The Press. Saturday, August 24, 1918. Dr. Solf's Soothing Syrup.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16299, 24 August 1918, Page 8

The Press. Saturday, August 24, 1918. Dr. Solf's Soothing Syrup.

Dr. Solf, the German Colonial Secretary, has delivered a speech to the German Socioty, which for calm assurance and bland ignoring of potent facts would leave one gasping, had we not become pretty well inured to the brazen hardihood of German public men. Dr. Solf says that there is a consciousness spreading among the German working classes that the retention of the colonies is a vital question of Germany's honour. This is doubtless true. 'He goes on to deny that Britain can govern the .colonies better than Germany, and claimed that Germany was the only Power which had adopted demilitarisation in Africa. We confess we do not know what he means by this. We do know, however, that both in German East Africa and German Southwest Africa the Government was confronted with serious Native risings, go little were the blessings of German rule . appreciated by tho inhabitants. In German East Africa the revolt lasted from July, 1905, to January, 1907, and in German South-Western Africa a rising of Hereros and other tribes which began in 1903 was not suppressed antil 1907. In both cases German ruthlessness was brought to bear on the unhappy natives. The Hereros were practically exterminated under crrcum- ' stances of the.utmost barbarity. It is only fair to say that Dr. Solf's methods at the Colonial Office were an . immense improvement on those of his predeceseons. He did not disguise his admiration of.the British methods of - dealing with native races, and he endeavoured to copy those methods as far as lie could. When he goes on, how- ' ever, to assurfe us that neither in the Pacific nor in Africa does Germany jqj& $o jrtusuo an aggressive policy, we

naturally ask of what value arc assur- ' ances of this kind from a Power which invaded Belgium in open violation of a solemn treaty, and which, after tricking the Russians with the suave formula of "no indemnities and no annex- " ations," has overrun almost the entiro country, which has, to all intents and purposes, annexed, the Baltic Provinces, and is at tho present timo in occupation of the great naval fortress which was intended to protect the capital. Dr. Solf, in reference to tho Brest Litovsk treaty, by which the Russians wore so terribly duped, says that "Germany felt bound during the " transition period to protect the bor- | " der people, but "recognised the piinn ciple of self-determination when the"time was ripe, and tho people readyt "to assume control." In vain is the net spread by the fowler in the sight of the bird. One of the most terrible results of this war, so far as Germany is concerned, as her people will find hereafter, is that it has completely destroyed the confidence of other nations in the word of a Gorman. After what has happened, should we not bo the veriest fools if we consented to the sreoccupation of Samoa by Germany, on tho strength of an assuranco by Dr. Solf, or any other German Minister, that Germany's colonial policy is not aggressive? Dr. Solf says that if he believed the tone of Mr Balfour's recent spoech represented what would ultimately predominate in England, he would urge war to the death. He need not trouble himself. Tho war will go on, without any urging on his part, not only until Germany gives an assuranco that she does not intend to make another bid for the dominance of the world, but until sho has boen rendered powerless for aggressive operations, at any rato for a generation to come.