FIRMLY ROOTED

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1917, Page 5

FIRMLY ROOTED

GERMAN COLONIAL AMBITIONS

GBEAT CITIES IN CENTRAL

AFRICA.

(REUTERS TELEGRAM.)

LONDON, 12th April.

The Times publishes an article emphasising the fact that German colonial ambitions are by no means dead. The article cites numerous recent instances of responsible German journals illustrating "the idea that a great colonial empire in Africa is firmly rooted in the German mind, and.that the whole German colonial movement now subscribes to that doctrine.. The writer quotes Professor Delbruck's statement ffliat the German world policy is in reality nothing but a colonial policy, conceived on large lines. Dr. Solf, Minister for the Colonies, in the Colonial Kalehder for 1917, says : "The history of our ' colonies in this world war has shown what we lack. It has shown that ours was not a proper Empire, but merely a number of possessions without geographical or, political connection or established communications. These experiences show what direction our future aims must take. Our colonial and political aim for the future must be,regarded in. connection with all other aims which we are determined" to attain by this world war." The write! 4 also quotes articles from Dr. Emil Zimmerman (German- colonial

[The cable Qews in this issue accredited to "The Times" has appeared-in fihat Journal, but only where expressly stated Is euch news the .opinion, jP«."Sfe9 : «SSS!^ .. , .

publicist), from the Preussessche John BucheE, forecasting that fifty years hence the Germans will be in possession of Central Africa j". . . and

when great cities have gnywn up by Lakes Chad and Tanganyika and along the Congo, it will be possible for the German commercial traveller to be-, '-ordered to take the Congo express to Wilhelmstadt—whidh will then be tilename of Stanleyville—in September, and have his goods delivered in December. The journey from . and to the Congo will take seven days." Dri. Zimmerman, in a previous article, had explained that German Africa ~" would make Germany a world Power, enabling her to exert a decisive .influence upon the world, the political decisions of our enemies and other Powers, and exercise pressure in shaping the policy in Africa, Asia Minor, and Southern Enrope. "Moreover," he says, "a German Africa will afford us a freedom of movement that will make the employment of black troops against our European frontiers impossible." The Times, commenting on the foregoing, says: "These opinions show that this is not an isolated view, but is fully endorsed by the whole school of German colonial thinkers. At the present moment they assume that German Africa in th© future will consist of at least the old German colonies, the whole of Belgian Congo, the whole of French Equatorial Africa, and contain adequate garrisons and munition „ factories, with naval bases at Dar-es-Salem, the Cameroons, the estuary, the mouth of the Congo, the coast of Angola, and the coast of South-west Africa." •

The Times enlarges -upon the dangers to tb>9 British Empire if Germany is able to carry out her ideals. "The fortification of half the West Coast of Africa would mean that as soon as in a new war the Suez Canal is closed against England by the Turks, all traffic between England, India, " Australia, and South Africa must go round the' Cape, and pass the coast of the German Central African sphere, necessitating England stationing a considerable fleet in. South Africa and weakening her forces in. European waters. » ,i . Such utterances seem extravagant. So did -the writings of General yon BernKSrdi and others before the war. Meanwhile the silence of the German Colonial Office does not mean that it is idle. It is tabulating ' and pigeon-holing its plans."