The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1905. GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12566, 1 August 1905, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1905. GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN

\ ■] It is ia rather curious coincidence that at the momentwhen Germany's atti- 1 tude in relation to the Marshall Islands I should l>e attracting the attention and provoking the condemnation of British publicists, both at Home and in the colonies, there should arrive in New Zealand a gentleman who is in a posi- - tdon to speak with some authority as to , the trend of German sentiment towards 'Great Britain. The gentleman in ques- : ition is Mr. H. Neville-Smith, a brother of a lady resident of Timaru. We learn from tho Timaru "Herald" that Mr. . Neville-Smith is musical critic for the ', "German Times/* a paper published in Berlin in the English language for the b&nefit of very numerous English and American residents in the German cap- ' ital. His jo lrnalistic duties keep him in Berlin during the .concert season, which extends from November to April, and for the past few years ihe has spent tihe intervening months in studying the violin under the best artists, of whom Professor Sevcik is one. The strain of combining his own studies with.'the criticism of the performers who appear during the concert season in Berlin, has proved a tax on Mr. Smith's health, and this year he has taken a run out to the colonies to recuperate. During his residence in Berlin. Mr. Smith has come a good deal in contact with the army officers, and as he only left the capital about three months ago, a natural question to him was the feeling in Germany with regard to tL~ Japanese war. Mr. Smith said that undoubtedly, feeling in the army was in favour of the Russians. Russia and Germany were similar in constitution, the German Emperor if anything being a greater autocrat than tho Russian Czar. It was only .natural, therefore, that the army, which is under tiie strictest discipline, should take its cue from its head and favour the Russians. Among the people, however, who are pervaded with Socialism, feeling was on the side of the Japanese. But what struck the visitor most'during his intercourse with army people in Benin, was their openly expressed conviction that war with Britain was only a 'matter of a short time. Many officers have told him that "they will do their best" when that time comes, and they do not conceal their opinion thiat it won't be long hi coming. Germany is bent on having colonies, and expanding 'her, trade, aiid she recognises that she can only do this at the expense of Britain. Hence her merchants, as well as her army, are contemplating a war with the British, iP.nrl feeling between the two nations is," "Mr. Smith says, exceedingly bitter. If war comes, and it is a land war, he thinks tihe German army will be hard .to beat, as it is exceedingly welltrained and disciplined, and the officers study their profession hard. They are great linguists, and each regiment contains officers able to speak the language of any country it may have to fight in. It was suggested to Mr. Smith by the representative of our Timaru contemporary, that the newly-created German navy might perform as badly as the Russian fleets have done. He said he did not think so, because the discipline in the navy was as strict as in the army, and efficiency was insisted on by the Kaiser who recently removed am official of the highest birth from his command, because lie had not brought it to a propea- pitch of perfection. Moreover there was not the corruption in Germany that there is in Russia., and the ships, armaments and stores are all in good condition. Germany now builds her own ships, and as an instance of tho thorough way in which they do. things, Mr. Smith described" a German passenger ship, built in Germany, which, he says, is the finest piece of marine \v orkmanship he has ever seen. From his experience of the German merchaiit service, he is also convinced that ihe Germans make good seamen, and generally he considers that the Kaiser's navy would be a much haa-der nut to crack than that of the Czar has been. As. the Timaru "Herald" remarks, the opinion which Mr. NevilleSmith has expressed as to the possibility of an early war between Britain and, Germany may appear in-these latitudes' a little extravagant and alarmist, but it should bo remembered that it is the opinion of an observer who has but lately left the German capital, where ho had exceptional opportunities of acquainting himself with the feelings and the anticipations of the military caste. It should also--be remembered that Mr. Smith's views are shaded by some of the best -informed publicists in England, who base their belief on the same grounds : as those put forward by tho visitor to Timaru. The London "Spectator," for \ instance, in an article written a month after Mr. Smith left Britain, empas- ' sises the -necessity for the exercise of the ' greatest vigilance in face of the policy ■ entered upon by the rulers of Germany. I Our contemporary dismisses the idea that the two nations are racially antagonistic, but it points out that the danger to ' Britain springs,, not from the German t people, but from the ambitions .and as- .1 pirations of those who rule the'•German- , people and whoso 'orders' that people } obey as a regiment does 'its colonel, i

Sermany, though nominally a semi-fre* md semi-constitutional country, ha! rery little self-government as wo under stand it. The Kaisor is, as Mr. Smitl •emarked. a more complete antocra' :lian the Czar of Russia, :ind li!> is .sup sorted by Ministers who aro ontiVoly ii ;ympa.i'hy with his aims. These aro th' lien from whom danger is to bo appre lendod—th© governing forces who con :ro! tho great military and political ma jhine which practically constitutes th« 3-erman Empire. "We believe," say >he journal we are quoting, "that thes nen are dominated by political aspiira :ions, and by a scheme of policy whicl saiinot bo carried out without injury ti Britain, and that therefore these aspfc it ions, and that scheme of policy mus >3 watched with unceasing vigilance.' Dig ambition of the Kaiser is to plat* jfOi-many in a position which will giv< ler a dominating voice in all intema :ional affairs. The ambition .of he statesmen and of her commercial classet is to expand her trade and to mak< ler, instead of Britain, the colonising nation of the world.