COLONIAL DEMANDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20672, 10 March 1937, Page 7

COLONIAL DEMANDS

GERMAN MEMORANDUM I understand that a memorandum dealing with Germany's claim to colonies is now being drawn up by the Ministry of Economics with the co-op-eration of Herr von Ribbentrop’s Berlin staff, said a writer in the “Daily Telegraph” on January 5. It is apparently intended to hand it to the interested Powers, including Britain and France, during March. Dr. Schacht, Minister of Economics and president of the Reichsbank, is believed to have discussed the matter with Herr Hitler when he saw him after General von Seeckt's funeral. In some quarters it is thought that the question may be ventilated as early as January 30, the fourth anniversary of Herr Hitler’s accession to power, when the Reichstag is expected to meet.

The memorandum will deal exclusively with Germany’s former colonies, and suggestions will be made as to how the mandates can be transferred to Germany without economic complications. The financial side of the question will also be dealt with.

Germany will claim that she requires colonial raw materials for her industries and that world trade will benefit if she is satisfied on this score. The Powers will be assured that it is not only a question of prestige for Germany.

During the last few months influential industrial leaders appear to have swung over to the view that the possession of colonies would materially benefit Germany.

It is possible that Germany will record her agreement to a certain degree of international control along the lines suggested by Dr. Schacht in his recent article in the American periodical “Foreign Affairs.” He then indicated that Germany was not fundamentally opposed to international supervision of military forces, police, justice and religion, so long as she could administer the colonies herself and introduce her own currency. It seems likely, from the care with which, according to my information, the memorandum is being drawn up, that it will be the most elaborate st ?.tement of Germany’s demands yet made. Some industrials seem to believe even that Germany will once more be a colonial power by the end of this year.