VON TIRPITZ TALKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 7

VON TIRPITZ TALKS.

HIS ADVICE REJECTED.

LOST CHANCES LAMENTED: LONDON, Sept, 7. Von Tirpitz", in the extracts from "The Memoirs of Von Tirpitz," published in the Sunday Times, declares that he alone in Germany realised Britain's desire to crush Germany, and but for the interference of the German politicians would have concentrated all Germany's energies against Britain. He maintains that unrestricted submarine warfare should have been prosecuted ruthlessly to the end, as it was the only weapon which could have saved Germany from defeat. He declares that the prestige of the British Navy robbed Germany's leaders oi their courage at the beginning of the war, when the German navy had a prospect of victory. Discussing the blunders of German /diplomacy, Tirpitz declares that the . despatch of the Panther to Agadir, for which Kiderlen-Waechter was chiefly responsible, was a grave blunder, which, inflicted a severe blow to German prestige. To counteract this Tirpitz insisted on the introduction of the Naval Supplementary Bill, the announcement of which in tho Kaiser's speech of February 7, 1912, led to Lord Haidane's visit to Berlin.

Tirpitz expatiates on Haidane's cleverness as a negotiator, and tells how-lie dazzled the Kaiser with the prospect of a great African Empire, Vhile " merely claiming the Cape to Cairo railway as England's share. That meant Africa for England." Tirpitz reproaches the German Staff with having under-estimated the British army even as late as autumn, 1914. He says that he was constantly thwarted in his design of concentrating his energies on the cutting of British communications by risking the ' High Seas Fleet in battle in order to seize the Channel ports. Tirpitz declares that Bethmann-Hollweg failed to realise that Britain, having entered the war, was deliberately bent on winning it. He says that- leading circles in Germany were quite ignorant of ths meaning of sea-power, and the bitter fate threatening Germany if she was driven off the seas, Tirpitz laments the lost opportunity not merely of holding up.' the. traffic of the Channel with artillery posted at Cape Gris-Nez, but of subjecting London to a concentrated bombardment from Gris-Nez, which would have been far more effective than the bombardment of Paris I in 1918. ■"--.,-■■ ■•'.