TO CRIPPLE GERMANY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 147, 19 July 1909, Page 4

TO CRIPPLE GERMANY

•Suggestions' of crippling Germany, by Loycotting her goods are rife just now. A more original idea comes from Canada. A prominent man there has suggested that Canada should prohibit the export of nickel to prevent Germany imiking the nickel-steel plate necessary for great battleship*. Camilla ami New Caledonia are the only sources of nickel, htkl (Germany must obtain it from one or '.lie other. Canada and France could prohibit lire export of any of the metal to Germany, and Gmnany could not build any more Dreadnoughts. It Ls explained that three-inch nickel-steel plate is better than the old-fashioned nine-inch armor. It may be dented, but it does not crack, and -being lighter, it reduces the weight of the ship in proportion to Iter size. 'Most of the nickel used by Germany for this purpose conies from Sudbury, in Canada. Ifc is a .pretty idea, 'but, we fear, hardly feasible. A Canadian paper, commenting on tire sug-, gestion. doubts if Canada has the power to adopt it, for there are practical limits to what a Government may do. To begin with, the business of the people owning the mines would ibe seriously interfered with, and they would want pretty still' compensation. "Furthermore, if the nickel went.to Great Britain, would it stay there? Would not some patriotic Britifsli shipbuilder find it profitable to se}l the greater portion 9.f his supply to the German plate-mak-ers? Tin? suggestion seems to be of cioirbtful quality, though it opeus a broad field of speculation. Perhaps JMtish statesmen might be invited to cooperate with Canada in acquiring and controlling the Canadian nickel deposits, 1 and thus accomplish what Judge Barron suggests." One result of the adoption of the suggestion would probnibly ho to make Germany more determined than ever to acquire territory elsewhere, and m) put herself beyond such restrictions'. Indeed. it is doubtful If it would not be regarded as an- unfriendly act, and be followed immediately /by hostilities.