SIX YEARS AGO.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 55, 31 October 1914, Page 5

SIX YEARS AGO.

! KAISER AND OUR NAVY. INTERESTING VIEWS CONCKRRh ING THE TWO POWERS. (Received 10.50 a.m.) London, October 30. The Morning Post publishes the Kaiser’s letter to the lato Lord Tweedmouth of February 14th, 1908. lii commences: “I see by the newspapers that a battle royal is being fooghl about the needs of the nary. There* fore I venture to furnish you with information r.nent the German naval programme, which is being used as a decoy to frighten the peaceable British taxpayer. During my last pleasant visit to your hospitable shores I tried to make your authorities understand the drift of the German naval policy. I am afraid the explanation was misunderstood or not believed, because I sect the German danger constantly mentioned in British newspapers and reviews. It is absolutely nonsensical and not true that the German Naval Bill is to provide a navy whieh meant a challenge to British naval supremacy.” They were solely built for Germany’s needs in relation to a country with rapidly growing trade. The extraordinary rapidity of improvements in battleships and armaments necessitated the wholesale re-building of the entire navy; but there was no addition to the units laid down in 1898. This is the Bill’s main fault. Th. discussion in the newspapers is invariably exemplifying to Germany that the simpler thing would he for England to say “I will be a world-wide Empire with the greatest trade in th. world, and I require so many battleships and cruisers,” but it is very galling to Germans to see their country continually held up as the sole danger and menace to Britain.” The Kaiser emphatically denied Lord Esher’s statement that he wished to see Lord Fisher’s downfall. It was preposterous to infer that the German authorities would work against persons in official positions in foreign countries.

“In my humble opinion,” ho says, “the perpetual quoting of the Gorman danger is utterly unworthy of Britain, with a world-wide Empiro and a mighty navy. Indeed it is nearly ludicrous. Foreigners in other countries might • easily conclude that tho Germans were(ah exceptionally strong lot, as they seem to be able to striko terror into the - hearts of the British, who are five! times -their* superior. Once more, the German Naval Bill was not aimed at Britain, and was not a challenge to British supremacy on tho sea, which will remain unchallenged for generations; ( to come.”

The Morning Post adds : “It is permissible in-existing circumstances to record what would otherwise remain unrecorded, namely, that the Kaiser on one occasion when being entertained here expressed the hope that tho German and British fleets might some day be fighting together against tho United States, the common enemy. The Kaiser on that occasion made tho mistake, so frequent among Germans, of undervaluing the intelligence of tho British.