The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1909. WHAT THE GERMANS SAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2057, 21 May 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1909. WHAT THE GERMANS SAY.

So much lias been ‘hoard lately of the iniquity of- the Germans in daring to build a 'licet' with’ the apparent object of challenging the position of the British Navy that wo are apt .to forget that in this, .as in most matters, there are two sides to tho question. In the first place, it must be understood that’ it is absolutely necessary for the future doA'elopment of Germany that she must have some outlet for her population in other parts of the world than Europe, and consequent upon this must come a. mercantile trade which, in its Turn, must be protected by an efficient navy. Gnat: Britain already possesses these, and we can scarcely blame the Germans for seeking'to expand in a similar manner. Snell a desire does not necessarily imply any instinctive 'unfriendliness to England, and so long as motives are not misunderstood, then' is no valid reason why the two great nations .should not, while maintaining ilieir respective navies at a standard necessary for individual protection, carry on the great work of Empire budding m peaceful. rivalry. For Germany to exist without .a navy would be simply a voluntarily admission that she never hoped to be anything more than a second-class Power with her national hopes and aspirations always lab.e to be tnwailod by her more powerful neighbors. Jo a poop e with the energy and spirit of the Germans such an attitude cannot ho expected for a. moment. Therciore it becomes necessary that side by side with the commercial .expansion ot Germany must come an increase in hoi fleet! for without that increase she must feel always impending the possibility of Britain stepping in directly the latter deems her own special interests threatened, and merely by a pointed roieronce to her Dreadnoughts, enforcing her will upon the weaker nation. It is useless tor us to reply that Bntai u would not. do such a tiling; she might, and in any case we cannot expect the Germans to have the implicit faith in the lofty, motives of our rulers that wo ourselves may have. Once this distrust is admitted into international affairs—and uufortunately it seems impossible of eradication at the present time — then all that is happening is not 011.3' understandable, but seems almost unavoidable. With naval rivalry added to commercial rivalry; the Germans naturally feel that they cm never he sate until the point is reached when they can rest-satislied that they are on comparatively equal terms with the British from a naval, point of view. As matters now stand they cannot be blamed if they imagine that the British, in order to prevent their energetic neighbors from ever reading a position of equality', much less superiority, may make a .sudden attack and destroi' their navy, while the odds' are sufiieiontly strong to ensure success. As a matter of fact this view has been Seriously urged by many Englishmen as the easiest plan of ensuring national safety, aid of permitting at the same time.a reduction of per in a life nt naval expenditure. With such a possibility, who can blame the Germans for making the. most strenuous exertions to pass the danger nope at the earliest possible moment P Upon the topic hero dealt with it may he well to quote a recent utterance of the German Chancellor, Prince Billow, who spoke as follows: “The Federated Governments entertain no thoughts of entering into competition with British sen-power by means of the construction of the German navy. According to the provisions. of the Navy Law, the .immovable purpose of German naval policy is founded upon tljc fact that we desire to create our naval armaments solely for the protection of our coasts and our trade. It is, moreover,-' an -indisputable fact that, the programme of our naval construction lies open in absolute publicity." We have nothing to keep secret, nothing to •hide, and it is not intended to accele-

rate the carrying out of our construe-

tion progra'miiio beyond the limits of time cohtcuhpjatcd by tlu; la tv. /Ml rumors to tlf<> •contrary art* false. In . r]( r.i u 1 1 hi t oi I DI aft, .tUo .Ovirjrftrt J

Whilst it would be an inexcusable, foolish policy on the part of Britain to relax its efforts in the direction of ensuring national safety, because of an utterance made by a foreign statesman, nevertheless, we can at least give some consideration to the German standpoint. Invasion of England may be the ultimate aim of German diplomatists, but it does not follow that this is so, and it is not necessary that we should think hard things about the Germans because they deem the possession of a powerful fleet essential to their national progress.