The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15. GERMANY'S NAVAL REVOLT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15. GERMANY'S NAVAL REVOLT.

The sensational news relative to the disaffection in the German Navy, which resulted some six weeks ago in a revolt, will have attracted much attention. It is a matter for surprise that the affair should have been allowed to be made public, but the probability is there was a direct motive in permitting this serious affair to pass the Censor. Apparently the Government was faced with a crisis and it is not improbable that popular feeling was considerably agitated over the matter, so Admiral von Capelle was put up to place the onus of the trouble on the Independent Socialists, and with the usual Teutonic slipperiness he pre-, sented a manifestly concocted story, so designed as to deceive the people and get the Government out of an awkward position. The assertion made by the German Admiral was undoubtedly based on certain truths, but it was governed | by ; ".tical exigencies and cannot, therefore, be accepted as giving any reliable information concerning the cause of the actual revolt. The Independent Socialists are thorns in the iiesh of the German Government and have become convenient scapegoats for all disorders which happen in Germany, but it is significant that the Vorwaerts should censure the Chancellor for dishing up the revolt without proving the allegations against these Independent Socialists—allegations of the grossest treachery and disloyalty. Admiral Bridge takes a. very sensibio view of the situation which he considers a serious symptom, as the "amount of smoke means rather a serious fire." It is evident there is trouble brewing, but to what extent the naval mutiny may be regarded as an indication of unrest is not clear. According to a Rotterdam message the inquiry into the revolt shewed widespread and organised sedition, which was repressed with difficulty, and adds that there were also several mutinies in the army, but of a 'less grave nature. One of the reasons for the mutiny is said to be bad and inadequate food. This may be merely a plausible official excuse put forward designedly to deceive outside nations. It will be noticed that prominence is given in the cable messages to the Kaiser's visit to Wilhelmshaven and the reduction of the number of mutineers to be shot, ' tiie details of the Chancellor's intervention being dramatically worked in. Here, again, was a direct object. The more the affair is probed the clearer seems to ] be trio fact that the revelation, if not j the revolt, was carefully engineered to effect an important Government coup. ; and this is emphasised by the announce- ' inent that the Government is stronger ' than ever. For some time past the poli- . tical troubles in Germany have been ' waxing stronger. The .defeats on the ■ Western front cannot fail to have been a factor. The increased economic pressure and the certainty of having to face another war winter under increasingly i severe conditions, all have an influence. ' For the moment, however, the Govern- l incut has weathered the storm and got , over the crisis, and as the German i authorities arc absolutely unscrupulous as ' to the means they employ it will not be , surprising to find that they have succeed- i ed in allaying public commotion while ' profiting by the political capital made ( out of the revelations. The canker of discontent will not, however, be eradicat- < ed by such tactics, and at any time the ' ashes of rebellion may be fanned into ' i flames that will be difficult to control, ',

'•'■ v.L the repressive power of the million-'-':■-i lias to be reckoned with until the ■'ow'iftiH of tlie liohenzolienis is accomplished.