GERMANY AND AUSTRALIA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 139, 19 June 1911, Page 2

GERMANY AND AUSTRALIA.

AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE

RELATIONS.

A GERMAN'S ARDENT DESIRE.

There arrived in Melbourne last week on his third visit to Australia- a German merchant, Mr George Broog, of Nuremberg, who is possessed witb an ardent desire to improve AngloGerman relations and to dissipate misconceptions in the minds of Australians as to the "real" object of the expansion of the German navy.Mr Broeg represents Count Castelf, who is the principal partner in ther famous pencil-making firm of Faber. His previous visits,have bred In him a warm affection for Australians ami the Commonwealth, and during his stay in his own country in 1910 ho manifested his interest in Australasia by lecturing at. Nuremberg, BerliHj Chemnitz, and many other German centres upon the beauties of and progress m the'country. Mr Broeg said that bo bad visited every British colony ; and Australia, ao a place for aspiring ©migrant*, stood in a- class lalone. He expressed; the opinion that Australia should offer -assisted passages to German farmers and laborers, who have had a hard struggle at home 'in. tb» face of heavy taxation. In later life his home would be in Australia.

Asked whether that would be Melbourne or Sydney, h© replied, "Well, Melbourne is my sister, but Sydney is my sweetheart." , v ' . Mr Broeg is anxious to devise some means by which Australians ntay be convinced of Germany's goodwill towards them. "I would like to sea removed from the minds of all Australians and Britishers," he remarked!, "the atmosphere of suspicion iii which they, approach tlte reasons for Germany's niaval expansion. I know it is difficult to,. overcome deep-rooted prejudice,, but I think something might be done in this land to support the work of the influential cominittoes in London and Berlin, -which hkTe^b^ert formed to promote better relations between the two grekt peoples. I would that Australian* would try to ■lealis'eythat lour navy ia hot aimed iat the British Navy at all. Our trade has been eribrimounsly increased during the last century — particularly with foreign .countries and the British' colonies. Our navy is. to protect that trade and the commercial fleet of about 5000 ships whicfe now tmdes with all parts of the world. Tho idea of war with England io simply not favored by us. .It is an; absolute .impossibility for lisj yet it is hard to convince my Australian friends of\that» "We are drily building our navy for protection, not aggression, just as you are beginning to build your AHstmlian navy for protection, not &ggressidni." <

Mr Broeg^ and eoine influential compatriots in Melbourne, Sydney, and other capitals have * under consideration projtosals 6i ». fair-reabhing chavacter, jare designed to promote a campaign of education on the Anglo-Gonrian question. ■ : !