GERMANY'S COLONIAL AMBITIONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 87, 14 April 1917, Page 5

GERMANY'S COLONIAL AMBITIONS.

GREAT EMPIRE IN AFItT€A

E'ANttEROUS MENAOS TO BKTTISH EMPIRE.

GERMANS TABULATING THEIR

iFfrlN^i^v

(Renters Telegrams.)" (Received AWil 13..8.10 p.m.> IJONOQN, April 12. , The Times publishes articles emphasising that the GWrnan colonial ambitions are by no means dead % The papsr cites numerous German re;jnonsib7e journals - which * recently jplnstivrted that the id<\a of great colonial empire in Africa is firmly rooted in the Gorman mind, and the whole German colonialOmovement now suhscribos to the doctrine. It ■ quotes Professor Delbruck's statement that tho German world -policy in reality was nothing bxio a colonial policy conceived on large lines. Dr. Solf, in tho Colonial Calendar for 1917. says: "The history jf our colonies in this world-war hns. ehown ■vsliat v c lack . Tt ha& shown that ours was not a proper empire, but morelv <• number of possessions vwithxmt, geogr.ipliical or political connection or established communications. These experiences show what'direction our aims must take. Our colonial political aim :n future nrast be rej;arde.d in connection with all -other aims which we are determined to attain by the world-war 15

The" Times quote? articles by Emil Zimmerman, fhe colonial miblicist, from the Preusßiche Jahr.buchor, forecasting o() years hence the German possession of Central Africa, and when groat cities have grownup on Lakes Chad and Tanganyika, and on the Congo it will be possible for a German commercial traveller to be ■ordered to take tho Congo express to Wllholmstfult which will then be the name of Stanleyville, in September, ;md have his goods delivered in December: The journey from and to the Congo will lake seven days. I-Terr ■Zimmerman, in a previous article, had explained that German Africa v-ould make Germany v world power, enabling her to exert a decisive influence upon the world political derisions o? her enemies and other Powers, and exercise.-nressnm iir shaping, the policy in Africa, Asia Minor, :md Southern Europe. Moreover, a

Gorman Africa would find allies immediately, in Abyssinia and isMohammedan freedom m.ovonients, and thus make the employment of l-.lack troops against Germany's European frontiers impossible. The Tim_p'v in it" comment, shows that this is not an isolated vieur, but cne fully nndorspd by tho whole school of fJerrrvan colonial thinkers. At the present momont they assume that the German Africa of the future will consist at least of the old German colonies, the whole of Belgian Conjro, and tho whole • of French Equatorial Africa, and will contain 'adequate fiarj-isons and munition factories, wifcix naval' bases at. I>ar es Salaam, tho jnoi'.th of the Oameroons estiiary, the mouth of the Congo, on; the coast of Angola-, and on the coast of Southwo*A Africa.

The Times enlarges upon the

dangers to the British. Empire if Germany is able to carry out her ideals. Fortifications on half the west coast of Africa will mean that as soon as a new war is started the' Suez Canal will be closed against- England l»y the Turks. AH traific between England, India, Australia, .and South Africa, must, then go round the Cape and pass the coast of Gorman Central .Africa, necessitating England stationing a considerable fleet in South African waters, weakening her forces in Euroj*ean waters. T3ie Times adds: "Such utterances {•com extravagant. So did the writings of Bernhardi and others before tho war. Meanwhile the silence of the German Colonial Office does not mean that it is idle. It is tabulating and pigeon-holing its plans."