The Daily News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1914. "A SUFFICIENT ANSWER."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 96, 18 September 1914, Page 4

The Daily News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1914. "A SUFFICIENT ANSWER."

The German Chancellor, Dr. Betbmann- J Hollvveg, has ever since the war hegan been endeavoring to prejudice Britain ' n the eyes of the outside world. He has established a special mendacity factory in Berlin, which sends, by aid of wireless messages to Rome, New York, and other neutral countries, illuminating details of the righteousness of Germany's cause, her wonderful victories against the ''barbaric" nations with which she is at war, the perfidy of Britain, and other information of a similar inaccurate and misleading character. Lately the Chancellor, who could not understand a cation like England permitting herself to dispute the sway of the gentle Germans just because of "a piece of paper"—the treaty guaranteeing the integrity and independence of Belgium—has been busying himself- by circulating canards in Copenhagen regarding the attitude of Britain. These Sir Edward Grey has replied to very effectually. His speech, a j reported in our columns yesterday, will have been read with interest, and, we hope, with profit, throughout the world. The statements of the German Chancellor were so transparently false that they hardly called for rebuttal. The Danes know, or should know, all about the pacific and considerate ways of the Germans, whose "mailed fist" and iron-healed policy was responsible tor their losing their own precious provinces of Sehloswig and Holstein jn the fifties. The Chancellor said the reason why Germany invaded Belgium was because of her knowledge that France was preparing to invade Germany by that route. The'idea is preposterous on the face of it. France had, as a matter of fact, given her undertaking to Britain that she would strictly observe Belgian neutrality. Germany declined to do so—for good reason, from her standpoint. She knew that France had not fortified her Belgian frontier, whilst she had

strongly fortified her Gorman frontier. Misguided France believed Germany would not dare, as Bismarck did not dare in IS7O, to enter Belgium. Britain was bound, as a signatory of the Beljgian Treaty, to uphold that treaty, no matter who violated it, or be humiliated for ever in the eyes of the world, and Sir Edward Grey has placed it on record that had France instead of Germany violated Belgian neutrality, Britain would have takon action. But all the talk of Germany regarding the treaty is unadulterated humbug. She was determined to smash France, and she took what she believed to be the line of least resistance to carry out her brutal design. For years and years she has been preparing for the grand stroke, and she would never allow, as she has never permitted in the past, any treaty, any obligation, to stand in her way. The most superficial student of history knows this. The German Chancellor, in his communication to Copenhagen, stated that Britain had been false to the cause of freedom in South Africa. Could anything be more ridiculous! The world has seen and marvelled that Britain, having fought and annexed the Boer repubdics, should have given them the same franchise as the British, and permitted them to govern the country themselves, an opportunity of which they have made full use. Nothing so magnanimous has ever been witnessed. The result of this policy we see to-day when the Boers, our implacable enemies of a few years ago, are vieing with the rest of the Empire in offering the Old Land assistance in the form of men, monoy and material, and proclaiming their loyalty and declaring that they would ten times rather be under the British than the German flag. Would Germany have given the Boers such freedom? .The answer is in her treatment of Alsace and Loriaine, who have never been given civic or political rights. Then the German Chancellor declared Britain's colonial policy had been "recklessly egotistical. Hiat policy must have been very acceptable to the colonies, or the worid would never have witnessed, as it has lately, the unprecedented manifestations of affection and loyalty and self-sacrifice on the part of the colonies. Britain has treated her colonies as she treated the Boers, justly and liberally. She has been like an indulgent parent to her children. She has given them the power to govern themselves and conduct their affairs in their own way, even to taxing Britain, and, what is more, she has afforded them the protection of her invincible navy and asked for nothing in return. She is being repaid now in what cannot be stipulated for in agreements or treaties, or measured in pounds, shillings and pence—she is being repaid n affection and loyalty and service in a

naximum degree. Greater partiotisiu ;hau that shown by the colonies there I :ould not be. The reply to the Gernmi I Chancellor's statement is conclusive. J eoplc will ask, liow comes it that the icrmans entertain such obviously erron:ous and ludicrous beliefs? How is it hat she lias blundered so terribly ? The nswer has to be sought in the German einperament and training. Mr. Price 'oilier, in his "Oermany and the Gerians,'' discusses this remarkable 11aional characteristic, and his conclusion i that Germany suiters far more from or theoretical and book-learned publiets than from the Emperor's indiscrcoiis. 'Their knowledge of books far irpasses their knowledge of men, and )thing can be. more dangerous," hi; says, .0 any nation than to be counselled and tided by pedants rather than by men the world.' The diagnosis is apparitly correct. Not only did Germany J under regarding Britain; she blundered I ith Hah'. She expected the Italian

and Austrian fleets to prevent France' fromconvoyiug her Algerian troops across the Mediterranean and to harry the French coast and colonies. She blundered with Austria, who she thought would be able to keep the Russians in check whilst she administered the coup de grace to France. She blundered with Belgium, who she thought would be terrified into permitting the use of her country to. stab France in the back. Siie blundered over the British Navy, which she thought would be kept fully employed by the new German Navy. She blundered over tile attitude of the King's Irish jubjects. She believed they would strike for independence the moment England was embroiled in a European war. She thought India would raiso the flag of revolt at the same opportunity, and that the British transmarine dominions would "cut the painter." Germany has committed the greatest blunders of any nation in the history of the world, und she is paying for them, and will pay for them very dearly indeed.