DEFENCE OF FRANCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15443, 4 September 1914, Page 4

DEFENCE OF FRANCE

MR BLATCHFORD'S OPINION. In a series of notable articles published in 1911. Mr Robert Blatchford, tho well-known Socialist, drew attention to the danger to Great Britain from a. German invasion of France. He said: —''Mr Balfour once declared that t'.io prob'em ot : Imperial. defence was the problem of the defence of Afghanistan. But times liaVo changed sinco then, and I shall propose an otji st o.iuojpp iisui.ifi ao iuo;qo.id fnr[, : u.xijp Str..\vo|joj oi[ l o-j defence of France. There it is: the 1 great danger, the nearer danger than the danger of a German invasion of England. Supposing France attacked and conquered by Germany, !ir,w would our ileco prevent tho annexation of Calais and Cherbourg?' And what could our fleet do to prevent the German conquest of France? As for Belgium and Holland there would bo no need for Germany to annex them. With Calais iu Gorman hands the Netherlands would be quietly absorbed. Then Germany wou'.d have Calais at one end of the Channel and Cherbourg at the other. Also .she would have Amsterdam and Rotterdam and Antwerp, which Napo- ; feon said was like a pistol at, tho. heart of England. Also she would have the Dutch navy and the Dutch craftmansli;p. Then France would be a crippled .Power, and Britain wou'.d be tillable to keep paco with the German output of battleships and sailors. That is why 1 say that the problem -of British defence is the problem of the defence of Franco. "Whether or not we form an offensive and defens'vo alliance with Frailer* I'lie result is the same: the defeat of France is the defeat of Brtain. The downfall of France : s the downfall of tho British Empire. The aggrandisement of Germany is the humiliation of Europe."'