A GRAVE OUTLOOK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 211, 5 September 1911, Page 5

A GRAVE OUTLOOK.

PROSPECTS OF WAR.

ANXIETY IN GERMANY. MOROCCAN NEGOTIATIONS. A MORE HOPEFUL SPIRIT. ißy Cable.—Press Association,—Copyright.) LONDON", September 4. Newspapers are full of articles, mostly of the gravest tone, dwelling 011 the danger which, after 41 years, again confront* Germany on Sedan Day. The "Deutscher Zeitung" asks whether in view of the gravity of the outlook all has been done to ensure that the high posts in the army are adequately filled.

The paper points out that General Sir J. D. French (Inspector-General of the British Forces) is inspecting the French frontier defences, and that relations with Britain are severely strained. It deprecates concentrating the fleet in the Baltic for reviews for manoeuvres, leaving not a single battleship in the North Sea. Correspondents agree that a more hopeful spirit prevails in Berlin regarding the Moroccan negotiations. The chief point presenting difficulties relates to the safeguarding of German industry in Morocco.

The Tangier correspondent of the "Telegraph" reports that 3000 French soldiers from Casablanca have been ordered to occupy Marrako.sh. A Reuter message from Berlin states that 100,000 people, including women and children, obeyed the summons of the Social Democratic leaders to demonstrate at Treptow Park yesterday against tbe warlike agitation over Morocco, and for peace between the peoples. Ten platforms were utilised, the speakers being Reichstag deputies or candidates. The utmost order prevailed. ACTIVITY IN BELGIUM. STRENGTHENING THE DEFENCES. BRUSSELS. September 4. There is much activity in military circles. Tho defends of the Meuse have been strengthened, and the forts at Liege and N'amur supplied with ammunition and food as in wartime. PRATERS FOR PEACE. LONDON, September 4. The Bishop of Winchester (Dr. H. E. Ryle). preaching to members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, asked the people to pray that the peace of Europe might be preserved at this very critical time.

SCAREMONGERS OF EUROPE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHUROI, Monday. At a meeting of the Socialist party to-night it was decided by resoiutlon to forward the following to the Prime Minister: —"The (' is n --»hureb branch of the New Zealand Socialist party urges the Premier and the Government to ignore the scaremongers of Europe in regard to the Morocco trouble, and advises them not to repeat the Dreadnought mistake, nor in any way to commit this Dominion without first consulting the people.—Cook, secretary." Discussing the situation just befort the last mail left, the Paris correspond ent of the "London Daily Telegraph," who is one of the best informed writers in Europe, wrote: —Whatever proposals may be made by Germany, one thing, at any rate, can be regarded as certain. The French Government, although animated by an extremely conciliatory spirit, is not prepared to make any substantial concessions. It is ready to give a certain amount of satisfaction to German amour propre, but beyond this it is not likely to go. People are harking back to the strained situation which existed six years ago, and are saying (that history is repeating itself. No greater error could be committed than the adoption of this point of view. The two situations are totally dissimilar. In tKe former case, the then Prime Minister, who had no diplomatic experi ence, was taken by surprise, and suffered himself to be alarmed by the warnings uttered by persons who were not accredited to his Government. The sequel showed that this alarm was utterly unjustified, and it also demonstrated that important concessions to Germany have only led on to further action, and to more unreasonable demands. The tactic* employed in 1905 were successful, but, for obvious reasons, they cannot succeed again. The Germans calmly talk of compensation as if they were entitled, jyVars !the Algeciras Conference and their agreement with France, to a slice of that Power's possessions. Compensation for what? Patriotic Frenchmen exclaim, and no plausible answer to this question can be found. Yet the explanation of all this illhumour is very simple. When Bismarclf. encouraged Jules Ferry to embark on his policy of colonial enterprise he had two objects in view. Such activity would keep the French well employed outside Europe, and would be productive of peri. odical friction, perhaps of worse, between them and the English. Now the Germans not only see the French in possession of vast domains in different quarters of the globe, but they also find them bound by solid friendship to their former rivals and possible foes. What have the Germans to show on their side in the matter of colonial territory? Very little in comparison. All the calculations of Bismarck have been controverted by the results, and this sufficiently accounts for the outbursts of ill-humour which are displayed in Germany from time to time and also for these temptations to feel the pulse as it were of the Entente Cordiale. All this is well known to practical French politicians, so that this fresh attempt to obtain more so-called compensation is falling flat. Yet the French Government, waling as it is to make allowances for all this disappointment, is ready to grant certain concessions though as I ha-ve said they cannot be expected to be of a substantial nature. If it is really true that Herr von Kiderlen-Waechter made web. a preposterous proposal to M. Jules Cambqn two Saturdays ago, the French Government would have been more than justified in breaking off tile conversations then and there. One can easily imagine what the German Government would have done if the pomtione had been reversed. As a matter «f fact, mil that -ha* j

recently happened has not aWe to German prestige. It has once more aroused general suspicion of German methods and aims and the value of whatever concessions France mayTnake will be small gain when the loss thus sustained is borne in mind. This is the view which prevails here at the present date, and it is only right that it should be clearly set forth. The total absence of all anxietv is in marked contrast with the scare of 1905, and ol this every German in a responsible position must by this time be fully aware.