KING EDWARD IN A NEW ROLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

KING EDWARD IN A NEW ROLE.

HIS MALIGNANT SCHEMES AGAINST

GERMANY.

PREPOSTEROUS TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT. " ' .

[FROM OUR OWN* CORRESPONDENT.]

London, April 19. A terrible bogey haunts' the German race just now—especially the German newspapers. For dread of him the German nation cannot rest by day or sleep by night. Ho is " about their paths and about their beds, and spieth out all their ways." To the rest of the world this grim bogey ap-i pears in the light of a suave, pleasant-man-nered, elderly gentleman. And people know him as King Edward VII.

Yes, Germany is in a condition of dreadful panic just at present about King Edward, and the fell designs which lie is supposed to be maturing beneath that genial smile and gracious demeanour of his. The majority of German journalists, at any rate, are, or professed to be, convinced that our gracious King is a sort of combination of Macchiavelli, with another eminent personage, who is said to go about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Imbued with these imaginary tenors, the German newspapers naturally detected something sinister and menacing in the King's visit to his newly-made relative, the King of Spain, at Cartagena. That, of course, meant a deep-laid plot for the association of the two Latin nations, France and Spain—the latter with a restored and strengthened navy—as a menace to poor Germany. But when King Edward took the next step in his holiday tour and, accompanied by his Queen, went in his Royal yacht to Gaeta to visit the King and Queen of Italy, then indeed all German journalism agreed that the last drop had been added to King Edward's iniquity and perfidy, and that, this cup was now not only full but overflowing. Something must be done! Prompt measures must be taken! This unscrupulous and all-powerful marauder must be checked in his mad career, else Ids in-; famous design of first isolating and then crushing poor Germany, because it had presumed to compete' successfully with England in trade, would be speedily and ruthlessly accomplished. THE QUESTION OK ARMAMENTS.

No, I am not romancing! I am writing in sober earnest. I will give some illustrations of the kind of " mush" that is being served out to German readers. Only the day before yesterday the Cologne Gazette, perhaps the leading journal of Germany, and one which is understood to receive inspiration direct from headquarters at Berlin, to be in fact the organ* of the Government, declared that Great Britain is trying to form an anti-German combination to induce Germany to limit her armaments, under pretence of promoting universal peace. If Germany limited her armament she would simply hand herself over to the antiGerman syndicate of countries which Great Britain is forming. Germany will not limit her armaments, but, on the contrary, is determined to maintain such armaments as will make it impossible for Great Britain •and the allied Powers to attack her. The British policy is really warlike, although hypocritically professing peace. To-day the Taeglicbe Rundschau goes so far as to menace Great Britain with war. This influential organ, which circulates extensively among officers of the army, Government officials, and the more important classes of the population, says: "The German Government is tired of concealing the truth, and sick of British hypocrisv about the limitation of armaments. Germany responds to British intrigues with a threat to increase her armaments. She draws attention to her sharp sword, which she can wield with effective strength. We hope this language will be understood in London and at Gaeta, and that it will have due affect. If not we can await the coming war with that cool determination which is bred of .the knowledge that we represent a just cause." ; The Conservative Beichsbote, in an extremely pessimistic article, declares that Great Britain will certainly detach Italy, from Germany, and will arrange a new Anglo-Italian alliance. The National Zeitung, the Tageblatt, and the Deutsche Tagzeitung all comment on the approaching meeting in the same hostile tone which pervades almost the entire German press. Furtner, a Berlin correspondent telegraphs : " King Edward's tour is exciting the wildest outbursts in Germany. Politicians here feel that ■Germany is impotent to stem the diplomatic successes of His Majesty, and the cordial understanding which lie is establishing with the Mediterranean Powers is described in hysterical articles in the press -as a sinister attempt to rinsr Germany within a combination of hostile Powers.' The effect is such that there was almost a war panic at the opening of the -Berlin Bourse this "morning. The article in the Cologne Gazette, combined with rumours of international complications, circulated by the press, exercised a most depressing effect on business. The Cologne Gazette is tha usual mouthpiece of the Government, which has to-day taken the unusual course 'of disavowing that the article represents the official view of the situation." ,". : ',:.' ~...',,", ;T'.;

