PRINCE BULOW'S SECOND THOUGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1917, Page 6

PRINCE BULOW'S SECOND THOUGHTS.

frightfulness and animation. Tlio new tyul revised eidtion of hia famous apology for his political Vife which Prince Buelow, German Chaneellor from 1900 to MOD, has issued is designed to serve several purpose?.. It is a torpedo deftly discharged at his successor, Herr von Bethmann Jlollweg. It is a bid for the vote of the advocates of fi'igbti'ulness. It is a demand for vast annexations of territory in every possible, dilution, Holland oil Switzerland being alone exempted Its author, once (suspected of moderation, now shows that lie can shout for violence louder even than Count Kevei:tlow or Admiral Tirpitz. The original edition of the book appeared early in 101-t, on the very eve of war. The new edition contains numerous additions, four fresh chapters and some striking omissions. The excellent plan of placing the new passages in brackets lias been adopted by the translator. NO MORE REAL PEACE. The one vital passage in the book is that which declares that after this war there can be no more real peace: '•The national hatred which lias been roused by the war and confirmed by bloodshed will persist after the struggle is concluded until national passions receive an, impetus in a new direction. Germany must realise to-day that unless quite new and indeed improbable situations are created by this war, the feeling of bitter resentment engendered in France, England and Russia, will persist after peace has been made. These considerations must 'be decisive in determining the conditions of peace.

"Germany will in future require protection against- hostility and desires for revenge, both old and new, in tlie West the East, and beyond the.Channel; such protection can only be found in the increase of her own power. . , '•The outcome of the war must be a positive, not a negative one. . , The mere restoration of the status quo ante bellum would mean for Germany not gain but loss. Only if our power, political, economic and military, emerges from this war so strengthened that it considerably outweighs the feelings of enmity that have been aroused sliati we bo able to assert with a clear conscience that our position in tihe world lias been bettered by the war."

The precise annexations which are to be made are indicated with some faithfulness by tho prince, though he occasionally introduces some hypocritical reflections 011 moderation, German respect, with which he and Prince Henry of .for law, and all the . vapid falsehoods Prussia used to deluie the "ships of fools"—as Mr. Justice Darling described it—in the. past. Belgium must bo taken because of "the obvious consideration that this position alone can secure for us practical and permanent protection from new attacks.''

FRANCE NOT TO BE SPARED.

Poland must be taken to protest East Prussia ; but she. must never be given independence, because of a saying of Bismarck that if Poland were re-establish-ed "in another twenty years we flight make another alliance among the three Empires for the purpose of a new and fourth partition." And not only Poland must become a German province, but also, it would appeal 1 , the vast Ukraine, Russia's "granary and the foundation of her industry."

Over-sea the German colonies,.are to be restored. In the Jsear East, of course, Germany must have Mesopotamia: •'This territory can once more lie mad? the paradise it was in ancient times. Jf one can speak of boundless prospects anywhere l it is in Mesopotamia, not oniv 011 account of the Mesopotamia oilfields, which "for the most part lie near the Bagdad railway, but in every respect. Tlio development of the resources of Mesopotamia is one of the great tasks of our future. • • I eairied on the Bagdad railway cnteiprise with full consciousness of the immense prospects it opened out." France is not to be spared. Geriwany is still further to ''improve our siffate,gic position . • • which at the present time is" still unfavorable." And the reason? ,* In the winter 101-1-15 a man who is thoroughly conversant witlv i' rencli feelings and conditions wrote: "The feeling oTFrance against us during the FrancoGerman war, 1870-71, hoars the same iclation to their feelings to-day as a smoking factory chimney does to a volcano." EXGLAXD FOOLED. : IPirineo BueloiW even suggests that as against England was d-onc. ile exults over the fact that he had fooled her and kept her qiuct while the German Dreadnoughts were being built. He admits that the "encircling policy" with which ho used to charge her falsely was abandoned in-MOD. He declares—and thereby makes mincemeat of all the German apologists—that "no hopelessly conflicting interests separated lis from either England .or-Russia "until Angus*.. 1914."' 110 admits that there was no shadow of alliance between Great Britain and France and Russia before the war, lie gives Herr von Betlunaiin lloUweg's whole case away with charming unconcern. The tale that Germany had to fight in 1013 lest in a few years s'ha might be overwhelmed is also jettisoned.