GERMAN NAVAL POLICY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2619, 29 September 1909, Page 5

GERMAN NAVAL POLICY.

SOME INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. United Press Association —Copyright (Received September 28, 10.30 p.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 28.

A retired German official, Herr Vourath, in an article in the “Deutsche Revue,” entitled “Reminiscences of Von Holstein,” show's that the distinguished chief of the political department of the Foreign Office was a strong opponent of the policy of unlimited naval expansion. He is- credited with approving the campaign pursued by Vice-Admiral Gaester and others against the big ships policy, and it is said that he declared, referring to one of Vice-Admiral Gaester’s pamphlets, “The main thing is to expose the lying, treacherous fallacy of the statement embodied that every fresh ship is an addition to German power, when every fresh ship causes England, to say nothing of France, to build two.” Herr Von Holstein, in December, 1907, is reported to have expressed himsalf aa follows: “The pernicious, costly naval fever raging in Germany is a dangerous disease, fed upon the groundless fear of attack by England. The danger was between Germany, on the one hand, and England and France on the other,’ entering into coalitions with other Powers. Japan takes it into account in choosing the moment for a settlement of her differences with America. Were the German >fleet destroyed, it is at least doubtful whether England and France might not join America in a struggle w'ith the yellow race.”