NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN. It is not usual for Ambassadors-desig-nate to discuss in public the relations between their own country and tlie country in which they are about to become Ambassadors; but Prince Lichnowsky on his appointment as German Ambassador in London departed from the customary reserve, and in an interview in Berlin gave his views with great outspokenness on the relations of Germany and England. He said lie was going to London without any policy except that of arriving at a reasonable settlement of all questions on their merits. He recognised that the great question is the naval issue. He failed to see why people in Great Britain should apprehend danger from the German fleet when their own was so much stronger. Germany knew that for Great Britain it was a vital necessity that the British fleet should be stronger than any other. Nobody in Germany disputed that or proposed to build a fleet equal to the British. That would be absurd. But the people of Great Britain, on the other hand, should, not take alarm because Germany found it necessary to build two or three ships. As to the practical proof of goodwill which Germany was said to expect from Great Britain, Herr von Bethmann Hollweg's declaration last autumn that Great Britain must prove her friendship by deeds and not by words he took to mean that Great Britain must abstain from hostile actions and demonstrations against Germany. The German people felt that Great Britain had behaved in an unfriendly way over the Morocco question, and Mr. Lloyd-George's speech hod? created strong resentment. Such demonstrations rendered the position of the Imperial Chancellor at home extremely difficult and necessitated a reply from him. Prince Lichnowsky said his conviction was that the tension was slackening, although there were newspapers which helped to keep it alive. His business in London would be to work for an understanding and to prevent and- obviate friction and ill will, a task in which he hoped to enjoy the support of the British press.