THROUGH GERMAN SPECTACLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12695, 15 November 1915, Page 8

THROUGH GERMAN SPECTACLES.

THE K USER'S RIGHT TO BREAK " treaties. THREE MEN IN A BOAT. Germanv has already demonstrated to the world that in her view :■ treaty or any otli.r obligation, however : solemnly conn acted, is a mere S»r-M> «' Paper to be torn up and repudiated ' whenever it suits her to do so. STEEPED IN DISHONOR. \i, En-dish writer, recalling this fact, declared recently that the Kaiser entered on this war "steeped in dishonor."* With a gentleness quite for- - eign to it the Deutsche Tageszeitung ' takes him to task, and expounds, as r i follows, the true significance ot sticli t agreements: — "Treaties, agreements, anil all mi striiments of such a category can be of value only while they constitute ;<>r -both the contracting parties the symbol of ail active interest and ot a sincere desire for the reali-ation oi mutual object-., •"Where tin's i> not the case the treatv inav he said, ill a sense, to have heen imposed oil one of tiie contracting Powers: therefore the actual interests .of such Power are not benefited bysuch a treaty. "•Quite the contrary is the case, lie-,-cause sticli a treatv mav become a mask behind which the other contracting • party may damage a rival's interests. •"This represents the only logical and common-sense view oi any treatv or eon volition, am! the moment siicli an instrument is deprived by circumstances ai isiutc from exisrencie- the e--»eiitial i*ondition> .which :'-sure a community of interests •between two or more contracting {jartil's. its value N reduced to the level i>; a ni-Wspaper article which is read to-dav end tiling into ihe gutter foitinrrow." ' That in the Tago-zeirmg i~ noubt-h-s-. such an article. I»u mr the moment it >erves the purpose of laying hare the art and mystery oi German -[diplomacy. The nation which has fonght so hard :o the Deit\ .and put the Kaiser in Hi= place is above all laws of honor, and mav break promises, dishonor its pledged word anil violate agreements at any moment when the fulfilment of such obligations ceases to suit her purpose. The world has known this for some .t''" 1 ;- ,)ut ne\ er before ha> it been so frankly a<imitteit in a German newspaper of the standing aid past history oi the NEGLIGIBLE AIRCRAFT. The ofis-ia! Cologne Ga/J tte. whose chief function it is t<> administer tonics to the German peolde and otter bouquet- to the Kaiser, is not m tmleast alarmed bv the news that Ims reached it that Britain is building mom aeroidanes: — "English efforts in this direction leave us as unperturbed as when the English writer. Wells. rcceritlv «le-i-'-tretl thai airmen coulil end the war bv d.-rroyins: Essen and other iin>-«rt:Mit ec:.t...s in Germany. "The v d'.-ui: :> alv ot eirinell v.e posvesso.l in Jolv I!ll4 has ! -en reinforce i in proportions such • an outsider ttot'ld deem incredible. e call give no figures, for military reasons. \\e mav sav. however, that gaug.-d merely hv'the splendid exploits o. our aviators. we have long ago mane nn lor the numerical .superiority of wbicb o.n adversaries were a: one time in command." THE DAUNTLESS THREE. Providence, according lo the Rliein-'isch-Wes'tfalische Z.-itung, has b.- e.-. 'k--liaving badly to Germany : In our patriotic <-<>ncern tor our country we often pur to oiirse ves the qnesti-in. prior lo the war. w ether, when the hour struck that wou.d uecide the future . f the German peoole and of the empire. Providence wmi.il raise up in Germanv instruntent> ot such power as to enable us to navb'ite the ship -of the Fatherland through all tfc'e breakers of the tempest. There has, alas, beoa a negative answer to

1 th:it vita! question: and mediocrity to- . day- remains supreme in Germany, i The 10. where a profound knowledge oi I men and things was essential, a v;.l I power unbreakable as steel, we see ; naught but .sentimentality and illusion. • Nev< rthclcss we have something to i>e | thankful for. We have an Emperor who. inspire;! as lie is with the deepest religious -fiiriments, sees iii his 111: siou ti:e direct will of God. Thanks, too, lie to Providence that two men are to-day .standing beside the throne win: have absolute confidence ill the .Sovereign and the nation, and whj>:e presence has become indispensable to every Gorman, for they will save us if any human agency can. "These two men are Hindonburg and Tirpitz." GERMAN WOLF AND DUTCH LAMB. The Kreuzzeitung, like the wolf in the fable, is again cajoling Holland to lie down beside gentle Germany, w-,-:oso only wish is for Holland's good:— "For the sake of the .sincere admiration we cherish for the Dutch people, and lor their spiendidi and heroic past, v.e could wish that some personality of outstanding influence and importance might be found to impress on the minds of our good neighbors the idea that with a German Empire maimed and paralysed Holland, bereft of ail support, would be pretty utterly at the mercy of Great Britain. The German Empire's position as regards Holland is quite distinct from that of Great Britain. The German Empire does not dream of regarding the Dutch frontiers as -'German frontiers" against England. On the contrary, on the termination of a victorious war, Germany would .attach to the continuous existence of an independent, strong Holland, even more importance than she has done hitherto." But Holland knows that "sincere admiration." It comes from Berlin, where treaties are scrapped. LICHNOWSKY'S LIE. .Vow that it ha* been denounced by Sir Edward- Grey. the Cobgiie Vo!kszeitung rises up to defend and reinstate I'rini.-e Lichnowsky's lie: — "Let us not forget that even HunGrey was of the opinion that by participating in the war England would have hut little more to .suffer than 'f she remained a mere spectator of the struggle. It was precisely this consideration that provided England with :he strongest temptation frivolously to provoke hence the "balance of power" became a breeding ground lor battle*. This state of affairs must cease and be replaced by a real balance which shall embrace, not the Continent al.Hie. but also Ihe sen. No State shall any longer be allowed to presume to prescribe to all other peoples their- measure of freedom ami their -hate ill lhe world's gilts." A COTTON YARN. The discovery is made by the Hamburg Eremdenblatt thai America ;:a* remained linn on the cotton <{iicstii.ni. and that England has been compeihnl ;to agree to allow supp!i< ■> to reach ! Germany as heretofore. "According to intelligence received Irom New York, America has replied to the declaration on the part of the - Quadruple Entente that cotton is to be regarded, as contraband by insisting on the shipment of cotton to German ports. This report is hailed wit-.: joy. not, however, because we need Ami ric in cotton at any price and in any circumstances. bill because s:uch a step means a fresh victory for the righteous- cause. At the same time, it. would afford a fresh picof that the relations between the United States anil Germany, despite all the machinations of our ene. mies, were such as to necessitate no improvement whatever."