Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1936 TERRITORIAL EXPANSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 23 May 1936, Page 6

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1936 TERRITORIAL EXPANSION

IN these modern times the nations need for geographical expansion is the most frequent cause of war. This nee is felt most strongly in Europe where the virile white races are tightly vu. together in a space which is too constricted for their free development, and the result is that they live continually in a state of mutual distrust and apprehension. Nevertheless the most powerful nations of Europe (with one exception) possess important territories which are outside of their own Continent, so that it may be said broadly that the great white races of Europe have it in their power to expand immensely, if they would but use their trans-oceanic territories for that purpose instead of confining so much of their attention to their mother-continent. To show how true this statement is, it is only necessary to examine briefly the cases of the principal European nations concerned. The territorial expansion of the British Empire (which comprises about one-quar-ter of the world’s land surface, and contains fully one-quarter of the world s population) is without parallel, but the history of that expansion and the names and number of the territories occupied are so well, known that it is not necessary to dwell on them here. France owns immense colonial territories, the chief of which are perhaps Tunis and Algiers in Northern Africa, since they give her control of Morocco, the whole of the western Sahara, including Senegal. France also owns the French Congo (a vast territory) and part of the Kamerun, which belonged to Germany ; French Somaliland, French Guiana (which is in South America), the important island of Madagascar, and many other important islands in various oceans. Italy’s colonial expansion is of comparatively recent date, for the simple reason that the various parts of Italy were not consolidated into a kingdom till 1860. In the early years of the present century Italy went to war with Turkey, and took from her the territories of Tripoli and Cyrenaica in North Africa, besides important islands in the Aegean Sea. These with Eritrea and Abyssinia constitute a colonial empire of major importance, the possession of which places Italy among the great imperialistic powers of the world. Spain, once a possessor of great colonial territories, has lost practically all of them, one by one ; but Portugal, whose colonial expansion was contemporaneous with that of Spain, holds immense territories in Africa, sucli as Portuguese West Africa, the great State of East Africa (including Alozambique and Lourenco Marquez), besides tile Cape Verde Islands and the Madeira group which are in the Atlantic Ocean. The small kingdom of Belgium administers the vast territory of the Congo Free State. Holland owns in South America the territory of Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, besides, in the East Indies, the important islands of Java, Sumatra, the Celebes, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. The United States of America own the Hawaiian Islands, and are responsible for the good government of the Philippine Islands. Spain, whose colonial empire was once immense, has lost everything but a few unimportant islands and Ceuta, the little territory which is situated on the southern side of the Straits of Gibraltar. Russia, whose territory in Europe and Asia comprises ten million square miles, contains upwards of 180 million people, cannot be said to be a crowded country. Tho people of the U.S.A. possess nearly four million square miles of territory, and number perhaps 140 million people—about 35 to the square mile —so it is evident they are not overcrowded, but have ample space in which to develop. Japan, which claims to, bo the most civilised nation of the Orient, is overpopulated, containing perhaps- as many as 600 people to the square mile, but possesses in Korea, Manchuria, and Northern China ample territory for expansion. Tile nations of South America have plenty of room in which to develop. India and China carry enormous populations, and their congestion appears destined to increase. Of the-great European nations Germany alone has no territory, cither in Europe or elsewhere, in which to expand; and the density of her population seems to be about 350 people to the square mile. As.,will be remembered, she lost all her .colonies, (and they were many and important) when under the leadership of Wilhelm II she plunged Europe into war in 1914. Definitely restricted in her territorial expansion in Europe, and with • no possibility of colonial expansion overseas, so great and virile a nation as Germany will naturally be dissatisfied and restless.' Iler appeal should have been to the League of' Nations, but that body seems at present to he almost moribund, although it would still possess great possibilities if all its members were as genuinely desirous of adhering to its Covenant as Britain'has demonstrated she is. In the : circumstances it would appear that an appeal, if it is made, will be to Britain, who holds the great territories of Tanganyika, and the Kamerun, which once were Germany’s. Replete with colonial territory, Britain, would' probably not he deaf to such a request. True, technically llie territories named are vested in the League, but if that body becomes-de-funct, their disposal would rest with Britain individually; and, anxious to allay all tendency to unrest in Europe, she very well might lie willing to listen to Germany’s request. It in true that

when Germany possessed overseas terri-1 tories, she did not colonise them to any great extent, otherwise she might not have lost them. But surely she has j learned her lesson and, under the rule of the strenuous Hitler, she might pos- j sihly develop a practical colonising ■ scheme if she possessed overseas territories. This question is important, he- ; cause anything which contributes to the peace of Europe contributes to the peace of the world. Germany’s stale of unrest endangers Europe’s peace. Britain’s willingness to discuss the return of such territories as Tanganyika and the Kamerun would do much to restoro Germany’s amour propre, and allay Iter dangerous restlessness. For, possessed of a colonial empire, not only would she have an incentive to maintain peace in tho world at large, hut a field of enterprise which might divert her attention from Europe, where for twenty years and more her fortunes have been disastrous.