England and Germany

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13146, 29 August 1914, Page 7

England and Germany

A WARNING. v t f STIRRING ARTICLESi BY/ROBERT BLATCHFORD. X.: : ,

•The author of tlieao articles .ia. the host-known leader of the English. Socialists, and is one of the, foundeis of ithe modern Socialist movement in ;Biitain,.. Under the 110111 do gueire of "Nimquam" lie wrote "Merrie England," of which 0116 and a half mjllion copies have been sold.. Ho is edjtoi of The Clarion,: which.is l)j r goiiei'al consent the ablest and most influential of Socialist journals; and lie is master of a sl.vlo that for vigour and tersejicss' has ()cen surpassed by no English writer since tlio days oC [ln view of the present Euro- 1 . perm crisis, a series' of Articles: which appeared in tlio London Daily Mail some years ago lire; of absorbing', interest. There:, ; are cloven in all, 'and-we pro l , ■ pose republishing iherti in' tlioi columns of "The North' Otajjo! Times."] '' '' : IV. CJONOIIiTATION OR COMPROMISE? ' j I ll ' Tlio Fan-Germanic policy is - based upon'.'Bismarck's theory: "The Ocptiny of 'Germany mpl; be worked out i" blood and iron." It is a blood and iroirpolicy, and all hopes of overcoming it by a policy of milk and water are doomed to failure, Take, as an example, the fate of the innocent proposal for" the limitation of armaments.

LTIIO idea is to stop the supply of coal I'and stores by-'.means of, strikes. . ,-It I'is one of those .harmless, games with I which: some 'Labour statesmen, amuse themselves on-dull .days. The main result of it. would be to hamper our Fleet. vTlio Germans would settle thejr strike in swift and summary fashion—jby the arguments'of ."blood and iron;" I Aiuf there is tho dazzling Mr Winston ■Churchill, who called Lord Cromer and me a pair of "ridiculous Jingoes," and illuminated the whole crises by the brilliant declaration that tliere is no danger asi long as we continue to build lip to a two-Power standard.-

- Building to a two-Power standard nieans, when Germany is in full swing, the arming of twenty-six Snper-Drentl-nouglits in a year. This, as the Frenchman'' said when the handbox fell on his •lint for the third time,' f becomes amusing." _ - •; \ . But we are told by many well-mean-, ing countrymen of ours' that all this scare about Germany is absurd, because of the evident friendliness of the German people, and the British people for each other.' '' The British do not want Wnr;'the Germans do not want war," say these amiable persons. Itow true; how true. But 'it does not account for thirty-nine battleships a year. Now-1 shall suggest that all these attempts at conciliation and compromise are based upon a misconception of the policy and government of Germany. I believe the Gorman people '(although they have a million members in their Navy League) are not unfriendly to us. But 'the German peoplejiave no control over the German policy. They cannot prevent' the incr'easo oC German naval power even if they would —which is doubtful. They cannot prevent a war when once their rulers have decided upon wa'r. Tliey do not know the game (heir rulers are playing. Tliey would be plunged into war before tliqy were aware of the- danger, and once in their own soldiers would suppress any attempt at interference, supposing any nttcmpt were made. • ;

Any limitation of armaments must embody the principle of Britain Viiaval supremacy. But it is exactly ilia t< Avluch the Pan-Germans resent and defy. It does not require a very great effort of the imagination to enable up to see that proposal with German eyes, Were I n toman I should say, "'These islanders are cool customers! They have fenced in all the best parts'of the globe, they have bought or captured fortresses and ports in live cont'niQuls, they have gained the lead in commerce, they have a virtual monopoly of I,he carrying trade of the world, they hold command of the seas, and now they propose that we shall all be brothers, and that nobqdy shall fight or steal any more.''

The Bismarck theory of blood and 'iron has the great merit of being simple and concise. The German theory of warfare fits- it as,a bludgeon fits the hand of a footpad. "Full steam ahead" is the motto for the German Navy. "Forward" is the motto for the Army. Go straight for the enemy and smash him. Never-mind the cost. We have plenty of men. Wo can afford heavy losses. But we must win, ■

That is how a German must see the position. But the Germans see and believe must more than that. They believe that Britain has grown fat, and stupid, and cowardly. They see tlmt Germany has a population- iifl per cent, larger than Britain, and very much better educated, belter trained, and better organised They see that our Army is small and unready; and tliey know thai; theirs is excellent in ([iiajiiy, overwhelming in nnnilbor.ynnd in readiness and organisation without, a peer. They believe they cairbeaf. us in trade; they hope that they can outbuild and outspend us and so become our masters on the sea.

This theory demands loyalty, courage, and discipline from officers and meii. The German Army and Navy possess them.

The theory of blood and iron is sintple. You single, oiit one of yjnir neighbours at a time." 1 ' '■ You cajole him with friendly treatment while you prepare to make an irresistible and unexpected attack upon him. When you are quite ready, and when he is off his guard, you knock him down, jump oil his chest, and accept his watch'and purse as compensation. Thus is your destiny fulfilled. Now a gentleman working on those lines is not to be fobbed off with line speeches. He will not restrain his mailed list because his victim is weak, Weakness is the opportunity he iooks for,

And their rulers hold the theory that the destiny of Germany must be worked out, in blood and iron.

