“ WAR IS FOOLISH.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3275, 21 July 1911, Page 6

“ WAR IS FOOLISH.”

GERMAN AIMS.

COMMERCE AND NOT CONQUEST,

None more strongly insist upon the eminently peaceful nature of German intentions. than those of the Fatherland, numerous nowadays, Avho travel abroad, intent on making the Avays of commerce smooth and opening up neAV avenues of trade. To this class belongs Mr. F. M. A. Wenk-Wolff, a German merchant noAV making an extended stay in NeAV Zealand. In common Avith the rest of his class, he speaks of Avar as a thing to be shunned, and lie backs his utterance by pointing to the Aveighty fact that in the event of a great war the structure of German foreign commerce, noAV being laboriously built up, would crumble to dust.

Germany, according to Mr. WenkWolff, does not Avant Avar. “I think,” he told a “Dominion” representative, “that NeAV Zealand should step to the same tune as they do at Home. These bonds of commercial relationship are draAving England and Germany closer together in bonds of friendship every day.” Germans, he Avent on to remark, are building up a large trade with New Zealand. They ivant to bring their goods out here, and it Avould be a pity if the growth of a trade, conferring mutual benefit, should be hindered by mistaken notions about German national ambition.

“War is foolish,” said Mr. WenkWolff, Avith conviction. “If Ave Avent to war Avith another nation that Avould mean, in the end, rnat it Avould be bankrupt, and Ave Avould be bankrupt too. Some people think that because we have a big army Ave must mean AA r ar. That is foolish, also. Look at our geographical position; Ave are surrounded by strongly-armed neighbors; Ave liaA-e extended frontiers to guard, and Ave must have soldiers on the frontiers. For our part, Ave recognise, that England must have the strongest seapoAver in the Avorld, because it is a sea country. "We are a continental country, with big frontiers, and Ave must have a big army. “Very many of the French people,” Mr Wenk-Wolff continued, “think that sooner or later they must have revenge on Germany for what happened during the Franco-German War. I think that is a most silly thing. For centuries, while Germany of to-day was a collection of Aveak States, it was over-run by French armies. Then there was Napoleon. He nearly rubbed the country out! Germany had only a little revenge. When her armies Avere at Paris they could have razed it to the ground, but they spared it.” Mr. Wenk-Wolff declared that Germany had earned her position among the great PoAvers, as other countries had done, by warlike proAvess. Having thus earned heiv place, she Avas now bent on maintaining it in peace. Tlie army, he contended, apart from its necessity, bad a certain social value. Men, -in general, Avere proud of having seiwed in the army, and it taught them the value of discipline and of being ready to obey a properly-constituted authority. As to the political srate of his country, Mr. Wenk-Wolff looks to a sloav and steady development. The agrarian and clerical parties, lie thinks, may continue to hold the reins of government for the next thirty or forty years, but their poiver is being sloAvly undermined. The progressive sentiment of the country finds expression in the Hansa Burd, a political league of merchants and manufacturers, formed a feAV years ago, Avhich is steadily gaining ground. Mr. Wenk-Wolff does not look forward to any momentous political change in the near future, but ne thinks that ultimately the commercial classes, possibly in league Avith the Social Democrats, Avho tend to become more moderate in political aspirations, will assume the reins of control. Admitting that his country in many respects still offers great scope for progress and reform, Mr. Wenk-Wolff maintains that its inhabitants, from the Kaiser down to- the poorest peasant, are essentially pacific in intent. The Kaiser might sometimes speak too much, but he Avas nevertheless a very good and clever ruler, eager, at ail times, to accelerate the peaceful progress of his country. ‘‘To my mind,’’ concluded Mr. WenkWolff, “the British people Avould be wiser to look to the yelloAV danger than to any danger from Germany. The Chinese _ are good fighters, and they are having a great army trained on modern lines by foreign officers. Russia is another country that may need watching. But there is no danger from Germany. We Avant peace.”