Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1914. PRINCE BULOW ON GERMANY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 14 April 1914, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1914. PRINCE BULOW ON GERMANY.

I THE cable messages have brought a good deal of information concerning Prince Bulow's book "Imperial Germany." The English translation has been published, and to-day the detailed criticisms of the reviewers have arrived. The book, we are told, is in two parts, one dealing with Germany's foreign policy, and the other with Germany's domestic affairs. It is described as a book dictated by diplomacy; and written not alone for a German, but for an English, a Russian, and a Japanese public. All through the >book the author is continuously on his guard: Lovers of peace will perhaps be less comforted with the statement that the foremost duty of the Gorman navy is to protect Germany's world commerce, and the lives and honour of German residents abroad. ■Prince Von Bulow says that when Germany, after*the solution of her Continental problems—after securing her power in Europe—was "neither willing nor able to refrain from embarking on international politics, she was bound to inconvenience England. The consequences of this turn of affairs could be mitigated by diplomacy; they could not be prevented." • The author adds:— "But even if we can understand, the ti'aditions of English policy, such understanding in no wise implies the admission, that England has any reason to contemplate with mistrust the expansion of German national industries into international industries, and German continental policy into international j>olicy, and especially the construcion of a German, navy. This mistrust was perhaps justified in other centuries in the case of other Powers." The Prince sums up the position thus: —"Although since we first trod the path of international poliics we have often found England opposed to us, yet now that we have attained the necessary power of defence at sea our j relations with England can be amicable i and friendly" ; and he assures his readers ! that the Kaiser recognises that enmity and strife are equally disadvantageous ' to both countries, and has worked since , his accession with never-failing zeal to ~ restore friendly relations between tthe two Germanic nations. Prince Von Bulow is candid when he t writes of domestic party politics. Here }. he is described ae a partisan, and he has a feeling akin to horror when he views the rise of the social democrats. He a seems almost to regret that it is no longer possible to oppose their advance 1 by force of arms. During his term of t office he sav» he always recognised that the social democratic movement consti- s tuted a great and serious danger. "It 1 is the duty of every German Ministry," c he declares, "to combat this movement until it is defeated or materially changed. There can be no doubt as 'to the task d itself, but there may be hesitation as to p the choice of means. . . . The. German social democrat clings tenaciously to" the tenets of his party—tenaciously and un- ft

critically, and caring nothing 'for tho inner contradictions of the social democratic programme. And as this programme, is incompatible with tho existing state,, the German social democrats are irreconcilable. - ' The danger of tho social democratic movement, Prince Von Bnlow concludes, must be faced and met with a great and comprehensive national policy, under the strong guidance- and clear-sighted and courageous governments, which, "whetlver amicably or by fighting, can. make the parties bow to the might of the national idea. But, it all depends what the national policy is. But on the other hand, -unless it means the carrying out of necessa-ry reforms, it cannot hope to receive the, support of the majority of the German people for any great- period of time.