The news & observer., 1897-12-19
Posts copyrighted London cable to-day

POSTS copyTlSHteu louuon capie louas
says:
The terrific goings-on at Kicl over
Prince Henry's departure for China
have been the all-absorbing topic WIKI
Englishman this week. Pale fear. says
the German national organ III Vienna
will penetrate to John Bulls marrow
as he reads of it. AS matter of fact
John Bulls first impulse has been ia
split his sides with laughter over Il far
cial melOdrama, such as no coming
Christmas pantomime can hope to- riva..
when the Kaiser talks of stalking
my only brother and calls heaven 10
witness how the German Michael has
firmly planted on Chinese soil the shield,
emblazoned with the imperial eagle. in
order to afford protection once for all to
him who applies for it, the Englshman
rudely laughs. lie recalls that the Ger
man Michael is the mildest hammered
of young men, the idol of his English
grandmamma who is taken what even
half-seasoned sailor would regard as
a pleasant cruise with one 1000 ton,
twenty three year old iron battle-Shlp
and one, 1000 ton cruiser in order to So
cure coaling station which practically
already mas been .ceded, over which no
one dreams 4of single shot being fired.
When the same mild hammered young
man apostrophizes his own brother with
Most Serene Emperor, Most Powerful
Lord, King and Master, for ever, Hoch.
Hochi Hoch! and eulogiZes the gospel
of your Majesty's hallowed person,
blunt John Bull seriously asks himself
whether these young people have not III
together lost their wits. Indeed, the
Saturday Review to-day builds up an
argument mat William the witless,
as it used to call him, has now gone
stark, staring mad and it is certainly TO
be remembered that, by the unalterable
etiquette of the German court, the Elm
peror must himself have read Prince
Henry's words before hand.
''To closest students of European af-
fairs however there seems much method
in his madness. The average English
man who is laughing loudly to-day, prob
ably will be puzzling his brains next
week as to whether the German craze
4or naval power is not a thing to be
reckoned with. 1t may have been more
than a mere joke when in talking to
Count Zichy, the Emperor said: You
should visit China; by the time you get
there you will find Prince Henry, Ein-
peror of China Why should Emperor
William not found second India for
Germany in China as means of imper-
ial agrandzement. and of averting the
socia revolution threatened at homer
The Spectator dilates on this view to-
day and is quite prepared. perhaps even
to welcome the German Emperor as tbc
acknowledged master and opener to civ
ilization an foreign trade of the rich
est, best populated and quietest section
of the U1inese empire.
"Xiao Chou. with its harbor and Hin
terland, which Germany is annexing, is
as large as Wales, and full of people.
1t is capable of yielding a substantial
revenue and of becoming the stepping
off place for the acquisition of the cen
trail division of China. These possibil-
tiles will come home TO John Bull when
he has done his laughing. Anticipating
that time, and taking advantage of the
state of mind, bordering on frenzy, t.
which German trade rivalry has reduced
no small section of the British people.
the Navy League, whose one desire IS
for increased naval armaments yester
day sent to London editors document
marked private and confidential beg
ging them to awaken the public to the
peril of the deadly enemy, silently.
steadily and stealthily preparing to
strike England down. In the end they
will succeed, for so soon as the German
Emperor gets his naval vote through the
Reichstag-and that seems the most
obvious purpose of these Kiel antics
so surely will the cry go up for a proper
tional increase of the British navy"