The North Otago Times MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1914. GERMANY'S DREAM VANISHES.

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13147, 31 August 1914, Page 4

The North Otago Times MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1914. GERMANY'S DREAM VANISHES.

The paucity of news concerning British naval operations has had a some.what irritating effect upon the dwellers of these far ilung colonial possessions,, but a, moment's consideration should convince every Britisher that we must, console ourselves with the knowledge that swift, and silent, are the watchwords of success fill naval operatons. Sufficient' news has been vouchsafed, however, to enable us to remain calm: to take fresh courage in the renewed .confidence that the absolute supremacy' of the British navy has been demonstrated. In this moriiiug's'issue we publish the cabled account of what may possibly be the fringe of a big naval engagement in the North Sea, As was the case when the German mine-layer, the Konigin Luise was sent. to. the bottom of the ocean; when the UJii .submarine was destroyed by two shots by 11.M.5. Birmingham; when the little Gloucester fairly riddled the decks of the speedy Breslau; and 11.M.5, High(lyer in the South Atlantic showed that speedy and armed 'merchantmen, the Kaiser Willieim der' Grosse, that there are other deciding factors in naval warfare besides speed and chance; so the particulars of the naval engagement which is reported this'morning demonstrate once morn than though other nations may have built their ships of war; that other nations may have armed their-ship3vwitl].big"nn"d'"powerful guns, they "can't build the boys of the Bull Dog breed." : It'is cheering to realise thatfthe spirit of Nelson still strides the steel decks.of the British ships of. war; that the dogged courage of the creiv of the Revenge 'like a mantle lias fallen upon, our twentieth century navy; tint, the confident serenity of Drake sl.ill pervades our naval leaders, aiid fvorn Admiral to Jack Tar,-their aim is as sure as their hearts are stout and true. These attributes,' • together with the proof that Britisl? gunnery i 3 trained to deadly precision, and that the coolness and impertubability of our sailors are the same as of. surely supply the deciding factors -iff'the-;- struggle (for uayal. supremacy. The advance of civilisation has certainly developed a repugnance for .war; while.who has not noted the dignified reluctance , on the part of British statesmen, to plunge the Empire into aimed conflict..But the advance of civilisation has' not sapped the moral fibre of the British'; 1 nor dulled the conscience and broken the spirit of our race. Indeed oui\ greatest asset is exemplified in the words of the British-. Ambassador to Germany, who replied , to the,: perfidious .German statesman in 1 these words: ' : "The forfr of the consequences can' hardly be regarded as an "excuse for breaking a solemn,engage"meat." Regardless of the dire and dreadful consequences.!of a resort -to linns;, but, jealous honour of the nation, Greal, Britain Cocaine, a participant in a war tliat ha'a inX'ol.Vod nearly of 'Europ'; a" war that .will cost, Britain jnilliolis "in. money'; thousands. of lives; and incalculable commercial loss, Whatever the result—an I there cani be only one—Groat Britai.'i will emerge from the conflict with enhanced greatness, But Britisl: statesmen liave loiig recognised that..moral,force is hot; sufficient to deteriuiiio issues.unless, supported by physical. Thanks,,then, to far-seeing statesmen, Britain-has the physical force ..with which to enforce her ulca.ofinternational honesty....- Behind Germany's. dishonourable treatment, of little Belgium lies■ her. -jealousy .-and hatred,of,Britain. The War -Party 111, Clorniany. has Jarranged everything so nicely. Bully Belgium .into passive, as-: sistance; bulldoze .'Britain i'-into- nou-

