THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Wednesday, December 9, 1908. BRITAIN AND GERMANY.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12420, 9 December 1908, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Wednesday, December 9, 1908. BRITAIN AND GERMANY.

For some time previous to the "publication- of the Kaiser's famous interview and ,the developments following upon it, .and the still more recent warning by Lord Roberts, the .prospects of lasting peace between Germany and Britain, appeared to be seriously ' threatened by ' menacing 1 articles appearing freely in the press of both countries. Messrs Robert Blatchford and H. M. Hyndman, the well known Socialist's, declared so.lemrily that Germany was making to invade England, and called " upon England to train her citizens to defend their country! In taking up' this attitude these writers placed themselves in opposition to practically all the other Labour, and Socialist leaders in the country. The Labour party issued a manifesto ■ protesting: against any fostering of the war spirit, and assuring. -thSir comrades in Germany that the ..working men of England had the | friendliest feelings towards ..the : .German The Labour party further decided to send a- deputation of f fepresejhtative liabbnf members, of Parliament to Germany; 1 , during the 'present, vacation- as messehgers of ; peace . and gpodwHl. 'Mr Hardie^riaiculed the .idea Jthat Germany ..^is^inaking preparations: for an invasion, but; assuming. that the danger is real, -ho contends^- that ifc Is- the- duty of all Labour men and Socialists to toil unceasirigly in the interests v .of" as Jauresahd Bebeldid when France and Germany were' at- loggerheads over "Morocco.^ These"' leaders, according to Mr Hardie, convinced the governing class in both ;ihat ,npt .only, would they oppose war ;but : that if war broke o\it there would "bo" industrial developments : which would^paralyse ,the whole, military systojrVl '■'■■ Tlius^ he: says, %ey "saved tU^ir. "countries^from getting the ■fatal feeling that-war was " 'ineviir-'. able.' : But Blatphf prd and Hynd;m'an seem to have-set themselves the

task ..of" producing -that- very, feeling of ineVitableness than whicfi nothing could more strengthen.' the hands of the ' warmongers on both ' shores of •the German. Oceani""' Mr LloydjGeorge is also opposed to alarmists. The Chancellor of jthe JSxchequef* said that; he .could .not^he- assured- that • an' :Anglb-Germ an 'entente would come -to > pass- to-morrow or ;.the day after; ;but ; it -was his.jfirfljeati conviction 'that sncn" sa entente yr&e l the only means of. putting an end ?to the tension which oppressed all "Europe and to "the; '-mutual fear "which has forced and Germany to make such' great nsaerj§ces for |heir fleets. .Mr Lloyd George asked, ■$& the same ,ocwhy there-should not.be an Anglo-German entente,' since Britain has • already concluded; ententes with

France, Russia, and the United States? An entente with Germany should have for its aim the diminution of future naval construction. The belief that Britain aimed at the isolaiion of Germany is, declared Mr Lloyd George, "a most unworthy suspicion." Mr T. W. Jowett, M.P. on the other hand, views the present trend of Britain's foreign policy with its system of alliances, eettirig a ring fence, round Germany, as distinctly provocative . and dangerous, and he [ protests aiso.against the secrecy with which diplqmacysis enshrouded.-"Un-der the* present'- Ministry," says the -out-spoken^ tLlabo.ur member, ''the veil of seerScy .is more difficult to ponetrattf tjSan 'eye?, because the King, /;"whise : : -actioris cannot he criticis;ed;:!.arid whose ; social influence with : the leaders ;-of^bpth parties | ensures the acceptance' of -his policy^ |b encouraged to interfere in the cbndueirof 'State affairsl ;For the last five years the King lias been going from one European capital to another forming alliances \and promqting understandings; The inevitable of such/methods is, misunderstanding. He has allied, us with a cruel despotism \\vhich is Abhorrent to all thinking men. His action has changed the. policy of Great ■•Britain among;' "European.; States. The full significance of the change we do not i know. . We^ want to know. Though entered upon in the name of "peace, these tortuous methods generally end in international complications /and wars. It is "time they were put a stop to~~in.tlie, interests of., public safety.. Democracy shas nothing .to gain and muoli to lose by secrecy, and as a public representative il want to know, wHat is being done in" the name of the British' nation. I, too, say, 'Let us have light.'" Qf course (remarks a recent English writer),^Messrs,Blatchford and ."Hyjidman ..^and_Jpwett on .the one side, and Mr. Hardio and his following on the other, "are merely theorising. It is pure guess-work on the' part of all of them, including Mr Lloyd-George. Germany's intentions can be known at present only by the German Government. But there is a good doal to be said for the argument that to talk about the "inevitableness". of war is' mischievous and- extremely ill-advised.