CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 11 August 1914, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

GERMANY AND THE WAB.

To the Editor. , Sir, —The letter written by some individual who signs "Aristides," is written by someone who has maue a study of oniy one side of the question he is writing about, and he writes as though there is nobody in this country district I likely to be able to correct his state-. ! ments, otherwise he would have given the British diplomats credit for some knowledge of the Russian,' and the value of Russia and I'rance as compart.! with Germany and France to form an Alliance with ourselves. He would not overlook the Kaiser's veiled threats and Germany's menacing naval and military developments that Britishers have resented during the last 10 to 15 years, and which he * must know has been one of the main reasons for the Biitish-French-Russian Alliance. Every Britisher will be pleased to read ''Aristide's" statements about the power of the Russian Empire and the picture of the Russian Bear grinning over the bones of the German Eagle." and will be hoping for this to be enacted at the earliest possible mordent. Seeing our friend has shown that Russia is one of the most formidable powers on land in the world, which I entirely agree with, it will be clear that Russia is a valuable allay from a military point of view, and if I can show that Russia is our natural allay for commerce and that she is not land hungry like Germany, it should convince even "Aristides" that our statesmen have made the very best alliance to meet the requirements of the British Empire. The Russian Empire has one-sixth of the land surface of the globe, and Siberia is one-thir-teenth part of the land surface of the globe, with six millions, while the other 12-13tha of the world has 1,500,000,0001 (fifteen hundred millions population), I aad Russia in Europe is two and a-halr times the size of the balance of Europe, with 115,000,000, with three times, as many people in other European ooimtiios. There are two people to every three square miles in Siberia, while Germany has probably about 20(7 to the square mile, hence that country's oaoerness for conquests. At the present rate of development it will take Russia and Siberia (the Russian Empire) 2fKl or 300 years to become as thickly populated as Europe. It is wellknown that without much difficulty Russi;i could havo taken countries to the south and south-east of her vast Empire, which she has never tried to do, for the simple reason that land .-s so very cheap with a country that has so much to develop.

The British prejudice against Russia which was founded in ignorance of the Russian Empire many years ago. was kept alive by the absurd fear that Russia had eyes on India, and people talked glibly like "Aristides," about Russia marching an army over the Himalyan mountains down in to Intia. which has always been absurd and quite impossible owing to the mountain difficulties and high passes that no army could force its way through. England is a manufacturing country more than an agricultural country, and requires large quantities of raw agricultural products and materials which the undeveloped Russian Empire can supply, and Russia will become just as dependent on England as Russia's best customer, as England is on her. Germany is one of our most serious competitors in many markets, and she • grants .all kinds of subsidies to' enable her merchunts^to secure trade all over the world. We have very much more to gain commercially by' our alliance with Russia than an alliance with Germany. We live by commerce and not by the power of arms; and commerce must always play a most important part in the making of an alliance with, any f country, especially England, who ,s so dependent en oversea supplies. Arms must protect commerce, and when any nation can give England both commerce and the power of amis to protect it, she is an ideal ally, and Russia comes up to this .standard. The Russian statesmen and merchants have seen for years that England is her most important customer for what she has to sell and this is now seen by merchants and statesmen in England. It is all very well for "Aristides" to be sentimental and try to show that Germany should be m place of Russia, but in "the ea«> of a country with the ambitions of which 'viermany has been known to have of recent years, and the bitter jealousy amongst many of her people against i.ii Ml.-md. it would be next to impossible to keep peace with Germany. By the statement of "Aristides" about the French srievance against Germany lie shows that that he has Germany, be shows how impossible it would be to have made the alliance including fVrmany with France, uhi.'-h he ll:^iiy^.y <?-.m,o.sts. There is no | iuu.uinat.ion and ambition, become the iiO-.M.otic •neiiace to Europe that Napoleon o!=ce was, with the excention that the jvaiser would like the world to .vr.uk tr.n.t his motives pointed to Heaven ; while- in reality the only thing that points to Heaven about the'Kniser is his moustache. If Russia ruins the hni^er s chance of reali-sinc; his unholy ambition* it will be a repetition of Russia destroying Napoleon's chance of r-rowjumr his ambition, aftei Napoleon faci not calculate,! an the Russian wintor (coming on from summer to winter in 14 days) which is not like Napoleon's own country, which has a drawn out autumn. If "Aristides" is a Britisher, his letter wiitten after war was declared between Germany and Britain, shows very bad taste, but on the other hand, if ho is a German or Austrian, his*letter is presumptions and audacious, and if I am not mistaken, risky to "Aristides." even in this tolerant and peaceful country. BRITISHER.