DOMINION'S FATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 April 1918, Page 5

DOMINION'S FATE.

FORECAST BY GERMAN PRESS. AKAROA TO BE FORTIFIED. Says the Christeliureh Press:— ihe Tlr-v. 11. X. Roberts, formerly Vicar of j'airlie, who has returned from the front, states that before leaving England he saw the following in a German paper—he believes the Berliner Tagoblatt—which had got over to Ensland:— "After dealing with England it will be necessary to finish the United States, and after that there will be only Japan to oppose German domination of the world. ,We have spent a. lot of money at Samoa, but it is not a good harbor. Therefore it will he nece-sary for us to get New Zealand, where there is a harbor— Akaroa—tliat cn..w easily be made impregnable. Banks Peninsula, where Akaroa is situated, is a mountainous peninsula that could easily be fortified so that it could not be taken from the plains. The inhabitants of Xew Zealand are an indolent. p\*asure-lov'ng people, and we would mke them work to complete the fortifications that would make Akaroa impregnable against any nation and a, base for attacking Japan or any other Power in the Pacific, The New Zo.alanders are <o indolent I hat. thedo not utilise the magnificent rivers lliey have; which il h.irnessed could produce power to run many manufactures for the production of munitions or anything else t-liey liked."

The paper contained a perfect map of the Port Hills find Banks Peninsula, showing hew Akaroa, harbor could be made a perfect fortress, safe from attack either by land or sea.