THE GERMAN MENACE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14220, 18 February 1914, Page 8

THE GERMAN MENACE.

HELD TO BE A NIGHTMARE. A CONSUL’S VIEWS. AUCKLAND, February 13. Dr. R. Kiliani, Consul-General in Australasia for the German Empire, who is at present on a visit to Auckland, had some interesting observations to- make to a reporter on the economic aspect of Germany’s relationship with Australasia. Discussing the apparent feeling of hostility which exists in these British dependencies towards Germany, a feeling which lie remarked was just as definite in New Zealand as in Australia itself, he pointed out that so far from being a hostile factor in the development of British industries, Germany was more and more every year becoming the complement of the economic structure of the British Empire, Dr. Kiliani went on to remark that Germany herself was an imagination field for large numbers of the Slavonic people 0. 1 Eastern Europe. The influx into Eastern Germany last year reached 250,000. The significance of these figures could be better realised when it was mentioned that during the same period Australia gained 80,000 by immigration. “So you can see,” he said, “how unfounded is your fear of a German invasion of settlers, here.”

Upon anjjikffyie'ver suggesting that an invasion / of Gewian settlers might be lather welcomed Vian otherwise in Australasia, the Corisnl-Geueral pointed out that the economic aim of Germany was to encourage her people to remain in the Fatherland. As for the political aspect, ho {minted to the closer bonds of understanding between Great .Britain and Germany. One of Hie results of the Balkan War, be said, was the growing recognition in Great Britain that it is not her policy to hem in Germany in the near East. “The real interests of Great Britain and Germany in that field are practically identical,” he remarked.

Reverting to the economic situation, Dr. Kiliani added that this taking of raw products from the British possessions eras not the only feature in the new economic development which spoke for her as the natural complement of the British economic structure, ince Germany had grown so wealthy, she had also become the largest purchaser of British-manufactured articles. Up to last year the United States of America held this place as the chief buyer from Great Britain, but las year Germany supplanted the American Republic as a buyer. It was foolish, therefore, to assume that the wealth of a great neighbour meant necessarily harm to the British Empire. As a matter of fact, the economic inter-dependence of the two countries had been overlooked by those who were always pre-snpposing hostility of interests between the two nations.

The interests of Great Britain and her dependencies were as much bound up in the economic progress of Germany as were those of Germany in the ability oi the British dependencies to supply her increasing wants in raw material.