GERMAN ANNITIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15194, 14 April 1917, Page 2

GERMAN ANNITIONS.

A GERMAN AFRICA PROPOSED. (Renter's Telegram.) LONDON, April 12. The Times publishes an article emphasising that Germany's colonial ambitions are by no means dead, lfc cites numerous recent German responsible journals, as illustrating the idea of a great colonial empire in Africa being firmly rooted in the German mind, and that "the whole German colonial movement now subscribes to the doctrine. It quotes Professor Delbruck's statement that the German "world policy'' is in reality nothing but a colonial policy conceived on large lines. Dr. Self, in the Colonial Calendar for 1917, says: "The history of our colonies in this worldwar has shown what we lack. It has shown that ours was not a proper Empire, but merely a number of possessions without geographical or political connection or established communications. These experiences show what direction our aims must take. Our colonial and political aim in the future must be regarded in connection with all other aims -which \v-e are determined by world-war." It also quotes articles by Emil Zimmerman, a colonial publicist, from the Preusseehe Johrbucher, forecasting that fifty years hence the Germans will be in possession of Central Africa, and declaring that when great cities have grown up on the shores of Lakes Chad" and Tanganyika and in the Congo, it will be possible for a German commercial traveller to be ordered to take the Congo cxpre-s to WilheLmstadt (which will then be the name or' Stanleyville) in September, and haA-e his goods delivered by December. The journey from and to the Congo will take f.even days. Zimmerman, in a previous article, had explained that a German Africa would make, Germany a world Power, enabling her to exert, a decisive influence upon the world and upon the political decisions of our enemies and other Powers, and exercise pressure in shaping policy in Africa, Asia Minor, and Southern Europe. Moreover, "a German Africa will find allies immediately in Abyssinia and in the Mohammedan freedom movement, and will thus make the employment of black troops against our European frontiers impossible." The Timet?, in commenting, shows that this is not an isolated view, but is fully endorsed by the whole school of German colonial thinkers at the present moment. They assume that German Africa in the future will consist at least of the old German colonics, the whole of the Belgian Congo, the whole of French Equa- , tori a 1 Africa, and contain adequate j garrisons and munition factories, with naval bases at Dar-es-salam, at the month of the Gam croons, on the estuary at the mouth of the Congo, on the coast of Angola, and on the coast of Southwest Africa. The Times enlarges upon the dangers to the British Empire if Germany were able to carry out her ideals. Fortifications along half the west coast of Africa would mean tha.t as soon as she was in a new war the Suez Canal would be closed against England by the Turks, and all traffic between England, India, Australia, and South Africa must go round the Capo and pass the coast of German Central Africa, necessitating England stationing a considerable fleet in South Africa and weakening 1 her forces in European waters. It adds: Such utterances seem extravagant, but so did the writings of Bernhardt and others before the war. Meanwhile the silence of the German Colonial Office does not mean that it is idle if it is tabulating .and pigeon-holing its plans."