To these strong, resolute, and stem men of blood and iro|rcomo tlio suave and modest, British ambassadors of coinpromise and conciliation; '' My dear brothers," says one ambassador, "may 1 suggest a' cessation of this ruiilons rivalry in battleships'? '' Would J Oll mind curtailing your naval programme so that I limy retain o.omina[i(l of the seas without incurring 'more expense than my constituents will approve.' I am really very sorry; biit'lire comniand ol." the sea is essential to our'national existence. Our people absolutely decline to become soldiers, and 'unless we are allowed to boss the sea' we shall .become an easy prey for any'enemy. • Soil you don't mind, w,e will arrange with you for a limitation of armamqiits; | which will save us money and prevent you from using your superior military; strength against us." .... Now, is not thai; a pretty dish to net before a Kaiser? Really, the men of blood and iron did not laugh so loudly as one might have expected, 111 fnc-t, f.Jiey did noUaugh at all. They just shrugged their shpulilers fliul went on building harder than eyor. II;' is one of the funniest political episodes' I can remember; and the funniest thing 'about it was the British Government'»• innocent and pained surprise. "Ha!" said the men of blood and' iron, "I smell funk. They are-begin-' ilil)g to feel the pinch. Iluri'y up AVitli those Super-Dreadnought? " ~Awl it ' was so, ;

No, If we do not want, war with Germany we must, lie strong eiiough to cause Germany to want, peace, . Though Germany is a brave, rosolute, and mighty enemy,-she is not omnipotent, nor is she invulnerable. But she means business—blood and iron business—and all conciliation, subterfuge, and compromise provoke her to contempt and scorn, Germany puts her destinies into the hands of warriprs; we leave ours in the hands of politicians. Germany nets; we' talk. Words count for nothing in 'the game of blood and iron. Arm •or surrender; fight for the Empire or lose it. We can choose our alternative; no middle course is open to lis.

To be Published To-morrojv: V.-WANTED: A MAN. Upton, near Peterborough, one of the ■smallest parishes in England, possesses a Mysterious tombstone of black marble, .which emits a damp ooze in patches .whenever rain is about to fall. The stone is.regarded in the village as an infallible barometer.'

The Wellington Post, describing;, a fisit 'to. the Germans in custody on Somes Island, says': Moving about among, 'the,men one .was struck by their cheery philosophy. and their calm acceptance of their positton. Probably Ihe' militarism of the German helped liicm to realise that the actions taken by the British were inevitable and just. Content they nre,.tooj considering what they-must miss and the altered conditions many of them, well-born and educated and indeed wealthy, are living under. It is stated that a road and some excavations aro.to.be made on tho island, and those who desire to work and get standard wages caii do so, This will lessen the weight of care and anxiety that must lie heavy on many, and' that grows heavier with idleness. Many of them, one wives and.families who miss their breadwinner,, and most of them have had to lonvo ••without making adequato arrangements'. One -sad-faced .man has left a wife ami live children in possible need, but his name Is taken down by the kindly Mayor, who,. with the Mayoress, is eager to find'*out' wants and alloyiato' distress.' In one small room, where about,- half-a-dozen inon wero sitting,, thcro.wcrc effective attempts of decora- J •tion—a garland of fir, .enclosing th'c'i German arms, some photos of Gcrmim' ! | troops, two colow'od prints • of -lovely j DrosdcUj and in the centre a calendar I with tho legend,.' Zeit ist gq]d'--'' Time' i-U Money,' the,'ironic application of t,which.. tOftho::pi'esdiit position -the "men: acknowledged witli a hearty laugh. u '' '

Then the Labour delegates \qent qver to Germany and slapped their .-German comrades 011 the back and cried, "Uoch, hoeh, hoch! " And Mr Keir ITardie actually believed that .tl.ie. fraternising of British and Germani Socialists'in Germany would so delight the Emperor that he would, to use Mr Hftfdie's own words, perform'the remarkable feat of Y killing the war spirit before U .was born." ■ Well, the British and Germau'comrades "hoclied," and our boys ciiine home, And when I was in. Germany a few weeks ago I stood ,in. feou find looked at the chimney forest of Ivrnpptown, and reflected' that-the Gorman blood and iron works had.vecqntly.taken on twenty-eight thousand new: hands, and that, in spite of our Labour.- members, Germany was now, able,.,|;o arm thirteen .Super-Dreadnoughts in a year. It really looks as though the Socialists had not conciliated the Kaiser for nuts. Even, the resolution of the Labour Party seems to have.failed; perhaps because "the destiny of Germany is to be worked out not b/ speeches and majorities, but by blood and iron.". Then there is the expedient of building 'Germany in with a series of, alliances, i A.really. statesmanlike ; idea, were.it not-1 that Germany's obstante resolution tn 1 break out. mnkos it vory. imploasant 1 for tho allies : wlio are .within re.tcli .of llio giant's arms. . ■ , And there Is;tho Socialist,theory/of; joint action, by British and Geruian Socialist?' for- the war,*