TRADE OF THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15728, 1 October 1914, Page 8

TRADE OF THE EMPIRE.

NEED FOE PROTECTION. (Received October 1, 1.30- a.m.) London, September 30. A suggestion has been made that in order to protect British and colonial trade alter the war, the leading Australian merchants should agree with England, Canada, and South Alrica to refuse to buy German and Austrian goods for a period of five years.

TiiJi ±>A VY. ITS ROLE IN WARFARE. GERMAN ADMIRAL'S PICTURE. " Our Fleet: Its Future and its Political Role." Such was the t»tle of a particularly bombastic address, delivered at Basle, Switzerland, on the evening of April 22 last, by Admiral Brewsing, of the German Navy. The address was given under tne auspices of the German Navy League. In explaining why Admiral Brewsing delivered such an address in Swiss territory, the Basle correspondent of Le Matin stated that there were 50,000 Germans in the Canton of Basle, so the admiral was, so to speak, at home, as he rose to address the several hundreds who were drawn by bis advertisement in the press. In accents sharp and commanding, in manner dogmatic, the admiral began with a history of the German fleet from 1895 to the present day. After describing m detail progress in building and arming ships, and in coastal defence, the admiral paii ted an arresting picture of the nest war. He described the ticklish position of the British fleet, forced far from its base of operations in its attempt to blockade the German coast.

"We shall await them," he cried, ! "close to our own shores, in a situation moft favourable to ourselves. Our tor-peao-boats and submarines, for a lor.g period trained for night attacks, cannot fail to work enormous destruction to the British fleet, which must repair to -its base for stores and munitions of war, while we shall have ours at hand. So' at length will come a time when a certain number of our enemy's vessels being destroyed and others widely scattered for the purpose of defending commercial interests, the fleets will be practically equal. Then I can safely assert the tide will flow in our direction. We shall cause the enemy's vessels enormous damage, while they are pi earing for a fight at close range— only kind for which they are trained. After the battle again the advantage will be on our side. Thanks to the proximity of our arsenals and workshops, and to the number and efficiency of our workmen, we shall be able "more quickly to repair and reconstruct."

Tbf admiral then passed to the political aspect. He imagined a general outbreak of wax, and his dream vision as it passed over this universal field of battle discovered £t each moment encouraging omens for Germany. According to him, two nations would play an unexpected part in the conflict, and these two nations were Japan and Italy. Italy's task would be twofold—her fleet would neutralise the power of the French fleet. For this purpose it was of ample strength, even without the help of Austria. As to her army, front Tripoli it would march on Egypt. Along the coast were magnificent paved roads, constructed by the Romans. Italy would despatch 120,000 men, who would find ho difficulty in wiping out the 13,000 English quartered in Egypt. The desert, the climate, the Arabs, the British fleet, were as nothing in the eyes of the warlike admiral. As to Japan, he revealed to his audience that, in spite of he? seeming alliance with Britain, she was strong] averse to British policy. " 'Fitere is no doubt that in case of war the Japanese fleet would bear an expeditionary force into the South Pacific to take possession of Australia and New Zealand..

" Will Germany's aims be confined to & merely successful war? No," continued Admiral Browsing. " The 80,000,000 souls we shall shortly number need colonies a vast colonial empire. We shall, not repeat the scandalous Agadir fiasco, that shameful business wherein we had to renounce our designs on Morocco before ail "English threat. We must increase, nav. double, our navy, in order to conquer and defend the oversea possessions of which we have need. We should consider no (sacrifice too heavy for that. 'On for God and our country !' as old Blucher said one hundred years ago."