Evening star., 1898-07-16
GER M ANYS ACTIONS
Why She Has Pursued Hostile Attitude in
the Philippines.
Jealousy of the Liability of Our Gain
ing Possession the Prob
able Cause.
To the kdltor of The Evening Star:

To the kdltor of The Evening Star:
The clumsy, ill-disgused purpose of Ger
many to make of the United States an in
strument to draw chestnuts out of the fire
for her Is at last beginning to attract the
attention of our people. Always frank and
direct in our international dealings, we are
slow to understand the insincerity and un-
scrupulousness Of musty old-world dIplom-
acy. If it is often eXpedient to appear to
accept diplomatic professions. On the other
hand the weather eye should always be
kept on the alert for what is behind such
professions, which may, perhaps, be used
to conceal motives and undeveloped proba-
bilities The discipline maintained In the
German service is such as to make it i'm
possible to relieve that government Of re-
sponsibility for the affront offered the
United States a Manila, and semi officially
approved by the press. The action Of Ad-
mirai Diedrich and those under his COM
mand was undoubtedly inspired by the Ger
nan emperor. That word, in official Ian
guage, may mean as much or as little as
circumstances make it expedient to avow.
From the moment that Germany declined
to fall into line with every other nation IN
the declaration of neutrality in this war IL
became evident that Emperor William had
something in his mind; that he proposed to
use our country to MS own aoNantage
without getting hurt in return. The plot IS
row unfolding. 1t is to try to put the Unit
ed States in a false position before the
world by irritating her to the point where
she would lose her self-control, ana py OPEN
ly resenting attacks whose apparent mo-
tive would be automatically disavowed, to
put us technically in the wrong. That
would give Germany the opportunity she IS
seeking to battle the United States. II IS
greatly to the credit of Admiral Dewey
and of the administration that by the eN-
ercise of admirable tact, prudence ana
judgment the trap SO deliberately laid has
thus far been avoided. But some, untami-
lar with the facts, may say that, while all
the other powers are feathering their nests.
poor Germany is left out in the C a. ana
it is no more than natural that sh; shoula
want a share of the spoil won by others.
Just so; but why, If such are her needs,
must she go about IT in such a way! her
method is the last that would be likely 70
succeed with a high-spirited and powerful
nation, because it is attended by cireum-
stances which neither individuals nor ma
tions forget or forgive.
But Germany is very far from being left
out in the race for colonial prizes IN
Africa, which offers the g1lt-edgeo STOCK
of the colonial market of the future, she
already has snug possessions aggregatlng
no less than $4,000 square miles, equal
to the united area of Germany, Austria
Hungary France and SPAIN Even Win
the well-known fecundity of the Teutonio
race 1t will require ages to stock those col.
onies with people, and be quite sufficient
to call into action all the reserve ener-
gies of an empire that is not yet on firm
and solid foundation.
But 1t may be a surprise to some to learn
that Germany also holds very tidy posses
sions near the present scene of action In
Oceanica- The acquisitions of Germany in
those waters include no less than 100, 103
square miles: Japan has only Al, 600 more.
These Pacific colonies of Germany embrace
the Marshall Islands, offering an excellent
midway coaliug station; then, closely ag-
gregated, in a line extending east and west
some / 500 miles. are the Soloman Islands,
the Bismarck archipelago, nearly three
times the area of the Hawaiian group, and
New Guinea. From the magnificent island
of New Guinea, which is nearly as large
as England and Scotland together to Ma
Mia is less than half the distance between
San Francisco and Hawaii The distance
from New Guinea to the coast of Asia on
another line of triangle, is the same
Thus we that Germany's present tick
lish course In the Philippines must be at
tributed as much to jealousy as to any
perishng necessity for more ports or ter
ritory, whether in the Pacific or anywhere
else.
Whatever be the ultimate disposition
made Of the Philippines by the United
States, whether to retain, abandon or di-
vide them, or merely to keep q fortified
coaling port, these facts should and prob
ably will be carefully considered before
Germany is allowed any share of what
she has earned title to neither by right
nor conduct and does not need The policy
or the other powers in that quarter has
thus far been so unexceptionable as 10
throw the course of Germany into strong
and regretable relief.