GERMAN CONFIDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16775, 15 February 1918, Page 4

GERMAN CONFIDENCE.

A rise of confidence in Germany is invariably signalised by an outburst of Pan-Germanism ; a fall by whimpering and hypocritical professions of readiness to make peace. There is a remarkable difference between the German utterances of the period before the Austro-Germari success in Italy and those of the period since the beginning of peace negotiations with Russia. German confidence was at the lowest, ebb until the collapse of the Italian armies. Then the Kaiser was patronising the Pope and entrusting him with the "sacred task" of bringing the war to an end. Now the same Kaiser is lauding Hindenburg and the German Army as the only possible peacemakers. Then official Notes from Berlin were full of vague references to arbitration and the reduction of armaments. Now we have a semi-official demand for heavy indemnities from all the Western allies. The immediate cause of this outburst is, of course, the terms, favourable to Germany, which have apparently been reached with the Ukrainians. At every German success, whether military or political, the result has been the same. The Pan-Germans emerge from a temporary retirement as clamorous as they were at the outbreak of the war. On victorious occasions all Germans are PanGermans ; in seasons of reverse the suffering millions moderate their desire for plunder, and would be content with any peace which had the Kaiser's approval. At present Germany's hopes of victory before America is ready have been strongly revived. This blatant confidence will not be broken by President Wilson's appeals to reason and justice, but it may waver before the strength which will be given to the Allied forces by American men and American guns.