"SMASH THE TRIPLE ENTENTE."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 3 December 1914, Page 2

"SMASH THE TRIPLE ENTENTE."

A WARLIKE YEARNING

Some remarkabl9 pages from a previously unpublished translation of a

popular work by General yon liernhardi appeared in a London weekly paper in October The* volume was published under the title of "Our Future; A Word oi Warning to the German Nation," and made its appearance in 1912, about a year after the amazkig "Germany and the Next 'War.'1 It is said to have exercised an even greater influence in shaping public opiiuou in Germany than the earlier work. General yon Bernhardi, in uttering his "warning," described Germany as being penned up: "We are surrounded by England, France, find Russia —three enemies' who are closely allied, and wherever we endeavour to increase our power we meet with their united and determined opposition." Later comes sogxie very plain speaking: "We can -secure Germany's position on the Continent of Europe only if we succeed in smashing the Triple Entente, and in humiliating France, and giving her that position to which she is entiled, as we cannot anive at an agreement with her for mutual co-operation. We can enlarge our political power by joining to Germany those middle European States which are at present independent by forming a central European union, which should be concluded not merely for the purpose of defence, but which should have the purpose of defence and offence, for promoting the interests of fill its members. This object can, in all probability, be realised only alter a victorious war which establishes for all time confidence in Germany's power, and makes it impossible for Germany's enemies to oppose our aims by force. It, cannot really nor reasonably be expected that Germany, with her 65,000,000 inhabitants and her world-wide trade, should allow herself to be treated on a footing of equality with France, with her 40,000,000 inhabitants. It can really not be ex--1 pected that Germany should allow 45,000,000 inhabitants of Great Britain (Celtic, Scotchmen, Welshmen, and Irishmen, side by side with Germanic Englishmen) to act as arbiters to the States of the Old "World, and to exercise an absolute supremacy on the sea. It can really not be expected that Germany, with her constantly-growing population, should renounce her claims to become a great Colonial Power and to acquire territories suitable for a settlement, while States with a decreasing or an insufficient population, such as France and England, share the possession of the Old "World with Russia, which in the main is an Abiotic Power."