THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1912 WILL GERMANY FIGHT?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10582, 13 March 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1912 WILL GERMANY FIGHT?

Tlie announcement that a great coal strike has occurred in Germany lias special significance at the present stage of iGerman politics. In the recent German elections, a desperate attempt was made to crush the Social Democrats, who are lirrn in the desire for universal peace, entirely out of existence. The failure of this attempt has driven the 'bureaucratic party to open declarations of hostility to Britain, and a distinctly ominous cloud is hanging over the horizon. The ostensible cause of the strike of German coal-miners is the refusal of I lie owners t'> improve the conditions of work and pay. In reality, however, the upheaval has been precipitated. with a desire to frustrate the designs of .those who are trying to stean the (tide of constitutional reform. A recent .Knglisli writer on the subjectof German policy says it is open to argument whether even the German Government, which had committed itself to further great naval and military burdens before the results, of the elections were known, can afford to disregard the plain declaration which has been registered by one-third of the German people. To that extent

there is no doubt that the elections in German}' will exerciso some influence on tin? question of peace or war. But such an assurance is not to be relied upon with any security. The evidence is quite clear that, apart from the war } party, which exists as much in Great Britain as in ■Germany, the German people are just as. genuinely anxious as the British to remain at peace. Iho Germans, like the English, are commercial people, and when it comes to falling out with their best customer they wish to be left alone. But, unfortunately, wars are not decreed in ■the ideal manner by the voice of the j people. .Even in •England they are decided v.pon by authorities not directly answerable to the eleotorate. The only difference is that in Britain those who control foreign policy are responsible to Parliament, so that tendencies can he reviewed and checked even if the actual conflict cannot "be avoided. In Germany, both foreign policy and the actual making of war are above and beyond the reach of democratic chocks. So far as Germany is concerned then, the great danger which Britain has to reckon with is (the last desperate expedient of the bureaucracy to stem the tide of democratic development and divert attention. The only way recognised hy history of arresting otherwise irresistible social tenden,cies_is the making of war. Itis an open question whether the German bureaucracy will resort to this final desperate expedient. The only thing certain is that the democratic party is now at close grips, and that the near future must see either a settlement of the constitutional question or a devastating upheaval with the object of gaining breathing space. Until the.German democracy gets some kind of control: Over the governmental function there can- be no real safety for Great Britain, and the building of Dreadnoughts must go on. pari passu with * ,German development. The whole position rests with the German bureaucracy. If it is willing to concede some of its traditional privileges, Germany will, in all probability, be normal and trustworthy. If it is not willing, the folow must fall on the democracy of Great Britain, for at present there is no other object in the international purview which would meet the case.