“ENGLAND’S COMPLETE DEFEAT.”

Wairoa Bell, Volume XXXI, Issue 215, 11 January 1918, Page 4 (Supplement)

“ENGLAND’S COMPLETE DEFEAT.”

The view voiced, by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr Lloyd George, that nothing else could defeat the Allies new but shortage of tonnage, is _ shared by many people in enemy counb tries. lor instance, a remarkable letter written by “A Hamburg Merr chant,” which appeared in the “Rhein--2 fsch-Westfaliche Zeitung,” the organ j. Krupps, at the beginning of October ; iast, shows the serious position with : which Germany will be faced unless - England’s complete defeat can be achj leved. The following are extracts from . the letter in question :—“ The outcome 1 of the Scheidmann-Erzberger recipe 5 for peace may be summed up in the > words, ‘Renunciation of victory.' . What this would mean for our econoJ mic life is hardly understood. It means neither more nor less than that we are prepared practically to abandon the economic fight with our enemies, or, more properly speaking, with England, and to resign ourselves to England’s remaining in possesson of the immense advantages which she has gained throughout the world. We cimnot close our eyes to the fact that England has, on the whole, realised her war aims, and our brilliant military position should not blind us to the fact that our economic world-position is getting worse. Before the war our jxfkition as a world-power was based on our eooniiriic activity in all parts of the world, our world commerce, our colonies, and our shipping. England’s war aim was the destruction of our world-position, and in this she has succeeded as none -would have thought possible. Our shipping and world commerce are ruined, and it will need ytars of industrial toil to build up our old position again. During the last three years England has been able to maintain the success of her early attacks on our shipping and colonies, to saddle us continually with fresh enemies, to set herself up everywhere in our place, and to rob us of the foundation for rebuilding our foreign trade by the liquidation of thousands of German firms abroad. The cruellest blow was the adhesion of China and a large part of South America to the Entente. There is no possibility of our overseas Fade taking up its former activity after the conclusion of peace, nor of entering into the old relations. Practically no foundations for the latter exist any longer, while the enemy has taken our place in some cases in such a way that he cannot be removed from it. The German merchant who goes out- into the world after peace will find everywhere ruins and a spirit of hostility. . . Only England’s complete defeat can fcrce her to give up her plans and give our foreign trade free access to all parts of the world, including her colonies and spheres of influence. Only then will the other Allies and neutrals allow German traders of all sorts rights in their countries We must hold out till our incomparable U-boats have beaten England to her knees.” The Hamburg merchant, while apparently well advised as to the economic predicament of his country, is evidently ill-advfsed as to the potency of the “incomparable” means by 'which he hopes to see England ultimately brought to her knees. He was, at least, discreet in his choice of terms. As applied to the U boats, “incomparable” is certainly mere appropriate am more truthful than “unconquerable.” Incomparably they undoubtedly are as instruments of murder on the high seas, but Britain has already proved her ability to conquer them. That being so, the Hamburg merchant and his war-weary f country men. cherish a vain hope while they wait for England’s complete defeat.