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ENLIGHTENED IMPERIALISM

[By A. H. Mattdk, Oamara.] xin. The first question which presents itself lor consideration, and that which, at the present moment, overshadows all others, is imperial defence. It is of little use disP»»ng over details of internal economy wniio the Empire is in danger. Other matters must, if necessary, be loft in abeyance for a time, and every effort made to secure the safety of the Empire at all hazards. Never, since Trafalgar, has British supremacy at sea been so seriously and apparently deliberately and intentionally challenged, and we have read history (anciont and modern) to little purpose if we are not aware that upon the maintenance of this supremacy the life and existence of tho Empire absolutely depends. Germany is (to all appearance) now straining every nerve to build and equip a navy which shall place her in a position to try c ? nr ' ua . 1( ? ns on advantageous terms with the British Navy whenever the opportunity may arise. It is folly to crv "Peace", peace," and shut our eyes to the impending danger, because at'present all is outwardly on a peace.i bio and friendly footing between the two nations. It "is too • ie to begin to prepare for defence when Ji 's'.ltties commence or are imminent. Modern warfare allows no time tor belated defence. All must be thought out and carefully prepared beforehand, and in time of peace. Germany is not thus feverishly active simply "for the fun of the thing,'" we may be very certain. Her finances are not in that plethoric state which would render such enormous expense on her navy a matter of little moment to her. et she refuses to entertain any proposals for the limitation of armaments, increases lyr naval programme, secretly accelerates the laying down and completion of battleships, prepares beforehand nil ;;uns and material for tho still more rapid completion of warships, is spending immense sums on docks, nnd building slips suitable fn; the reception and construction of battleships of the Dreadnought type. She is also keeping Krunp's 70,000 hands hard ai work making guns, armor-plate, and other warlike material. What, then, is her object in all thi-, haste and preparation? That she has one cannot be double i. But her colonial possessions and commerce are not, as yet, so vast that she requires a navy as powerful, or more so, than the British for their protection. Thrice within the recollection of many of us has she sprung a surprise on Europe. First the war with Denmark and the fc.-.ki;ig 'from her of Sehleswig-Holstein: nest the war with Austria; and lastly that with France, when she annexed Alsace and Lorraine, nnd extorted front France a crushing indemnity. In each of these cases she had made tho most elaborate and careful nreparation beforehand las far as possible secretly), so as to render her success an almost mathematical certainty. But while she was making these ambitious plans till was outwardly peace nnd good-will towards ; othtr nations until they were thoroughly! matured. She was busy minding her own I affairs, and increasing and reorganising | her army, but all with the most peaceful | intent, and it was not until she was ready j T,nd the "psychological moment" had ar-j rived that she " showed her claws," and then she shewed them to some puroose. ' When it was found that France was'able ' to pay the huge indemnity exacted from I her more easily and quickly than had been expected Germany was chagrined that she! had not demanded more. That benevolent old gentleman of ' blood and iron," Prince Bismarck, was, however, equal to the occasion, and proposed to fall upon poor France again, and, to use his own picturesque expression. " bleed her white," which, put into plain English, meant that the country war. to be beggared beyond redemntioii. This "happy thought" would certainly have been carried out on some pretext or other but for the fact that it leaked out that the other nations of Europe were hardly prepared to witness quietly another siege of Paris and all its horrors without a longer interval, even "to oblige a friend." Germans may be very nice fellows individually, but the German methods of dealing with conquered nations and annexed pn° rinces leave much to be desired bv the unfortunates undergoing the process of being Germanised. She will never again make the mistake of exacting too small an indemnity from a conqnered opponent, and God hel)) the British Empire should the two-headed eagle ever get it down and in her power. Germany appears now to be nu-ditatinj an even more daring f-nd profitable "coup" than any of her former onss. but this time it is evidently to be on ihe sea. principally. The Kaiser indeed, proclaims that the big German Navy he is creatine; with such'extraordinary energy and despatch, and at such a vast, and apparently unnecessary expense, is to be regarded only as a beautiful, if somewhat costly, exhibition of his profoundly peaceable intentions, and seeuis somewhat annoyed if thus is questioned Bather unfortunately for the unhesitating acceptance of this assurance, the, Kaiser some little time ago stated that "Germany's futtiie lay on the sea." Pcasiblv this utteramv was not intended for " ex"port," but. taken in conjunction with his naval programme, it naturally excites conjecture. Now. what Power "would require to I e".scientifically "' cm shed before the Kaiser's prediction could be realised? And what Power, if submitted to this crushincr process, would yield the greatest, lwoty in termoiy and treasure? Germany has made war a kind of business transaction, and keep., a, " r.rofit and loss" account, which so far shows a satisfactory balance in her favor. It may possibly be suggested that this Gorman Armada is only to be employed in making pleasure trips about the worhi. and visiting in a friendly wav the. Fort-, o: .he. British Empire and the'se of other nations, just to show them the German flag ; lr .<l hob-nob with the citizens But it would be hardly safe to "gamble" on this hypothesis, lest we might find the "mailed fist" (another forcible expression oi the Kaiser's) dashed in our face unexpectedly. The time has come when it is essential, for the safety and maintenance o! the Empire, that the self-governing Oversea Dominions should "take"a hand" in its defence, and nobly, loyally, and ungrudgingly are they all prepared to do their duty, as Sir »ilfrid Laurier strikingly put it, "to the last dollar and the last man," if necessary. With this spirit animating the-Empire, there are no such words in the whole Imperial lexicon as failuro or defeat. It is expensive to build and maintain a great fleet, but this expense is trifling when compared with the cost of defeat. For us it is indispensable that our navy should be absolutely efficient. and sufficiently powerful to hold off and if necessary, defeat any probable combination against u6. or it is only a costly toy. Tho difference between the expense of an adequate navy and one nearly but not quite so is comparatively small, "but the difference in ite effect is so vas-t as to be almost incalculable. The one means peace and safety, while the otheir invites attack from any ambitions and jealous commercial rival and, given the opportunity to build success upon a rival's rain, the temptation is so powerful that, ns history shows us, it apnears to be practically irresistible. I bad mtended offering a 'ew suggestions on various Imperial problems which might encourage thought and discussion upon thee important questions, which to all patriotic <nen are of the deepest interest, and worthy of the most careful consideration This idea, however, I must abandon in the meantime, as well as eome remarks r.n the social questions of the day, as the rti,i/f allotted to these articles will not allow it. Possiblv, if opportunity offers. I may recur to them at a future date, as I think the interest and importance of these subjects cannot bo denied. The most absorb- *■ ' f

