THE OPPORTUNITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 139, 5 November 1914, Page 6

THE OPPORTUNITY.

A UIi.MFICANT ARTICLE. iIEUMAX .JOURNAL URGED WAR.There has been forwarded ot the office ■.; tiic Lytteltoii Times a copy of the Irish Catholic Times," of March' 27, 1914 lue date is important. The issue con tains plenty of interesting matter, but mo.--t interesting of all at the present stage is an article headed, "tierman i!e •nand for War." Considering that it appeared nearly live months before the out break of the European war, the facts it contains are, to say the least, significant. Here is the article: —

Quite a sensation was created last week by the publication in the Berlin Post of a lengthy article which concluded in a perfectly frank and unabashed demand for immediate war as tbe only 'means of extricating Germany from an already intolerable situation that has a tendency, to become worse for her instead of better. No purpose would be served by following the author into his elabate and fantastic arguments, but a few sentences from his conclusions may convey a lesson. Thus, he writes:

"What do we want? Arc we really ot wait quietly until Austria is completely shaken to pieces, ti 1 Italy must bow to the overwhelming influence ot thi sea Powers, and we, in isolation, are confronted by tbp arrogance of France, England and Russia? -js ,e (.icri'uui nut ■:\ of 70,000,000 really to renounce the role of leader in Europe which is its due?" According to tin; Post, the present affords a favorable opportunity not like y ot recur, and proceeds to answer the question just quoted in tbe following words:— "In the lives of nations there are complication and dangers which can only be disposed of by the sword. . . .

Our situation to-day also belongs to this eategor.". ... At the moment tin.' conditions are favorable. France is not read;, to flght. Eng and is interned in colon'ai and internal difficulties. Russia shrinks from war, because she fears a revolution. Shall we wait till our opponents are ready, or shall we use the favorable moment to force a decision?

With unnecessary but profound cynicism, the writer deprecates the idea of commencing hostiltiea out of hand. He recommends that—

"Where o conflict of interests shows itself we should not give way, but let it come to war, and commence it with a determined offensive, whether it be for a new .Morocco, for the position of General von Liman, or for the Asia .Minor question. The pretext is a matter of iiidilference, for the point is not that, but our whole fujure which is at stake " It is pointed. out that while the Post •has not by any means a largo popular circulation, it is, nevertheless, a paper whose words should no weighed carefully, beeauso not only is it the paper of the most extreme Germans, but also the recognised ollieial organ of the Imperial Party, which contains a larger proportion of princes and retired generals, Ministers and other leading oli'iciais than any other group in tile Reichstag. Xo one, of course, doubts that if Germany ever finds conditions unfavorable to'herself growing up in time of peace, she will hesitate to precipitate war, but that any responsible Berlin paper should candidly avow such a policy was scarcely to have been expected.

Whatever Germany does, however, she will not take Russia "unawares. The'first of a series of secret military councils was held in St. Petersburg 'last week under the presidency of General SiilcholminofT, Minister for War, for the special purpose of discussing tile urgent destrengthening the garrisons o.mffortresses on the western frontier. The raison d'etre of this precautionary procedure is more or less an open'secret. Germany has latterly heen devoting a lot of attention to her eastern (Russian) frontier defences. She is svrongly iortifying her own ends of the "bridges which span the Vistula at Thorn, Fordon, Graudenz, Durschau, Maricnburg, and '.Uarionwcrdcr, and it is proposed by the (ierman General Staff that s-vci;

army corps, each consisting of 3i5,iJ1!0 mni of all arms, ie'iall be retained within a given parallel of the Russian frontier. These seven armv corps will be known as the army of the Victuia, with its headquarters at Danzig. The strategic object of these new and defensive dispositions in obvious. In ease of war between the Triplice and the ,FrancoKussmu Alliance, 'Germany would now be in a position to hold a powerful Russian army in cheek for a sufficient timcat least to enable her forces on the. western frontier to deliver a crushim* blow against Franco before the Russians could go to the latter's aid. When the army of the Vistula exists, things will he diU'erent *