; AX OUTBURST IK THE BEICHSTAG. All this is surprising enough, and, I might add, foolish enough also. Yet it does not complete the tale. A still more remarkable utterance has yet to be recorded. A truly astounding speech was delivered a day* or two ago by Heir Bassermann, the leader of the National-liberals in the German Reichstag. This prominent politician plainly declared that the political situation was at present dominated by England; England was everywhere. England's King was everywhere. For a German this admission was painful. Recent developments showed that in every quarter of the world England was pursuing a policy which was unfavourable to Germany. The days of German influence, when the Triple Alliance was strong, and the treaty of reinsurance j with Russia held good, were passed. The Triple Alliance was in its dotage, and speeches and assurances were powerless to furbish it up again. Faith in the alliance had vanished. Austria was loyal and trustworthy, but her internal dissensions impaired her value as an ally, and the death of the Emperor Francis Joseph might lead to complications of which no one could tell how or where they would end. Ever since the Algeciras Conference Germany had regarded Italy with the utmost mistrust, since she could not fee! sure that in the event of war Italv would admit the casus foederis. England, on the other hand, had successfully entangled Russia in a war with Japan, and had concluded an agreement and a military convention with France. The result of the Anglo-French entente was such an increase of arrogance on the part; of France that "we are tempted to contemplate the maintenance of peace with a certain anxiety." i

With regard to The Hague Conference Herr Bassermann expressed the hope thai the second Conference would not, like tin first, be followed by a war. The Powei which profited by the Russo-Japanese war as well as by the South African war, was England. As the irony of history wouic have it, England was mooting what Hen Bassermann described as a proposal foi " disarmament." And all the time Enplane was increasing her own armaments with tin •utmost precipitation, and had invented » new class of mammoth warships. The ob ject of the proposal was plain. Germany was to be confronted with the dilemma oi choosing between being called the disturber of the world's peace or being forced into a weak surrender In his opinion, Germany ought to make it perfectly clear that she "alone was competent to decide the extent of her own armament.-*. Amid loud cheers, Herr Bassermann declared that, especially in view of French provocations, it behoved Germany to proclaim that the limitation or non-limitation of her armaments was her own affair. Similarly with regard to England. The development of the German navy was Germany's own affaii. Germany did not desire to use her navy as a| weapon against England, and she would only fight England if war were forced upon her But Germany would submit to no dictation in the matter, and he advisel the .English to make a note of it. ; f

A GOVERNMENT DISAVOWAL. - 1 By this time the Berlin Government, whatever part it may have had in the origins rial inspiration of these various utterances, manifestly began to take alarm at their outspokenness and virulence, and the Govern: ment deemed the matter of sufficient importance to warrant its taking the unusual step of disavowing its own organ. Statements were promptly made that the Cologne article only expressed editorial views, for which the Government was in no way responsible.' The Government would, in e fact, have taken steps to prevent the pub- . lication of the article had its nature been known beforehand. The official view of the Gner meeting of the English and Ita- • Han Kings fa that "it need arouse no unf easiness, since Italy realise* that her indc-j > pendenco is better safeguarded in the Tri- . pie Alliance than if she were thrown wholly . on the support of Great Britain and I " France." » [ Does she? And who is threatening Italian independence now? But really all this - flapdoodle would be unworthy of notice, - and would only excite derisive laughter : . were it not for certain attendant circum-j I stances. These do lend to what otherwise! a would be a wholly ridiculous matter, some ' aspect ot importance. The limes to-day.! in a .studiously moderate and carefullyj t reasoned leading article, says: "We cannot l shut our eyes to the fact that Hen* Bas-ser- . Mann is neither an irresponsible journalist j t nor a political free-lance. He is the leader of one of the chief Parliamentary parties j 'in the Reichstag party which is the core of the bloc upon which" Prince Bulow re- ; lies. We cannot forget that the success [ of this bloc was the main feature of the , recent elections; that this victory was re- ' garded as the triumph of the Government, ; and that the Government fought the battle " and iron the day by a deliberate appeal to • the militant patriotism of the German peo- . pie. These facts do, unfortunately, impart I a significance to Herr ass ennann's vchem- . ent diatribes against England, which it . would be foolish wholly to ignore. In his 'eyes we are everywhere the enemies of J Germany. It may be a mere exhibition of temper; it may be designed to intimidate ' somebody; it may more probably be inj tended, as would seem to be indicated by , the more sober and reassuring communique from Berlin, to which the Cologne Gazette ' has itself had to give publicity, to serve as a foil for a 'ess virulent review of foreign ' politics by the Chancellor in the Reichstag. ' However . anxious the German Foreign Office may be to minimise its significance, it ' cannot be ignored." { These are wise and weighty words, set- [ ting forth considerations which will have to be taken into account. Silly and even childish as the German fuss must needs seem to level-headed people, there is no ; ignoring the disagreeable fact that more than one big war has been started before ; now by much smaller provocation. It can- • not, one would think, be Germany's inten- , tion to provoke England into a war at the present moment; it surely cannot enter into the German conception that England's . Sovereign is to be intimidated from visiting his own relatives and his brother Sove- : reigns by any preposterous gasconading such as the stuff I have quoted. But nevertheless, the mere fact of such utterances having found publication, reveals a i state of German feeling which is not pleasant to contemplate, and may be sinister , in its effect.