A GERMAN VISITOR.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 January 1909, Page 4

A GERMAN VISITOR.

AN IN f I.HK.-riNC .INTER VIEW. UR I ENDIN’ RELATIONS. (|*EU I'UESS ASSOCIATION.—COmtIGHT j A U-'JK LAND, This Day. Amongst the visitors to Auckland at the present lime is Dr. Inner, Herman L'oiisul-I iciieral for Australasia and High Commissioner for the Herman possessions in the I’acific Dr. Inner lias his headquarters in Sydney, where he has been stationed for the past eighteen months, and is now making a round of visits to the Herman Consuls in New Zealand, It is also his desire, lie says, to pay his respects to the Hovenior and the Ministry of the Dominion. Friendly as are the relations already existing between Germany and New Zealand, he is desirous of seeing them still further strengthened during his term of oflice in Sydney. lie states the best relations have prevailed between himself and the Federal and State Governments. Among other things, he has been instrumental in settling the dispute between Burns, I'liilp, and Co. and the Herman authorities, respecting the Marshall islands trade, to the entire satisfaction of both sides.

Dr. inner has had a wide experience in the diplomatic service. He was private councillor in the Foreign Office in the time when Prince von Buehnv, now German Chancellor, was Secretary of State, and he has always had the closest relations with the Chancellor. From 1893 to 1897 he was Governor of the Marshall islands, and it was during a portion of that time that Malaafa, who claimed the kingship of Samoa, was together with a number of other Samoan ciiiefs, exiled to (he Marshalls. Subsequently he was German Consul for Tfaly. This is Dr. Inner’s first visit to Now Zealand, and he expresses himself as charmed with (he first glimpse of it. ‘‘But you want people,” he says, “both Australia and New Zealand want people. There should be no waste places and the sooner you fill them up the hotter. Get people, and never mind about getting ships. A big popnltion is your most solid means of defence. If yon want to keep your lands, put. men upon them.”

New Zealand lie wont on to say, should be capable of carrying a population of 30,000.000 souls, and Australia many more, and he advised the Governments of Both countries to adopt, a vigorous policy of advertising, with a view to promoting immigration. With the groat natural resources that they had, it only needed systematic advertising to bring thousands of desirable colonists to those shores.

Dr. Inner made some interesting remarks bearing on the relations between Britain and Germany. There was no menace, he said, in Germany’s sire to maintain, or even increase, her strength. The highest duty of every nation was the duty to maintain itself; it was the duty of a great people to be always strong and always prepared. No other nation should feel aggrieved if the German people* fortified their castle and topk those reasonable precautions which every great nation was bound to take, 'The German nation feared God and their fear stopped there. As for any serious conflict between Britain and Germany, tho Consul shook his head.