GERMANY AND “THE PEACE. MAKER.”

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14345, 25 October 1910, Page 6

GERMANY AND “THE PEACE. MAKER.”

Lord Esher, in a recent article in a German magazine, makes a praiseworthy attempt to portray to German readers the real character and jiolioy of the late King Edward VII. One of tho most striking portions of the article is that in which the author insists that tlie late King never entertained' the slightest jealousy on account of Germany’s attainment of her present commanding position among Continental nations, and was neither dismayed nor irritated by the rapid growth of German -sea-power during the closing years of his reign. Lord Esher finds the key to the late King’s attitude in the fact that ho thoroughly understood the impulses which urged Germany on, and regarded them as only natural to « proud, self-conscious, and highly-organ-ised people, eager to expand and possessed of great tenacity of purpose. “King Edward was far too reasonable,” his lordship says, “his knowledge of tho world was too thorough, and Ins understanding of tho conditions of commercial rivalry amongst tho European States too clear, for him not to absolutely appreciate tho real meaning of the efforts of tho German Emperor and the Gorman people to increase German seapower and to peg out a broader area for German colonial undertakings.” King Edward’s conclusion, ho continues, was that it was Great Britain’s duty to see that there wore no weak places in her own armour and “maintain her sca-powor cm tho highest, step which it must occupy if it is to fulfil the purposes of national defence and afford a guarantee for the inviolability of British territory.” King Edward scouted the idea that a conflict between the two nations was inevitable, and held the opinion that war would bo utterly disastrous for them both, whichever was the victor. “That was an idea,” Lord Esher'assures his .German readers, “which one could hear from him almost every day)” King Edward was far too shrewd a citizen of tho world to believe that “disarmament or the limitation of armaments was anything else lint a fantastic dream, and ho could never understand how any intelligent being could believe he had proposed either one or tho other to the Gorman Emperor.” Ho enmo to the cominon-Hunsu conclusion that there was plenty of room in the world for both Britain and Grmany, but only so long as each could respect the strong right arm of the-other.