NATURE 



587 



THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1916. 



GERMANY'S AIMS AND METHODS. 



IN the debate on January 10 on Mr. Hewins's 

 motion that Britain should co-operate in the 

 closest manner with her colonies in prosecuting- 

 the war, he pointed out that the Germans do not 

 separate their military from their commercial 

 policy. " From the German point of view, the 

 war began some years ago in certain economic 

 measures, and the war will continue after the con- 

 clusion of military operations in certain economic 

 measures which they already have in preparation." 



lis is profoundly true, and some of the details of 

 iese economic operations are very clearly put by 



[r. Hewins in his speech. He went on to point 



It that the present hope of Germany is not so 

 |uch a complete military victory, as a position 



)m which they will be able "to foist upon con- 



lered territories German contracts, German 

 lims, and German traditions." He does not think 

 that a customs-union with the Dominions and the 

 Allies is a possible method of opposing Germany, 

 but counsels control of raw materials produced in 

 the Empire, so that they may never again come 

 into German hands. The question of shipping, 

 too, should be an imperial one ; also that of 

 treaties. There must be a spirit of solidarity 

 imong the A^ies in any treaties with Germany 

 \\ hich may in future be made. The writer agrees ; 

 but ventures to think that a refusal to make any 

 treaty whatever with Germany and her allies 

 would be a better measure. 



The seconder of the resolution, Mr. Peto, dis- 

 cussed the question of shipping more fully, and 

 dissented from the present Government policy of 

 keeping all knowledge of our intentions from the 

 Germans. If they knew that German shipping 

 would in future be placed under rigorous control, 

 that would be bound to influence their conduct of 

 the war. 



Sir Alfred Mond feared that the policy sketched 

 by the two previous speakers would damage our 

 own trade. Moreover, he dissented from. Mr. 

 Hewins's view that the present war was being 

 waged in support of an economic policy ; he attri- 

 buted it to racial and imperialistic, and not to 

 ( ommercial motives, and said that to his know- 

 ledge Germany and her allies had confused 

 notions of what they were fighting for. He attri- 

 buted German success to their scientific and tech- 

 nical skill, and to the influence of their banking 

 system. He regarded the United States as likely 

 NO. 2413, VOL. 96I 



to be a more formidable trade rival than the Ger- 

 manic nations. 



Mr. Shirley Benn advocated a return to the old 

 navigation laws, and Mr. Prothero thought that a 

 joint system of credit with our Dominions would 

 have a. great influence in countering German ag- 

 gression. Mr. Chaplin counselled joint action 

 with the Dominions in imposing a tariff against 

 the entry of German goods. Mr. Mackinder wel- 

 comed the attitude of Sir Alfred Mond towards a 

 tariff, and suggested that we might at once 

 utilise a large sum belonging to Germany, which 

 we hold, and which might be used for the produc- 

 tion of materials necessary to our country at the 

 present moment. He pointed out that Germany is 

 organising the territory which she has conquered 

 to help her in the war with materials, and he coun- 

 selled that we too should organise. There are 

 necessary materials which demand the expenditure 

 of money on plant; manufacturers are unwilling 

 to risk capital on business which may come to an 

 end with the war, and require a guarantee that 

 the Empire should stand by them and assure them 

 against loss. Mr. Pennefather pointed out that 

 while the Teutonic nations have only some 18 per 

 cent, of the world's trade, the Allies control 50 per 

 cent., and strongly pressed for an economic union 

 with our Dominions. 



Some of Mr. Runciman's remarks were repro- 

 duced in Nature of January 13; he recommended 

 improvement of research methods, the education 

 of our people, and the training of our young men. 

 The main points in his speech were the shortage 

 of food in Germany, from which he drew com- 

 fort. His attitude of mind was shown by his hope 

 for the recuperation of Germany, as well as of the 

 other belligerent Powers ; and here Mr. Runciman 

 showed his complete failure to grasp the situation. 

 The fact is that the Allies do not wish Germany to 

 recuperate. Recuperation means power to in- 

 trigue, to use all means to prosecute' an economic 

 warfare, and to conquer other nations and destroy 

 their trade. It is lamentable to find the head 

 of a great Government department so blind to 

 present conditions, and so unable to forecast the 

 future. He fears that the suppression of Germany 

 would entail suff"ering on the Allies ; perhaps it 

 might ; but the waging of the present war entails 

 suffering on the Allies, and yet no one proposes to 

 sue Germany for peace. Mr. Runciman then dealt 

 most unsatisfactorily with the question of contra- 

 band. Had it not been for his opposition and that 

 of the Board of Trade, had the Admiralty been 

 granted full control, we should not have seen those 



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