DAVID AND GOLLATH.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 8

DAVID AND GOLLATH.

HOW GERMAN VIEWS HAVE CHANGED. Surely a complete change of values must have taken place since 1914, when one finds a Gorman publicist comparing Germany's struggle with England with the fight of David against Goliath. This comparison was used quite seriously in the course of a lecture given at Stuttgart by a Reichstag deputy, Dr Lensch, on “Germany's Historical Task." Needless to say, the task was that “of shaking the English position as the dominating world Power.'' The deputy admitted the difficulty. England, ho felt, would not be shaken by the first blow; yet the job must not be shirked. Of course, England's complete overthrow was not to be counted on. But “peace without victory" is, in Dr. Lensch's opinion, a good German peace, and therefore to be aimed at. “If in this war Germany neither won nor lost, she would in reality win it; if, on the contrary, England did not win absolutely, she would lose."_ In short, all Germany now hopes for is to “save face" by hook or by crook through a deadlock peace. How, one wonders, would the curious picture of Germany as little David defying the British Goliath have gone down with a Stuttgart audience in the autumn of 1914? The wheel has certainly turned full circle since then. HOW ENGLAND IS TO BE STARVED.

The German David's missile is, one need hardly say, the U boat, used, of course, “ruthlessly.” What the German calculation is based upon is shown by an article in the Governmental “North German Gazette” on “unrestricted submarine warfare.” It says:

“The importance of our submarine activity can only be estimated at its full value when one knows how great the daily requirements of England are, and what 100,000 tons means for her food supply. The question is one of enormous importance in this war of starvation against England; only by answering it are we able to determine how far w r e have advanced on the road towards England's overthrow each time we sink 100,000 tons —100,000 tons means for England a deficit of about 250,000 tons of corn, or food for the whole population of England for 12 days. The work of our submarines during the month of December alone consequently sent to the bottom the English food supply for 60 days or two months. ''

Upon this basic calculation the writer builds his belief that the principal foe can be brought down within a measurable time. “If England's supply for two months was sunk in December alone, we may assume that the now unrestricted submarine warfare will have in every way a far more devastating effect.” Already neutral shipping has been frightened away. Thus the result is certain. “Our guarantee lies in the fact that even the most rigid economy and careful distribution of England's stocks of foodstuffs cannot prevent famine; unlike Germany, England has nothing like enough corn to go round even with care. The activity of our submarines, therefore, by starving England, will bring about the peace which the Entente has rejected.” Such is the pebble that the German David has sung at the forehead of the British Goliath. So far it seems to have been a complete misfire, and has even brought another Goliath into the arena.”