WHAT DOES GERMANY WANT?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 267, 9 April 1914, Page 4

WHAT DOES GERMANY WANT?

It would he of interest to know whether [German/ realty desires the lordship of the sea, or whether her ambition would be satisfied if she was able to surpass Britain as a mercantile nation. It is said, on one hand, that the aim of the Kaiser ami all patriotic (icrmans is simply to assert the supremacy of German manufactures and trade, and that the creation and maintenance of a powerful navy has no other purpose behind

it than the protection of Cerinanyo oversea commerce. Strenuous efforts have been made for some years past to extend Germany's export trade, Ann these have met with a large measure of

sucsess. l'or ten or twelve years the objective has been to place (iermanr ahead of the United States of America in this respect, and this end was attained last year, when the export trade of the I'alherlaml reached (he .enormous total of £500,000,000, uu inerefte of £50,000,000 over 1012. ft only now remains for Germany to try conclusions with Great [Britain. To oust the mother of com-

merce from the premier position she has held since modern oversea business lias existed is tile underlying object of the new "German Association for World Trade" which was founded in Berlin on February 25. The originator of this organisation is Herr Balliu, managing di-~ rector of the Hamburg- Anierika line of steamers, who has been characterised by the Kaiser as "the far-seeing and tire-

less pioneer of our commerce and export trade." At first Herr lialliu plannedsimply a "German-American Trade League," which was to make a. special raid on the United States market on behalf of wares "made in Germany." But the scheme now has assumed world-wide

dimensions, and may turn out to bo the most comprehensive and systematic fight for business .which Germany has ever waged abroad. There seems to be 110 room for doubt that the Germans are in deadly earnest in their trade rivalry. But is this all, or is there more behind? Englishmen do not .stand alone in believing that Germany cherishes designs [for seizing the mastery of the se;is. Jt is held in Russia'that the Kaiser and his advisers aim at wresting llie sovereignly of the seas from Britain. The Nova Vremya, the leading newspaper of St. Petersburg, declared a few weeks ago:— "Euc h mmber of the Triple Entcnto I lias in turn been forced to the wall by pressure brought to bear by Germany. The turn has now come for England. .

• . . German preparations for wresting the command of the seas from the hands of Britannia began a generation ago and have continued persistently ever since. No appeals for a reduction of armaments have had any effect ob the steadfast German. His calculation proved as correct as a mathematical demonstration." After a reference to the great superiority enjoyed by Germany owing to her system of compulsory haval service, tho article proceods: —"English public opinion evidently does not want—one may even say is afraid to —look the peril in the face, and prefers to explain Anglo-German rivalry as a series of casual misunderstandings to be removed with diplomatic skill. To the outsider it is plain that England is going the way of those former sovereigns of the seas—Spain, the Dutch, France." This is of course a wild exaggeration; but even when allowance is made for tjiis, and for the palpable Russian desire to encourage emnity between Britain and Germany, there remains a residuum of fact which ought to make the British people pause and ask themselves whether tho supremacy of tiheir counlk-r is' not seriously menaced. As for Garmaay's real aim, it may embrace the two alternatives we have suggested: that is, she probably wishes to be supremo at sea ami also supreme in ths world's trade. The danger is that she may allow the lust of power to make her impatient and precipitate a war.