GERMAN EAST AFRICA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1939, Page 8

GERMAN EAST AFRICA

A PERTINENT QUOTATION. A pertinent quotation from a memorandum laid before the German Cabinet in July. 1918, has been recalled by Mr F. S. Joelson. editor of East. Africa and Rhodesia. The extract is as follows: — "For our (Germany’s) present unfavourable position in the Far East. Great Britain, apart from Japan, is chiefly responsible. The principal opponent to our expansion in the Pacific is Austra--1 lia. but we shall never be able to exercise pressure upon Australia from a base in the South Seas; we might very well do so from East Africa. Austraj lia needs for its exports an open road through the Indian Ocean. This road lean be gravely menaced from East Africa. It is true that. Australian comi merce might take the route round the ! Cape, but even on this route merchant] ! shipping would hardly be safe against,! j attack directed from East Africa. The | j policy, therefore, both of Australia and j of India might be very strongly in-1 lluenced by pressure from German ' ’Mittel-Afrika' (Central Africa) and British policy, too. since England has a strong interest in unimpeded intercourse with India and Australia, as India and Australia have in unimpeded intercourse with England. If we I can have a position of strength in I 'Mittel-Afrika.' then we can compel India and Australia to respect our wishes in the South Seas and in Eastern Asia.”