THE KAISER AND PEACE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 6

THE KAISER AND PEACE.

Dueino the latter half of June the British Press was full of references to some then recent speeches by the Emperor of Germany. It is no unusual thing, of course, for His Imperial Majesty to set tongues wagging furiously by a remarkable speech. He has long been as unexpected and exciting in'his moods as a Eotorua geyser, and Europe is not yet quite used to his boilings-ovcr. The June gossip would not be worth special notice but for its revelation of the greatly improved state of Europe's nerves. It will be remembered that on May 2D last, at Doberitz, tho Emperor, according to reliable reports, madj a very warlike speech, in the course of which ho referred in defiant tones to the enemies who were hemming in Germany by a circle of alliances. As it was about this time that tho King and the Czar were to meet at Pioval, tho Emperor's words were excitedly discussed throughout Europe. Tho " newspaper scare" that resulted was so porsistent that it was at last considered necessary to print a semi-official communique in the North German Gazelle. This article, which is attributed to the Chancellor, and is believed jto havu been submitted to tho Emperor

beforo publication, is a condemnation of the " wild rumours " and " pernicious inventions " that have been spread abroad to the injury of Germany. No attempt is made to discount the " suspense " of tho present time, in which, to German eyes, there are "in process of formation " new groupings of the Powers that may " render currcnt questions less easy of solution." The article condemns, however, the sowers of sensation in this favourable soil, and marshals some of the anti-German legends of late years.

"Wo have been accustomed for years," says the "Gazette," "to be represented by Jioalous Press agents as tho real instigators of the Russo-Japanese War. It is not surprising that this stale historical lie, so easy of documentary refutation, is onco moro being turned to account. Directly the questions of the Near East are mentioned we hear regularly that German advice in Constantinople is responsible for putting Turkey into a bellicose mood. From this it is an easy stago to such assertions as that the anarchical situation in Persia must be laid to Germany's charge; that Germany has sent non-commissioned officers to Afghanistan to act as instructors; that Germany seeks to improvo her position by stirring up the Mahometan world against Europe; that Germany is preparing to intervene in Russian Poland, and that secret treaties with Mulai Hafid are being prepared. All such insinuations are absolutely untrue, and not one single fact can be adduced in support of them. Unfortunately wo have this observation to make, that these activities against Germany's policy have even in Germany received an impulso through the desire for sensation." This article raised as many new fears as it allayed, but the important fact about it was the general calmness of the British Press. "Js pcace in danger 1" and "Is peace in peril 1 " were common headings to the commentative notes on the article, which was followsd by quite a pacific speech by the Emperor at Hamburg. It i 3 true that in this spccch he referred to " the old German war song " as coming like " the pressure of a friendly hand to a man who resolutely pursues his way without hesitation, and who knows that he has somebody behind him who understands him and is ready to help him." But what else could he say 1 To the great credit of a section of the English Press this reference was interpreted, not as a challenge to the world, but a3 an encouragement to a nation that is' in a rather depressed and despondent mood. As the Westminster Gasetle points out, the Germans arc not an immensely strong, completely self-confident and abundantly wealthy race of wouldbe freebooters. Strong they are,, but they are less wealthy, population for population, than the British, and they are liable to periods of material and moral depression:

"Germany's position looks to us so assured and so unchallengeable that we can hardly understand her being uneasy about it. It is tho parvenus in society, not the strong and tho assured, who have these misgivings; and though the German Empire is new, tho German people are old, and their position is ohd of such power that ono would have supposed it possible for them to look on with indifference at most of the proceedings of their neighbours. But wo must tako them as- we find them, and tho Emperor clearly feels the necessity of affirming and reaffirming his determination to keep the German name high and to suffer 110 sliglit or injury to it."

Simultaneously with the publication of the Hamburg speech, the Neve Freic I'resse of Vienna published a scries of opinions by eminent men upon the outlook in Europe. Tho great majority asserted that- tho outlook is most peaceful. Loud Cukzon said: " The present peaceful outlook is due to the wise influence of individual monarchs, the pacific inclination of Governments, and the growing conviction among tho civilised nations that war is a madness and a crime." Dk. Clifford said: " The forces for peacc were never more numerous or more promising than now." / Count Witte wrote: "Peace rests on far surer foundations than is generally supposed." M. Kiiomiakoff, President of the Duma, declared that war' would be suicidal for Russia. " Therefore the fears in connection with the rapprochement between Great Britain and Russia are groundless." M. Octave Miubeau, the well-known' French publicist, said that tho false alarms and empty demonstrations were really comical. He believes that the German Emperor in his inmost nature is tho most peaceable man in the world. M. Haedouin, editor of tho Matin, urged that the new grouping of the European Powers ensured the maintenance of peace more firmly than ever. We were informed the other day that the King and the German Emperor are to meet very shortly, and it is not too much to expect that the result will be a confirmation of the optimistic opinions of the eminent men whom we have quoted. It is a long business, this breaking down of the mutual distrust of Britain and Germany, but there is no reason to despair of the ultimate " roping in," as Mr. Lloyd George put it last week, of the great outsider in a Europe of ententes. '