a fair understanding, cm terms honorable to both, with t.iermnny as with any other of the Towers with whom she has made these conventions. We know, of course, that our purposes are innocent and our ...oughts blameless. We know thai King ami Cabinet in. Ibis country are only working for the world's peace. We know that the German idea of an unpremeditated British attack on Kiel or Stettin is as foolish, as baseless as the British mirage ot Herman spies "and German schemes for invasion. We know that our .North Sea manoeuvres have no more hostile intent against Germany than the recent German military manoeuvres in Alsace-Lorraine against France. But it is- not enough to know our good intentions ourselves. We have to prove I them to our neighbors. Germany .will still continue to believe that all these agreements are aimed against her unless we give her the conclusive reply of showing ourselves willing to include her in the network, and to crown all the I good work ol the past ten years by an ! understanding that includes her.

The best thing ot all would be that this ludcisUniiiVig should be based ou a mutual alnilcimni of armaments, so giving the world a new lead along the road of peace. But if this great deed is too great, why not follow the precedent of the Comnierical Treaty with France in 1800, when the war .spirit was very high?

PERFIDIOUS GERMANY! Or. Dillon in the Contemporary laniftits that "(levinany's litful foreign polity, us'well us the unwonted methods by which she strives to realise it, have for the past few years proved a continual source of uneasiness to other Powers, and occasionally a grave danger to the world's peace." (The action of Germany in stealing a march on France in tin- recognition of Mukii Haliil leads Dr. Dillon to say: —A school-boy who should act in an analogous way would, in England at least, be severely punished, perhaps obliged to quit the school, A lawyer, a professor, a merchant, who should treat his colleagues thus, would be boycotted,

PERFIDIOUS—FUDGE! Mr. Edward Dicey, in the Empire Review, rinds that there is no inconsistency between the Kaiser's expression of his confidence in and desire for the maintenance of European peace and the subsequent declaration of the German Government that the continuance of the French occupation is neither in the interest of Morocco nor of European peace, lie thinks that the outcry raised in France and repeated in England at the recent visit of the German ConsulGeneral to Fez, as a breach of good faith is even mure irrational. THE COPENHAGEN NIGHTMARE.

"A Naval Understanding with Germany" is the title given by "Exciibitor" to a trenchant paper in, the Fortnightly Review. llf quotes the Economist's belief that there are grounds for hope of a naval accommodation. But he declares that Germany cannot, without a rescissory Act, go back on the Navy Act passed last spring. This naval extension, marked by the Navy Acts of 11)00, UHlli, l!ll)S, is'due to the bogey that Great Britain will react Copenhagen at Kiel, and destroy the German Navy out of hand. "Emibitor" pertinently asks, Why does England wait? Every year that passes nmkes the coup more impossible. The obvious answer is that "the idea has never entered the brain of a ISrilish statesman." It is a bogey wilfully invented against all the teachings of Anglo-German relations. It was wilfully invented because the naval agitation iu Germany, when carried on with truthfulness a'nd clean hands, failed to enlist support. Hut it swept the German people- into the net. WANTED- C(ipOUO,000 A YEAK

MORE. ' The only thine that remains for us to lio, says "Kxcubitor,"' is to niaintain British naval power. At present Hie personnel of the fleet is above the twoPower standard, anil he anticipates "an considerable expansion ill the expenditure on the personnel. To maintain over against the (lerninn programme a two to one standard against Ocrmany would cost l:i/ s millions a year for six years. The thrce-10-two-against-Cor-man standard would cost slightly over ten millions a year for six years. The writer is quite sure that the threc-to-two standard is not satisfactory.- Thirten and a-lialf millions a year is six anillions more than was voted last year, and would raise the Estimates in the six years to :!8 millions. "This is a lower aggregate outlay on the licet than in llilj-l. We paid the bill then." When the Jour-year bill (with a six-year finance scheme) expires, Orman naval expenditure on armored ships, according to the Act, will decrease by ouc-lialf; and so will ours. This financial demand involves the (lovernment in (Ufliculties:—

1( Tho old age pension scheme will cost seven millions in the coming year, and will eventually entail a much larger outlay. ' Additional expenditure has already been promised in other direct ions, and, with trade falling, the main hope of the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a raid on the sinking fund, as already foreshadowed by the t'rinie .Minister, and fresh taxation, or a loan. Til 15 KAISER C(>XE]]>KXTIA], OX EXCU4XD.

_ Sir Rowland Bleimorhasselt, in the Fortnightly Review, discusses Oerman policy in Morocco, which he says might have been devised to secure Ihe position of comparative isolation among the Powers which (iermanv now occupies. In the course of if. occurs I lie following pnragraph:-M. Victor llernrd, in his interesting little book, "I/Allaire Marocainc," tells us that during the leu years he has been professor at the Naval" Col-

lege some twenty or thirlv of his for mer pupils of different naval rank liavi '"funned hi i fh,, phrases that liavi fallen from the mouth of the Emperoi ill conversations with them, not confidentially, but often in a loud tone and accompanied by vehement gestures. Wil--1 helm If. continually insists when lie meets Frenchmen of distinction, naval. military or civil, on tl cessity for a Franco! German entente. He is'always silent as to what concessions (leniinny is ready to make for t ), a t piroose. Rut the theme of his conversation is nearly always , t crusade against England, and Ins desire to combine the whole of Europe against her, "sa ],aine de l'Angleterr eelalant pres.pie malgre lui dans ses moindro mots.'' Notwithstanding the undoubted authority of M. Berard, and the confirmation I have had of his testimony from leading men of various nations. I fhink the Kaiser is rather a restraining force against Anglophobism in Cicrmaiiv.