WE MUST KEEP THOSE COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 81, 31 December 1918, Page 5

WE MUST KEEP THOSE COLONIES

MR. BALFOUR'S PRONOUNCEMENT

THE FUNDAMENTAL REASONS

Speaking iu London at the end of October, the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, Minister of Foreign Affairs, made an emphatic declaration regarding tho German colonies. He said, as was reported briefly in the. cablegrams at the time, that it would hot' be consistent with the safety, security and unity of the British Empire that . the conquered German colonies should be returned to Germany. "The British Empire is Imperial, but not Imperialistic," said Mr. Balfour. "In principle it is more an Empire of United States than the United States itself. Tho communications that unite jis are sea communications, and in no circumstances can we risk that these great arteries shall be severed by any foe, whoever he may bo. (Cheers.) From that point of view I faced the problem of the colonies conquered from Germany by the efforts of Australia, New Zealand," South Africa, and of-those living in the Motherland. If those colonies are returned, what security is' there or can there be that they will not be used by their original possessors as bases for piratical warfare? (Cheers.)

"I have given long thought to this ques- . tion,. and I see no answer to it except the answer I am convinced all in this room will give unanimously, which is—that in no circumstances is it consistent with the safety, the security, the unity'of (ho British Empire that the German colonies should be returned to Germany. (Loud cheers.)

. "Note, this doctrine that you haye just approved by your applause is no selfish or imperialistic doctrine. It is one in which the interests of the whole civilised world are as closely concerned as the interests of the British Empire itself. If we are to remain a united Empire, it is absolutely necessary that the fays by which we communicate with each other should never be at. the mercy of any unscrupulous Power." (Cheers.) THE GERMAN VIEW COLONIES FOR OFFENSIVE USE. 'liie Ueruian idea 01 tno use Ui ob made 01 l.l« cuhhuo:, 111 tno event ui uieir uewg rewvercu uilur tins war wis been statui clearly Dy various ptiulic men in uuruiauy wiuim cue last iiveivc luiuitus. i\uining tiiac uas uapiM-'iiuu in ueriuany lately is prooi ol any cnange ol lieurt on uic part 6i the tomans m relation to colonial policy. Some typical uerman utterances nuiy bu quoted: Dr. Kurstcdi, Ueruiun publicist and colonial expert: "i'liink lor a moment how far more deadly the work ol Uerman cruisers might have been if Dar-es-Salaam, on the Indian Ocean, or Luderitz Bay and Duala, on tho Atlantic, had been fully fitted out naval bases in which our ships would have had iacilities for gotting in fresh supplies" Dr. Hans Delbruck, German "Moderate" and friend of the Kaiser:

"We must have a really big colonial Empire . . . with its own factories of ammunition anil implements of war. We should so equip our African Empire with weapons and'munition factories and depots that it would be able to hold its own against a world of enemies." Professor Onckcn, >a -rO-called "Moderate": ' • "We are fighting for an Empire in Central Africa. If naval stations and coaling stations were established in connection with our now arm the U-boat, a continuous territory could be rendered as go'Ml as unassailable." Herr Kolbe, colonial export: "If c'ic remembers what great things were done by our Emden in the Indian Ocean without any naval base . . . ono logins to get some sort of iden what the fortification of half the western coast of West Africa would mean for Germany and for England. It would be impossible any more for England to concentrate her whole fleet in the North Sea." And so on and so on, with constant suggestions that, vast negro armies should ho raised hy Germany in this Central M'-ienn Empire, to be used against Great, Britain.

"Friendly TCnenu'es," the cnmcdy-dramn which .'. ('. Williamson, Lid., are fn state in Adelaide shnrflv for the first time in Australia, receiver! an advertisement from President Wilson at the firsi-nieht performance in Now York, when bo publicly said: "I hope Hint: the spirit of this beautiful play will make itself felt all round the \vo:id.'' These words were reproduced ovfrywliere—in the newspapers, on the hoardings, and in white lights on Broad They helped to make "FriondJy Enemies" the most talked about and most successful drama of the New York 6eason.