North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, MAY 24, 1901. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

North Otago Times, 24 May 1909, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, MAY 24, 1901. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

"Britons never, never shall be slaves." Well hardly ever, ii we may bo permitted to interpolate the words of the comic opera. It appears that for some time past tho British public —possibly that portion of it that is sulfu'ing from a too free imbibition of something over-proof-has seen a light in the sky somewhere on the British const, and has immediately proclaimed it as a German airship. The discovery, or supposed discovery, of this light has occasioned much consternation in tho minds of the British public, for on more than ono occasion reference has been made to it in the cables. Tho extent of the trepidation has been so great that Lord Northclilfc, who is= in Berlin, has thought it advisable-'to telegraph to Iho Daily Mail that these frequent references to German designs wero doing a gr c a't deal of harm-that is harm in tho direction of stirring up strife between tho two nations. But if they" have a tendency to increase tho risk of war, they must also be the causa of a great deal of amusement in certain circles in Germany. _ The notion of planting a Zeppelin airship in the sky night after night for tho purpose of trying to see what is going on down below is the creation of the brain, as wo said of someone who under similar circumstances might havo seen two moons, or doubled the number of fixed stars. First there was the naval scare, which agitated a certain section of the people of Britain to such a degree that if they had gone much further they would have been over the dividing line that separates those inside anu outside a mental hospital. Let any person not out- of Ills or her mind imagine for a moment 1 what earthly purpose there could be in Germany planting an airship high up in the sky over the British const on a dark night, and oven if she did what is there in it •? Ther 0 is nothing to prevent Great Britain sending an airship to Germany, and if it can get it to go in the direction wanted, locat 0 it above his Imperial Majesty the Kaiser's Potsdam palace. So long as tho occupants of the airship do not drop any bricks down on tho Imperial head, we are not aware that l they would bo doing anything that was not permissible by the code of nations. Certainly tho Kaiser might offer objections.to any Britisher looking down the kitchen chimney at Potsdam to ascertain what-he was going to have for dinner, but even that awful misdemeanor would not create a rimturo of tho good relations of two nations. The supposed Gorman airship that disappears in the day and comes back at night has something uncanny about it. It surely is not possible that some enthusiastic big-navyitc has put up a kite with a candle tied to its tail ■?- There is much more in this ludicrous reference to the airship than there is in tho idea thai the German Government, by some mysterious means, send an airship to watch the country at night and withdraw it pro it can be discovered where it goes to, If Britons are never to bo slaves it would he a comforting tiling to know that they were keeping their pecker'up, At tho present moment they appear to be in a state of panicstricken terror, 'expecting' overy moment something to fall out of tho sky on to their heads, Germany • is not going to war with Britain, for she knows that at . the present time there could bo only ono termination to such an encounter, and ii will tnko c long time before the conditions are equal.