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ME HUN AND NEW ZEALAND.

A GERMAN PAPER'S FORECAST. That the Germans have their eyes on this country in the event of Britain being worsted in the present struggle has been evidenced on more than ( one occasion. Further proof is : produced by the Rev. H. N. Roberts,. Chaplain to the New Zealand Forces, who has recently | returned from the front. In conversation with a Christchurch Press reporter, Mr Roberts stated that before leaving England he read in a German paper an article forecasting the seizing of this country by the Huns. The article pointed out that after dealing with England it would be necessary for Germany to dispose of the United States, and then there would be only Japan left to encounterin securing the control of the Pacific, and with this country out of the way would come into reality the German dream of Deutschland über alles, or world domination. To properly fight Japan, naval bases in the Pacific, were necessary, but though much money had. been spent on Samoa, no suitable liarbor was available in that island. It was useless to seize Sydney or someother Australian port, owing to the . vast hinterland proving a thorn in the invaders' flesh,, therefore it was necessary to secure New Zealand, where there was a harbor —Akaroa —which could easily be made impregnable. Banks' Peninsula, where Akaroa was situated, could easily be fortified against any .attack from the plains,, and the paper by means of a perfect map of Banks' Peninsula showed how Akaroa harbor could be made a perfect fortress, safe from attack by land or sea, and how guns mounted on varioua heights could easily dominate the Canterbury Plains. The paper went on to* say: "The inhabitants of New Zealand are an indolent, pleasure-loving people, and we would make them work to complete the fortifications that would make* Akaroa impregnable against any na-^ tion and a base for attacking Japan or any other Power in the Pacific. The New Zealanders are so indolent that they do not utilise the magnifi- . cent rivers they have, which, if harnessed, could produce power to run many manufactures for the production. of munitions or anything else they liked." The article quoted above proves that New Zealand has received the unwelcome attention of emissaries of the-" German Foreign Office in the past, and many stories have been narrated of boasts by German visitors to theseshores in pre-war days of the information they had secured in relation tothis country. In the days of the lateLord Kitchener's visit to the Dominion, a member of The Press staff encountered a man in Auckland whose persistency in dogging the famous soldier on his visits of inspection to the coastal defences was, to say the least, suspicious. A report of»this affair appeared in The jPress about a couple of years ago. Shortly after the war brokeout a member of the staff of this paper was given translations of a series of. articles appearing in a German paper written by a German woman, in which. she supplied most intimate details concerning this country, which she** visited shortly before the war. She boasted that she had enjoyed the confidence of high military officers, politicians, newspaper editors, and others,, and undoubtedly the German ForeignOffice must have received from this source many welcome particulars con— - cerning the Dominion, in addition to*those appearing in print. In connection with Mr Roberts' narrative, older residents will remember" the visit of the German warship Bxissard about twenty-six years ago (says, the Akaroa Mail). The vessel remained in the Akaroa harbor several, weeks, and torpedo practice and soundings, etc., were carried out. Kam— mandant Scheder. in charge of the» Bussard. was very so<*w>bly inclined, and besides being on friendly termsc with the shore people, he sent the«band on shore to play to'the people dnf several occasions. At a latr»r date an^ other German vessel put into the har-» bor, but no communHnt'nn was held? with the shore at all, r.r>.d "it was stated then that the vow! spent thofive or six days here in to king soundings. No doubt the seconr] vessel wnsverifying the e;oor] report given by Kammandant Scheder on Akaroa harbor.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS19180328.2.28

Bibliographic details

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 28 March 1918, Page 5

Word Count
693

ME HUN AND NEW ZEALAND. Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 28 March 1918, Page 5

ME HUN AND NEW ZEALAND. Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 28 March 1918, Page 5

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