GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 2 November 1914, Page 8

GERMANY.

. KAISER AS DIPLOMATIST. "NOT UNDERSTOOD." OUR NAVY NEVER CHALLENGED. BRITONS NOT SO EASILY GULLED. London, October 30. The Morning Post publishes the Kaiser's letter to tho late Lord Tweedmouth, First Lord of the Admiralty, on February 14, 1008. It commences:— "I see by the newspapers that a battleroyal is being fought about tho needs of the Navy, therefore I venture to furnish you with information anent the German naval programme, which is being used to docoy and frighten the peaceable British taxpayer. During my last pleasant visit to your hospitable shores I tried to make 'your authorities understand the drift of German naval policy. lam afraid my explanation was misunderstood or not believed, because I see the German danger is constantly mentioned in tho British newspapers and reviews. It is absolutely nonsensical. It is not true that the German Naval Bill is to provide a navy which is meant to challenge l British naval supremacy. It is .solely built for Germany's needs in relation to a conntry with rapidly growing trade. The extraordinarily rapidity of the improvements in battleships and armaments necessitated the whole re-biOding of the I entire Gorman navy, but there is no addition to the ■ units laid down in the 1898 Bill. "The main fault of the discussion in their newspapers is their invariably exemplifying Germany. A simpler thing would be for England to say, 'We are a world-wide Empire with the greatest trade in the world and require so many battleships and cruisers,' but it is very galling to Germans to see their country continually held up as the sole danger and menace to Britain." The Kaiser emphatically denied Lord Esher's statement that he wished to scr Lord Fisher's downfall, it was preposterous to infer that the German authorities would work against persons in official positions in foreign countries. "In my humble opinion." added the Kaiser, "the perpetual quoting of the ! German danger is utterly unworthy of Britain, with a world-wide empire and mighty navy. Indeed, it is nearly ludicrous. Foreigners in other countries might easily conclude that the Germans were an exceptionally strong lot, as they seem able to strike terror into the hearts of the British, who are five times their superior. Onci: in on , the German Naval Bill is not aimed ai. Britain; it is not a challenge of British supremacy of the sea, which will remain unchallenged for generations to come." Tho 'Morning Post udds: "It is permissible in existing circumstances to record what otherwise would remain unrecorded, namely, that the Kaiser on one occasion when being entertained there expressed the hope that the German'and British fleets some day would be fighting together against the United States the common enemy. The Kaiser on that occasion made the mistake, so frequent ambng the Germans, of misunderstanding the intelligence or the British." GERMAN PRESS ADMISSIONS. WAR LONGER THAN EXPECTED. Received 1, 4.30 pjn. London, October 31. There is a tendency in the Berlin Press to confess that the war is more prolonged than was anticipated, and people are advised to husband their resources,