GERMANY'S ASPIRATIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2467, 3 April 1909, Page 7

GERMANY'S ASPIRATIONS.

GROWTH OF THE NAVY,

ENTHUSIASM AND ACTIVITY OF THE LEAGUE.

Writing in the “New Zealand Herald,” Mr F. G. Ewington said:

In 1853 the Federal German fleet, including Admiral Bromine’s flagship, was sold at public auction by resolution of 1 the old Imperial Diet at Frankfort. In March, 1905, the Kaiser, standing before the "model of Bromine’s ship, told how, “as a young man it was with feelings of resentment that he realised the 'disgrace which fell upon his country’s fleet and'flag in those days. But old things have passed away, all things naval have become new. By the year 1900 the Reichstag, backed up by the people, acceded to the Kaiser’s wish and the Empire’s need for a great 'navy. A policy was adopted by which in 1920 Germany would have thirtyeight line of battleships, fourteen large cruisers, and a cloud of torpedo-boats and destroyers. Last year there were building in her on shipyards seven battleships, three large armoured cruisers, six small cruisers, three gunboats, twenty-four torpedo-boats, and a large number of submarines. Twenty years ago Germany’s naval estimate amounted to 3J million pounds, and ten years -ac o it was only -five million, but ior the next ten years the. annual expenditure ay as based on an outlay of twenty-one million sterling. Twenty years ago the German navy was manned by jo,UUU officers and seamen, but to-day rtexoecds 50.000/ No less a sum than €200,000,000 sterling has been voted for the German navy, and the -\«avy League, it appears., wants the country to vote £150,000,000 more. More remarkable than the navy is the wonderful growth and enthusiasm of the German Navy League. It was formed a dozen years ago, and now it lias a million of paying members and the members increase at the ™te o 100,000 a year. A large and able stair of travelling lecturers deliver m some years as many as three thousand lectures to possibly nearly three million oi people. They illustrate the lectures with kinematographs, and in many instances point out in a sensational way the" imminent risks the Fattier.and runs from the British navy. It lias ■ttone that to such an extent that they have now raised a Falkerstein they- perhaps cannot control,. and that maj be one reason why the British naval authorities are so alert. The .German -Navy League circulates millions of pamphlets annually. It has a yearly revenue of £50,000. Some of the most 'important personages in Germany belong to it. “It has published a book of ‘popular songs, . which contains no -less than sixty-seven songs on the subject of 'Our future lies upon the water.’ ” The monthly journal of the Navy League circulates 370..000 copies a vear, which is 50 per . cent, more co•pies than the circulation of the four principal political newspapers in Geiinany It has 4000 branches m Gerinany’ancl 100 branches in foreign coim- • tries. “These foreign associations contributed during the first, ten months 1905 more than £2OOO to the central association in Berlin, an amount which was larger than the takings of Bntish Empire during that year. Capetown sent' £7OO. The largest contribution to the- British Navy League was £3O 10s, sent from Glasgow. The German Navv League is twenty times S lar?e as -all other navy leagues ini tho world together,” said Major-General 'keim Thelmperial Government gives all kinds of encouraging countenance To that movement, and a man wlio will not assist or jom it is looked on null disfavor. ’ . ~ ■ The British response to this German movement is a naval programme that is almost startling, and a military movement in England that may, perhaps, evolve conscription. The danger is that high-strung national nervousness may lead to some hostile act. xi •- interesting to inquire: >y bat timid 1)0 in? position of enemy subject? if A foreign nation bc- • ean war with Great Britain? For about two centuries a usage of allowing such persons a reasonable .opportuntij of withdrawing and realising their property has . generally been observed. There have been exceptions to the ru.e. There is no right to detain such poison 32s ’they nlfull, the cave •granted, and then The w F t e . State would super-sede and over-iide the Interest of individuals. It uas: conn tiered harsh when the French rescinded - the 6 permission to Gormans to remain •"in a particular part of Ilan.e _ - ~j Exceptional military... BK**"*’'»« » » instifv what otherwise might appe.u liarsK No; doubt enemy subjects■ m New Zealand would be safe and treated if thev obeyed the law and h-1 toSexcourse with the enemy.