Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1932 GERMAN PRESUMPTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 29 July 1932, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1932 GERMAN PRESUMPTION

WE revert to the subject of the German general election, which takes place next Sunday, because it presents features which concern the British Empire almost as nearly as the Germans themselves. A little more than a month ago there came into being a new German political party, which demands: 1. The abolition of the Treaty of Versailles. 2. The return of Germany’s former Colonies and the ancient territories which have been lost. 3. The restoration of Germany’s full sovereignty, including equality witii other nations to arm. 4. Universal military training of the nation, supported by universal obligation to work. , This party has named itself the Social Monarchist Party, and has taken as its motto, ‘‘With God for Germany’s Freedom, for Kaiser and Empire.” Its avowed object is to make the “monarchy the main issue of the coining election.” The nations of the British Empire are not interested in the form, of government which the Germans may decide to adopt, but they are interested in. the Treaty of Versailles and in those colonies which were lost by Germany, and have been placed by tho mandate of the League of 1 Nations under tho government a’-ci control of various members of the British Family of nations. For instance. New Zealand is interested in Western Samoa, the control of which, if the German Social Monarchists had their way, would

be transferred to Germany. There is no doubt that- the Hitlerites and the monarchists throughout Germany will support the demand which the Social Monarchists make. But it is one thing for the Junkers and their friends to make demands, and it is quite another thing for them to achieve the ends demanded. For instance, the abolition of the Treaty of Versailles cannot be effected by Germany’s desire to abolish it: it could be abolished only by the unanimous approval of the League of Nations’ Council, of which France and Great Britain are members, and it is difficult to imagine them tearing up the Treaty, which, together with Italy and the United States, they wore at such pains to frame. The same remark applies to the question of Germany s lost colonies and to those pieces of her territory which by the Treaty were taken from her. The German Social Monarchists know these things quite well. But they wanted a good slogan which would give them votes, and so they have issued their manifesto, which might have been much more brief and quite as effective, if it had stopped at the end of the first clause, which includes the other clauses, with the exception of clause 4 which could have been presented separately. But as an appeal made for electioneering purposes, no great objection would have been made to this manifesto, if it were not for the fact that the Party which framed it, will be bound to try to implement it, if success at the polls is obtained. Indeed, if Hitler and the Junkers and these Social Monarchists are successful at the election, and succeed in obtaining a majority in the Reichstag, the abolition of the Treaty of Versailles is one of the things which they will try L, achieve Therefore the result of the German election will bo awaited with interest m many countries outside Germany. It is not to be supposed that these Social Monarchists imagine that there is any likelihood that they will be able to put their programme into operation, but they expect that it will appeal to the electors. That may, or may not, be so. But if they are successful at. the polls, there is no doubt that sooner or later they will be asked to put thenpromises into practice. Therein lies the danger. To raise with France the question of her possession of Alsace and Lorraine would bo to promote trouble. For Germany to demand formally the return of her lost Colonies would be to bring her into collision with France, Britain, Belgium, Japan, and the Dominions of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. That such a demand should be contemplated by the monarchists and militarists of Germany shows that they have learnt very little by their colossal defeat, in 1918. They seem to forget that the destruction of their fleet and the retention by the victors of all the German Colonies, was the penalty which the Germans paid for the brutal and uncivilised manner in which they waged war, on land and sea. They were not considered fit and proper persons to have under their control and governance tlfe coloured races of the Colonies which they lost, and they have given no proof that, in spite of their terrible defeat, they have suffered any such change of heart as warrants any drastic alteration in the verdict which Civilisation pronounced, when -the Treaty of Versailles was framed and forced upon them.