"TO LIVE IN PEACE,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9087, 12 May 1908, Page 4

"TO LIVE IN PEACE,"

The letter of the German Emperor to Lord Tweedmouth is not too far back to have lost interest to those who follow the trend of European politics. Everyone knows that the German Emperor sent a letter to the First Lord of the Admiralty of Great Britain regarding the British naval programme, and the whole Empire is aware of the hubbub which the announcement of the receipt of that letter occasioned. Delivering his review of foreign affairs in the Reichstag on March 24th, Prince von Bulow, referring to the letter, said it was a private one in form and contents. It was a distortion of facts justified by nothing to assert that it was an attempt to influence the Minister responsible for the British Navy Estimates in the interests of Germany and that it implied interference in the internal affairs of the Britisn Empire. The Emperor was the last to believe that the patriotism of a British Minister would permit him to accept counsels from foreign countries regarding the framing of the Navy Estimates. In questions affecting the defence of its own country every people repudiated foreign interference and only consulted its own security, its own requirements. Germany also made use of this right of self-assertion and self-defence when she wished to build a fleet to give the necessary protection to her coasts and trade. This defensive character of the German naval programme and policy not be emphasised sharply enough or frequently enough in view of the incessant attempts to impure to Germany aggressive designs and plans against Great Britain. "We wish," the Chancellor proceeded, "to live in quiet and peace with Great Britain. Therefore we feel it bitterly when a section of British publicists again and ■ again speaks of the Garman danger, though the British Fleet several times outnumbers ours, and though other countries possess stronger fleets than ours and work with no less sea! at the building up of t!ic?ir fleet?. 11 spite of this it is Germany, always Germany,'against whom public opinion in Britain is incited by a reckless and malicious polemic. Jus 1 ; as we do not dispute Britain's right to adopt for her fleet that standard which she deems necessary for the maintenance of the British world Empire, so no one can takf it ill of us when we do not desire that our naval constructions shall be regarded as a challenge to Britain. If in connection with these statements we consider the Emperor's letter to Lord j Tweedmouth, in which one gentleman j speaks to another, and the fact that j the Emperor prizes most highly the j honour of his rank as Admiral of the ! Feet in the British Navy, and that j he is a great admirer of British edu- { cation, of the British Navy, and the | British people, then we obtain a j perfectly correct idea of the tonp, j tendency, and contents of the j letter." It may be remarked that j the letter has never yet been pub- j lished. I