Tfility )• overtyhilm.'Jind'' cwppl.® ,f rp.oftj 'ntcli Ri/ssia between Dig nimed.ioices, if Ausliia-llungary and Itnly.' Here MUl's 1 liP firsl nd: of ihe ilvhrlinr Scioiul id: llien comes the absorption of Austria Hungary; tlic Balkan Slates uul IhirnpeniuTnrkey wonlil.be swall.riw-, -•(I; with the Nortli Sea poik This accomplished, Germany's realms would stretch towards the oast from Berlin to Bagdad; and to Antwerp on the west. The , ceding of^.Boulogne mid Calais, would be the price of France/s .defeat. The map of Europe was to be arranged so 'nicely.! The second act, would .coilehi;le)witli tlic conquering armies of the, Kaiser terms of peacc J at, St.. Petersburg and Paris and the .military-; mad Emperorof Germany would becrowned "Kaiser of'Kuropo." The helplessness, too, of Holland and Belgium Would make them an easy,prey iii tlie net of the Pederateil Empire of Germany. To realise her dreams, it has been stated by more than one German, journalist that "Germany would fight whil'e she has a penny'left and a'man to carry arms." The third act would provide the grand finale of this world drama, This act was to'bn as short as it was sensational; it consisted, ipso facto, of the British Empire being "wiped olf the map in twenty-four hours,'' This was Gonna ny's intention as stated by one of her leading writers; and at the risk of making this article of undue length we .quote tlfe modus operandi, for the writer, tells with all seriousness how that the'fork- ™ done easily tlianka to a fog, efficient espionage, the bursting of English war balloon; and the success of the. Germans in dropping shells at the correct tactical moment on to the British ships in the North Sea," The writer says:— "This war, which Was decided by a naval battle lasting a single hour, v?as of only three weelc3 duration—hunger forced England into peace, In her conditions, Germany showed a wise moderation, In addition to a war indemnity, in accordance with the v wealth of the conquered States, she contented herself, with the acquisition of the African colonies, with the exception of the Southern States, which had proclaimed their independence, and these possessions were divided with the other two powers of the Triple Alliance, Nevertheless this war' wn3 the end of England.- A lost battle had sufficed to manifest to the world at large' the feet of clay on which the dreaded Colossus had stood. 'ln a fight the British Empire had crumbled altogether: the pillars which English diplomacy hud erected after years of labour had failed at the llrst test,"

Such was l.lifi Pan-Gorinnnist dream ! ITow delightful; how German and liow easy; But (lift awakening came ami came early. Beginni refused to be trampled upon by the German hoof for she declined io'allowed the German troops to violate her neutrality. Unmindful of her solemn obligations and regardless of Belgian protests the Germans swarmed into Belgian. The oppressed, however, had faith in Britain's honour and the King of the Belgians and his gallant, subjects appealed' to the country whose people are described'by Mr Asquith lis "a great self-respecting nation, hre.-l and nurtured in an ancient home of liberty." Then the Lion • rose in all majesty and shook .himself for the fray. One loud roar rent, the nlr; n roar ot .warning -anil a call I'or help: :'Prom T thr; ends of the earth the answer came. From the snow-clad regions of Canada; from Afri/a 's sunny sands; from under'the •coppov skys «f Australia; and from God's own country too. From the farflung littte kingdoms; from India's myriad hosts. Around the earth the answer rcvcrberatcd#To-day the Empire stain:,i united as one man, animated by one purpose, inspired by one hope, In n thousand cities millions of British subjects gave the same loyal answer to the call. British cheers rang from the farthest wilds of Canada to wind-swept Falkland Isles and lonely little Barbadoes; on African veldt and kopje; on the banks of Father Ganges and on the road to Mandatoy. As by a miracle the gyves of domestic, dissension off and to-day the. Empire stands prepared 1.0 die that the Old Land may honour the obligations, of Britain which were entered into before any of the presentday statesmen were born. And so Germany's dream vanished. The Kaiser misinterpreted the position. Britain so ioved peace that, her insolvent enemy more than half suspected that she feared war, The Kaiser did not know the temper of Italian people hence Germany ha 3 found herself without the assistance of the third power in the Triplice, and instead of enjoying a sort of gay procession through Belgium into France, the Germans are held up in a contest unparalleled for its ferocity and frightful slaughter; and they have scarcely reached the •French frontier, while to the east the sledge hammer of; the Muscovite is poising ready to strike the blow that will pulverise the Gorman' hosts against the anvil of the ■Allies. How came these things to pass? The answer is forthcoming, Germany's' dream vanished because of the heroism' of the people of Belgium and because of ■ the, absolute supremacy of the British Navy; and New Zealanders have a very special interest in the Navy for,we learn this morning mat'om Dreadought participated in (he North .Sea vic-