Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1916. THE BRITISH PACIFISTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, 5 August 1916, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1916. THE BRITISH PACIFISTS.

A NOTEWORTHY instance of the wretched arguments paraded by British pacifists is contained in a recent! v-pub-li'ohed book, ''The European Anarchy," by Mr G. Lowe Dickinson. The majority of earnest thinkers* who had studied the subject conscientiously were convinced that the view put forwaad byMr Dickinson and l those with whom he has associated himself was wrong. But they had no absolute proof of it until Prince Bulow blurted out the truth. Only a short time ago there was cabled out from 'Berne the following summary of Prince Billow's book, "Deutsche Politik" : —in the chapter on foreign polities, 'he makes a frank confession that Germany adopted a policy of dissimulation with England until the German fleet should be strong enough to justify defiance. Prince von Buelow explaius that Germany was a new arrival among the Great 'Powers, forcing herseli into the circle o° the old family of na-. tions by her surprising excellence. She was regarded as an uninvited and objectionable intruder, who nevertheless inspired fear. It was csseutial. while building up the nav\. to maintain Germany's Continental position and to avoid a collision with England. "Our fleet had to be built wit'h one eye on English politics. My main efforts in the field of higher politics,"' says Prince von Buelow, "were directed) to the fulfilment oi this task." There seemed a chance on the outbreak of the Boer War of striking a blow at England, continued Prince von Buelow. This would have been applauded by the German people. The general situation, however, was not really unfavourable to England. Furthermore, had Germany struck then our relations with England would have been poisoned for a. long time. -Even if our intervention would have caused her faiilitre in South Africa, she would still be able to nip in the bud- our development of sea power. By 1914 we had' grown so big that we could venture upon war with England in high spirits.

The whole tone of the book, according to the Telegraph, shows that the author seeks to condone the deeds of Germany, and to suggest that 'Britain was equally to blame —which all the evidence proves overwhelmingly that she was not—for bringing 011 the war. Ml' Dickinson ■writes, with. covert slander ot the foreign Secretary:—"That Germany should become a. true democracy might indeed be as great a guarantee ot peace as it might be that other nations called democratic should really become so in their ioreign policy as well as in their domestic affairs. But what proud ■nation will accept democracy as a gift from insolent conquerors?" Mr Asquith has spoken not once or twice of the necessity lor crushing Prussian militarism. But this representative of a clique that has always worked' against Sir Jidward Grey. and has raised: the ciy that- nothing must ■he done to "humiliate ■Germany," pronounces that "the way to deliverance is neither difficult nor obscure. It does not lie in the direction of crushing an\ibudy. j It lies in the taking of certain deter- I 111 illations and the embodying of them in j certain institutions. First, the nations I must submit to Inw and- to right in the .settlement of their disputes ; secondly, they 'must reserve, iorce tor the creation of the law-breaker." In dealing with thus statement, the reviewer, with evident truth, writes: —How is Germany to be made to "submit to law and to right" until her military power which, according to the pronouncements of her statesmen, 'takes the place of law and right for her. is broke.ll. The people of Britain's oversea dominions, which have given more than half a million of their sonfr to !i.7fit- for Mr A.- ■i'ii f 1! declared

policv <■>£ crurhin" Prussian militan ".m.. find ;t nauseatiM" t■> h.ivc- to ;v allo'.v bare-iaced att-omcts 1- '.reals an atmcsrhcrt favourable to Icttui Ofcimaii_, down lightly, as are made in ihi.;. book, which derives its title to notice from the fact that it represents the views of a well-defined minority of doctrinaires wno sit at home in their studies spinning altruistic theories while real men from every part of the Empire are fighting and dying to keep their country free fi\.:n the German scourge.