England must re Strong. 



629 



Without anv fleet at all Germany would remain the 



greatest Power in Europe It is, therefore, 



the mere instinct of self-preservation which obliges 

 Englishmen, not merely to take account of the 

 growth in foreign navies, but anxiously to weigh the 

 motives of those who build them. If they are built 

 solely for purposes of defence. Britain .... would 

 have no ground for disquiet, still less tor an ill-will."' 

 For those who accept the policy of Germany's right 

 to " a place in the sun," " German development 

 means German territorial expansion. All countries 

 which hinder, though rt be only in self-defence, the 

 realisation ol this idea are regarded as hostile." 



GERMAN POLICY NAKED AND UNASHAMED. 



Thus Mr. Balfour, and to judge how accurately he 

 has summed up the situation we have only to turn. 

 not to General Bemhardi, that Prussian general of 

 European reputation who seriously talks of the peace 

 movement as ' poisonous," asserts Germany's " right 

 of conquest." and, declaring that " might is right," 

 ridicules the idea of respecting Belgian neutrality — not 

 this eminent soldier, but to Professor Dclbriick, friend of 

 the German Emperor and mouthpiece of German 

 apologia. He leaves little hope in our minds that 

 Germany docs not think in terms of war, but rather 

 is as an envious king gazing upon the Naboth's vine- 

 yards of the world, in South America or elsewhere. 

 He says : — 



"The German people, since attaining unity as a 

 great nation, have gradually reached the determina- 

 tion not to permit the world to be divided up among 

 other nations, but to demand their own share of it. 

 .... For this object she needs a fleet. . . . Eng- 

 land and other Powers still refuse to recognise the 

 natural demands of Germany for full equalit)- in 

 world politics. Germany's natural answer has liccn 

 again considerably to strengthen both her army and 

 navy." 



After speaking of " enforcing the accomplishment of 

 Germany's pur[)oses by increased armaments," the 

 Professor concludes with this consolingly " peaceful " 

 declaration : — 



" The world can rest assured that Germany with 

 her army and navy seeks nothing but the main- 

 tenance of her position in Europe and fair partici- 

 pation when changes of ownership in colonics are 

 taking place elsewhere in the world." 

 Since all such questions must be decided in Europe, 

 unless we conclude that Germany means to destroy 

 * the Monroe doctrine, despite our refusal to abandon 

 the Unitetl .States in her policy, we are temptefl to con- 

 clude that the large guns of the German warships arc 

 the life-preservers of the housebreaker rather than the 

 linlons of the policeman of peace. 



THE COMING OF BARON MARSCIIAI.l.. 



With much flourish of trumpets it was announced 

 that Germany wa.s to send to us as ambassador her 

 most illiistrir)us diplomat, Haron Marschall von Biebcr- 

 stcin, and we were told tli.it this was to herald a 

 new era of peace and rapprnchtmeni between the two 



nations. Methinks he doth protest too much ! We 

 admire immensely the intellectual brilliance of the 

 new ambassador, and bow before his intelligence. His 

 qualifications are unmistakably adequate ; besides, 

 was he not selected by the German Emperor himself 

 for his new post ? At first blush the appointment 

 seems most flattering to such an intelligent nation as 

 we are, but on mature reflection we cannot fail to 

 wonder whether we should be flattered because the 

 authorities at Berlin have raised London to the level 

 of Constantinople ! 



PAST SUCCESSES OF DESTRUCTION, 



The new ambassador has had a most successful 

 career, but his missions have always been de- 

 structive rather than constructive. At the second 

 Hague Conference he ensured little real accomplish- 

 ment — but he was very pleasant to talk to ; at Con- 

 stantinople he lost for Turkey all her former friends, 

 and was largely the cause of the war with Italy, but he 

 made beautiful promises. But are we to be as suscep- 

 tible to fair words and pleasant manners as were the 

 Voung Turks ? We do not think so ; perhaps Berlin 

 does. If Baron Marschall came from the German 

 people we would be delighted to have so intelligent and 

 progressive an ambassador ; but he comes from the few 

 in power, nor from the many in their power. And from 

 the few w-e, as policemen of peace, want acts, not 

 words. We do not want an intelligent ambassador who 

 comes with the new Navy Act in his pocket, as a 

 German deputy put it, but would prefer a stupid man 

 with a definite proof that Germany had accepted the 

 first definite overture made in public by one great 

 Power to another to check the headlong rush to ruin, 



WHAT HE WILL REPORT. 



We can, however, rejoice in Baron Marschall's intelli- 

 gence, because we are convinced that after a very short 

 stay here he will report to his Government that the 

 British people are solid on one point, and that is that 

 they will not leave the German pacifists in the lurch, 

 And that they are determined that " Ivngland shall be 

 strong I " If he does this, his visit will not have been 

 wasted, since, coming to Berlin from Germany's best 

 diplomat, it cannot be ignored. .Xpart from this 

 ser\Mce to the cause of peace, it seems that the eminent 

 diplomat would he wasted here ; " we be but stupid 

 folk." Perhaps China, awakening to a knowledge that 

 a democratic republic in full-going order is not attained 

 bv a universal haircut, might offer him a less "steep 

 and stony path." 



A HEARTY WKICOME— WITH SPLENDID RESERVES. 



It is well in any case that we can welcome him with 

 the splendid response of the Dominions in our hand. 

 " Those strong young nations, whii h have grown up all 

 o\ cr the world under the shelter of the Brili'^h flag and 

 by the stimulus and protection of British institutions," 

 have responded nobly to .Mr. Churchill's appeal that 

 we should be able to make " the true division of labour 

 between the Mother Country and her daughter States ; 

 that wc should maintain a sea supremacy against all 



