GERMAN PLANS FOR BELGIUM.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12536, 6 May 1915, Page 2

GERMAN PLANS FOR BELGIUM.

Ofßcial authority is not claimed by Dr Bernhard Dernburg for liis utterances, but his accepted positions Germany s chief spokesman in America lends weight to what he says. And when he goes on record as being opposed to German inclusion of Belgium in their Empire, it is enough to suggest to the New York Times the possibility "that Germany has seen a new light."' In » letter to The Times, dated March 2/, he says that while "the harbors of Belgium must be secured by some practical means against British or French invasion, and while Antwerp is mostessentially a German port, the German attitude would probably be not to make any attempt to place Belgium within. the German Empire." The real significance of this declaration, says a strong supporter of the Allies, writing to several New York papers; is that Dr Dernburg knows "that the hold of the German forces on Belgium is becoming daily more precarious, that it is now only a matter of weeks when the. German armies still entrenched in Northeast France and Belgium will find it necessary to fall back to more secure positions" inside the boundaries of Ger- , nianv. Such being the outlook, as Dr Dernburg well knows, he would wish to have it appear to the American public that the abandonment of Belgian territory is an act of generosity insteadof being dictated by that rule of necessity which the German Chancellor falsely invoked as a good and sufficient reason for the invasion of Belgium." On the other hand, a- friend of Germany writes to the New York Evening Post to saythat as long ago as last September he had an interview with a high official at the German Foreign Office in Benin, in the course of which the. probable outcome of the war was discussed. "Then and there," he asserts, "in the presence of a business associate of mine, the fact was stated that Germany did not intend to retain possession of Belgium, because there was no desire to try to assimilate an alien and foreign population." Further evidence i« the same direction is furnished by Dr Dernburg s "Independent" article of last December, in which he makes statements similar to those given to our recently. The more recent utterance- of the former German Colonial Minister _regarding "the unswallowing of Belgium; is quoted as follows in the New York Times: "I cannot speak with authority on this subiect, although I am certainly of the opinion that it has never been to the advantage of any one country to swallow up parts of countries inhabited bv people of different races, different languages, and a different turn of mind. "On this point we have only to read history, for history shows that attempts of this sort by nations have always become a source of difficulties, internal as well as external. And the trouble between Austria and Italy at this present juncture, as a result of the Itahaiispeaking parts of the Austro-Hungariari Empire!" is a ' mnip. tekel.' so to speak. ' As Dr Dern burg's earlier rein arks .about the unwisdom of the acquisition of non-German territory by his nation have acquired a new interest been rise of the many recent speculations regarding peace terms, we quote as follows from his article in The Independent of December 7, 1914: . ' "Germany is now holding prnctically all the land inhabited by the Germanspeaking population of the world, with the exception of the Baltic provinces ol" Russia. Whether those could be added : to the German Empire would hinge on the question whether they could be defended. A look at the map will show that this must be very difficult. The lack of homogeneity has heen a great source of trouble to all the European nations. England has. bad the Irish trouble (which has been a very potent factor in her going to war)." The unrest in Lorraine, and that of about 30.000 Danes in the north of Sohleswig, and the now past differences with .several millions of Poles, have given my country considerable trouble. Italy is restive because of a few hundred thousand Italian* incorporated into Austria. The Polish questionis constantly occupying the Russianmind : so is "the .Jewish oues.tion. which has there more a- racial than a religious character. The ardent desire of the Se.rvda.ns to redeem their brethren in Austria has given cause to the presentwar. So any rearrangement of the European map" that would not follow national lines pretty definitely would be onlv a source of constant friction hereafter." These words of Dr Dernburg sound not unlike some recent statements from high English sources. But, lie took pains to add. there are two Belgian complications: the fact, as he sees it. that Belgium is simply an Anglo-Froneh stronghold, and that geographically ■arid commercially it is really a part of Germany. Belgium ''commands the mouth of the biggest German stream," and "Antwerp is most essentially a German port and the main outlet of the trade of AVestern Germany." And we road further: "These considerations will probably determine the German attitude. While no attempt is likely to be made to place Belgium within the German Empire alongside of the Kingdom of Bavaria, of Wurttemberg. and of Saxony, because of her non-German population, the connection between Germany and Belgium must be strengthened by including her into the German Customs Union, as has been the case with T>nx-

omburg ever since 1567: and. furthermore, the harbors of Belgium must be secured by sonic practical means against British or French invasion. That Bel-

gian neutrality has been an impossi bility the past has shown, and so hestate of neutrality will probably be Ins

for all time. On the other hand, such an arrangement would give Germany an opportunity to build up Belgium again industrially, agriculturally, and commercially, and Genua nv would probably have to engage tn provide the necessary financial aid."

And it is ' interesting to note that such industrial, agricultural, and commercial rebuilding of Belgium is now engaging the attention of "the German military "authorities. Governor-General von Bissing, in a Norddeutsehe Aligemeine Zeitung (Berlin) interview, translated by the New A'ork Evening Post, does not betray any German intentions as to the ultimate future of Belgium, but says he is doing his best for tin* country "during the. probably long occupation period." To quote part of his statement:

"From the very beginning I have realised that my task is to see that German character, German force, and German work are respected. I hoped to bring back order and calmness to Belgium. If one wants to rule a people, and to make them acknowledge the authority of an undesired Government, one has to take into account their peculiarities

"I have threatened ns little as possible -and only inflicted punishment when T have thought it necessary, though I have had to take sharp measI lives sometimes, and here and l there my hand has been heavily felt. "I have tried with all my might to restore the economic life and have had some success, especially with agriculture. In my personal "manner toward the Belgians I have never allowed myself to be led away by a feeling of revenge for acts from which' our troops have had to suffer, on the part of a badly governed people, although, for a. man who, at heart, is a German soldier, this has been very difficult. I have always tried to keep Belgium in a. state of peace and calm, which shall last during the probably long occupation period. We must try and work so that in future Belgium will not he so dependent on imports. With this idea. I have changed the methods of agriculture, reducing the amount of sugar-beet grown, in favor of _corn and potatoes. "Tn the neighborhood of Malines, particularly, I have given them much help in getting the crop of eavly potatoes necessary both here and in Germany. Everything that, we undertake here would be .very much easier if the Belgians knew what is going to be the fate of their country."

Thus, to quote a tvpical German utterance- in a Kolnische Zeitung article on conditions in Belgium, '.'the firm, nnobtrusive, and iron hand which le-ids the fortunes of this orphaned nation intervenes everywhere for good."