THE GERMAN NAVY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 201, 31 July 1906, Page 1

THE GERMAN NAVY.

The German Navy League he ; d its annual congress this year at Bamburg. At the State banqust in the Rathhaus the First Burgomaster cf Hamburg, Dr. Burcbard, delivered a long and interesting speech in propo»ing the health of the Emperor. He defended the action of the league against the ciiticums which bad j been passed upon it, and gave it j credit for having constantly insisted | that "the German Empire will only |be able to assume a position as a ' world r'ewrr and to obtain a hearing lin the council of the great nations i when on sea, as on land, it dons strong arrsour, and when with a display of power it is able abroad and in the German colonies to afford protection to German interests and at the same time to command respect by its forcas in horn 2 waters." Ha added that the German nation would not renounce the claim to be on an equal footing with other great nations. With regard to England, the Chief Magistrate of the Hanseatic . city and State said that from time to j time the idea prevailed ia that coun- ! try that the great Island Empire 1 was pre eminently deatined to pur- | sue Imperialist ideas und to exercise ; Bea power in a special degree. Ideas 'of this nature accounted to a considerable extent foe a certain feeling of displeasure which was doubtless felt in English circles, aud which was occasionally expressed, with regard to the German navy, the German colonies, the "Imperialist efforts of German policy," and vigorous German competition in tra.--s^ oceanic markets. The feeling would disappear when in Er.gland, while her vast naval superiority was maintained, it was borne in mind that the world had room for the commercial developement of all nations, and that competition in this sphere waj wholesome. The m"ro frankly the determination of Germany to pro» tect her interests throughout the woild was recognised, the more frankly people in England accepted the facts of the case and regarded it as a matter of c»un?e that Germany had as much-, right -as England to build « fleet,- te possess colonies, and to eondust an exte*sive maritime trade, the better it would be for both great nations and for the pacific progress of civilisation. Ho thought that the- two -great- nations, though marching apart, could certainly unite in combating barbarism and in noble and pacific rivalry. Ho believed that .fc'ss manifestations which aimed at Bringing' the -two nations closer bad moved upon thesa lines, and that the foreign policy of the GermauEmpire was in accyrdanca with t^ess views.