THE GERMAN COLONIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17947, 14 November 1918, Page 4

THE GERMAN COLONIES.

It would be interesting to know just -.That there was at the back of tho very ; outspoken attack made by Sir Hughes on the Imperial Government the other \lav ; Mr Hughes may have been complaining that ho had been ignored—the sort of blunder tho Imperial Government is voryprono to commit—hut if that v/er.s tho whole burden of the* complaint it could very well have waited for a more convenient season. Mr rHi'ighes implies a.good dec 1 more. He iiivk ; i|-T.t" the principles of the final ~-,,,■.''.f.fjlciiKn't have already been ' ioptisd by ! ' !;0 Allich, and that tliose

principles involve « very direct interference with .Australian rights; and ho implies 'that tho future of tho German colonies has not been determined in a sense acceptable $> these dominions. As Mr Hughes is a member of the Imperial War Cabinet he ought to know whether these statements of his are facts or only guesses, and if it were anyone but Mr Hughes talking it would be easier to know what importanco to attach to the charges. It is to bo hoped that something in tho shape of an authoritative answer to Mr Hughes will be published, something a Kttlo more explicit than the general official statement that he has misunderstood the position. And especially the public will want to know about the ex-Gorman colonies. During August, there was an immense amount of speech-making in Germany in support of tho national fund' for tho defenders of the German colonies. Speaking at a mass meeting in Berlin, one of the official orators, Captain Ton "Wiese, said that Germany must insist upon tho ratification of the "Secret Treaty"' with England which was negotiated just before the war anf! by which " Portuguese Africa was to be divided between Germany and England." And he added a very emphatio statement of the reason why Germ-any wanted her colonies back: "Wo must demand the extension of out colonies if a victory in the coming war of raw materials is to follow our military victory. Wo need colonies in the Pacific for military and strategic reasons; we need naval bases. W r e must domand n German Africa stretching from tho East to the South-west, for we need raw materials. And we shall put our demand through, for we have European pawns in our hand." It happens that at tho moment Germany does not look likely to bo able to make use of her former colonies, but Mr Hughes has his eye on the distant future, and he wants to bo sure.

There is a nice assortment of thrones in the market just now, most of tho Gorman tings, princes and grand dukes having placed their scats at the disposal of tlio State Parliaments. In most eases, no doubt, the view of the prince is that he might as well offer too' throne as a voluntary sacrifice, because'it is likely to bo taken in any case, and there is always the chanco that, in the ovent of a voluntary renunciation, the Diet may restore the prince and principality of its own motion. So far as the smaller States are concerned tho Allies aro not likely to interfere with tho choice of tho local assemblies, except to insist on constitutional safeguards, but it will be hard for a Hohenzol'krn or a Count of Wittelsbach to obtain control of German affairs. All the revolutionary movements in Germany, however, aro tho results of internal workings rather than of outside pressure. As soon as tho mass of the people became convinced that it would bo easier for a popular Government than for the Hohenzollerns to obtain peace the Hohenzollerns were marked for deposition. 'lire Kaiser abdicated because ho wa.s told to do so, and ho seems to have delayed tho business as long as ho could.

There is nothing to bo gained by guessing as to tho next developments. Workers' committees are temporarily taking charge in somo cities, but the Socialist groups in Berlin are already quarrelling about the major form of government. Ifc looks a tolerably simple matter to change a general government and even a Kaiser, alid it would have been a simple matter if the whole machinery of administration could have been maintained in working order. But apparently ardent extremists want to bring Germany something of the happy conditions given to Russia by Bolshevist government. Germany will be saved Russia's fate, however, by the fact that her general standard of education is high and that the habit of tho people universally is to submit to being bossed. Tho present confusion can bo only a brief transition stage.

Some of the German royal families have quite a respectable antiquity. The Hohonzollerns date themselves from a Count Thassilo, of Zollern, in Swabia, ono of Charlemagne's generals, probably the Thassilo whoee treacheries are mentioned by Gibbon. His successor built the family castta on the Danube in 980, and no doubt the Hohenzollern lords of the day bore their full part in all the fighting. That was their business. They had feudal rights in return for lighting services, and the Zofrra family need tho .sword so well that it 5-ecured the title of hereditary princo of the Holy Roman Empire. They must havp been a persistent and tenacious tribe these Hohonzollerns, to haye held on to everything on which they got a grip, until tho minor princelings of Brandenburg camo to bear tho very title that the head of the great Roman Empire had borne. Some of tho biographors have already endeavoured to find what general .quality of his House William IT. lacked, that he should have risked all and ruined all, but they are not very successful. Vanity, so often suggested to bo "William's great weakness, was in some form or other a weakness of the greater of his ancestors.

Tho Kaiser's decision to cross into Motherlands i territory raises an interesting international question. Mr Taft says that if tho Allies want.tho Kaiser prosecuted as a criminal they can apply for extradition. But there is not, likely to bo any question of that sort. It is possible, however, that the Allies will; regard tho presence- of an ex-Im-perial group on J:,he borders of Germany as a source of unrest and that they will insist on William and his court finding some other resting place. And the Netherlands Government, however unwilling it might be to refuse asylum to a fallen monarch, would scarcely hold out against the unanimous demand of tho Entente Powers.