ing topic of interest at the present moment 1 is undoubtedly the Conference on Imperial Defence, wluch takes place within a ' month. Tliis Conference is probably the most epoch-making event in British annals since Magna Charta. It inaugurates a broad Imperial patriotism, and will, I believe, lay tho corner stone of Imperial unity ( upon the firm and indestructible basis of love and devotion, instead of violence, fear, and rapine, which were the bonds which held together the empires of the past until tlie same forces, in turn, destroyed them. The details of this Conference are awaited with profound solicitude by an expectant Empire. That, as Mr Balfour recently said, " gigantic sacrifices " | will be necessary for some time, owing te tho policy (!) of neglect and false economy I as to defence indulged in for some years ] by the present Home Government, is, I : fear, inevitable, and we may be thankful j if these sacrifices save ns from a disastrous J and bloody war. Peace was never atI tained except by war, nor can it be niainI tained without constant and full preparaI tion against all eventualities. The Pax I Britannica, which wo have so long tn- . joyed, was not achieved without stremjus ! fighting and much " shouting of the cap | tains" and "garments rolled in blood." j It may well be that the drawing together I of the units of the Empire, with a view j to its consolidation and security, will, however, usher in an even more glorious day | for it than ever, and that the threatening I clouds now hanging over it will be disI persed by the rising of the Imperial sun. I Tho wealth of the British Empire ns a whole is, roughly speaking, twice as great as that of any European Power, and if we cannot or will not uphold it wo do not deserve, this great heritage, and it will inevitably be taken from us by a stronger and more virile race sooner or later. The expansion of the Empire has apparently about reached its utmost limit, and the i work of its adventurers and Empirc- ! builders is. I think, accomplished. Great I was their labor, and gallantly and inde fatigably did they carry it out in all dimes and at all hazards. To us nov. remains tho no less difficult and arduous task of conserving, consolidating, and iid ministering the affairs of the Empire which these heroic souls have purchased for us with so much travail and self-sacrifice, counting their lives well lost if they could secure another pearl to add to the lustre of the Imperial diadem of that Empire they loved and served so well. Beflecting on all which they have done, and our vast responsibilities to peoples of diverse climes and creeds, Kipling's praver, in his sublime 'Recessional,' seems "the most fitting ending for these articles: God of our fathers, known of old. I-ord of our far-flung battle line, Beneath whose awful hand we hold' Dominion over palm and pineLord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget. '

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19090722.2.10

Bibliographic details

Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 3

Word Count
1,839

ENLIGHTENED IMPERIALISM Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 3

ENLIGHTENED IMPERIALISM Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 3

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