Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-24
Naval Force Increased in
West Indian Waters.
THEPANTHER INCIDENT
INTERESTS OF THE KAIsER,S SUB
JECTs TO BE PROTECTED.
An Aggressive South American Pro-
gram-Possible Clash With
the Monroe Doctrine.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


| friendship extended by Kaiser William to-
| ward the Washington administration, the
| pan-Germanic and colonial expansion par
| ties Of Germany are urging an aggressive
| South American policy which threatens
| sooner or later to strain the ties made by
| Prince Henry's visit and the subsequent
exchange Of courtesies. Kaiser William,
like President Roosevelt, Is limited in his
executive prerogatves. Although desiring
| that the PROV of Germanic colonial expan-
| sion shall not come In collision with the
Monroe doctrine, there are powerful CO.
| operative societies within Germany which
are weaving a web in South America which
! nay demand an application Of the Monroe
| doctrine championed by President Roose-
welt In his recent speeches For several
weeks the German press has busted itself
| with President Roosevelt's views on the
| Monroe doctrine even to the exclusion of
| the visit Of the King of Italy and tho pro-
| life triple alliance theme.
Anthems Of peace throughout Europe are
! dedicated tn honor Of the recent exchange
| Of royal visits at Reval, st. Petersburg
and Berlin. but the anti-American press is
| fond Of cutting up grimace when 1t comes
| to discussing the Monroe doctrine and PreS1-
! dent Roosevelt's attitude toward Germany
| For in many quarters the conviction comes
to the foreground that President Roosevelt's
aggressive Monroe doctrine policy is princu-
pa1ly directed toward Germany.
| Naval Force in West Indian Waters.
The Panther incident at Gonaives is the
| first indication Of the new South American
| policy of the German foreign office. Hither-
| to only a stray cruiser school ship was
| maintained in the West Indian waters to
render assistance to German citizens and
property owners in Venezuela, Colombia,
| Haiti and other centers of internecine strife
and revolutions. But the official exchange
of views between the German and United
States governments subsequent to the visit
of Prince Henry determined the kaiser to
adopt n more vigorous naval policy in pro-
tecting German interests. The creation Of
an American naval squadron in South
American waters. with Captain Scheder as
commodore Of the fleet, and the newly re-
paired Vineta at the Newport News naval
yards as the flagship is in accordance with
mutual agreements arrived at between the
William street foreign office of Berlin and
the State Department at Washington.
Nevertheless the State Department con-
veyed to the German government, through
the offices of the retiring ambassador. An
drew D. White, that the United States
would reserve for Itself the option Of taking
aggressive steps to quell riot and revolu-
tons In South America
Agreement With Germany.
Commodore Scheder of the newly estab-
lished American sta ton had long audience
with Kaiser William on board the latters
after the northland cruise Of his majesty.
Capt. Scheder received definite instructions
before departing for Newport News to take
command of the Fake. These instructions
were to the effect that no action should be
taken which may involve Germany In
strained relations with the United States.
Capt. Scheder was also informed that the
United States government placed Its nasal
repair yards at the disposal of the German
government in repairing its ships station
ed in South America a q shown by the fact
that the Vineta was locked at Newport
News to undergo an overhaul1ng with a
special inspector from the German navy
department to overlook and direct the
work. The question of coaling the station
ships was also decided to the satisfaction
Of both governments.
This is the new cordale entente existing
between Germany and the United States, so
far as its naval activities In South Ameri-
can waters are concerned. Hitherto the
German naval department had not sufficient
warships to provide a regular station IN
South America, although the large German
interests sin Venezuela, Haiti, Colombia.
Brazil and other republics with thick Ger
man settlements demanded constant protec-
ton But the elaborate development and
large appropriations for the extension OF
the foreign fleets Of Germany during the
past decade made 1t possible to create
special squadron for South American wa
tiers. consisting Of the first-class protected
cruiser Vipeta as flagship, the cruisers Ca
zelle Of the most modern German type; the
Fake, and the new gunboat Panther, which
was exhibition at the Dusseldorf exposi-
ton before 1t was commissioned 10 the
American station. All these ships are for
midabe and the most modern OF their type.
Important Interests Involved.
The fact that Germany regards its inter-
ests in South America of the utmost i'm
portance may be gathered from the fact
that it reserves four war vessels for the
Gn1,fh A fotin Uyhf
one gunboat Of an inferior type to Its
South African colonial interests. leaving
Marshall Islands. Samoa and other German
territorial possessions entirely unproVlded
with warships The reason is that German
property interests in German East Africa.
kamerun, South West Africa ana New
Guinea are insignificant as compared with
the German commercial interests In South
America. with which the Hamburg South
American. the North German Lloyd, the
De Freytas, Kosmos and other German
steamship lines carry on direct trade and
regular steamship connection while neglect
Ing entirely the German colonial possessions
which have thus far proven to be white
elephants" and a burden to the German
treasury. Only casual study Of the statis-
tics of the foreign commerce OF Germany is
necessary to prove that its interests in
South America are greater than In all its
colonies combined, and that German for
eign commerce depends heavily upon ex,
ports to South America. and raw material
imports from Brain, Venezuela, Colombia
Haiti and other republics.
Official and Popular View.
But the official German estimation Of the
Monroe doctrine and the popular view ere
two radically different propositions. 1t
would be folly to- disguise the fact that
Germany covets property in South Amer
lea in order to maintain its commercial
prestige there against the rivalry Of Great
Britain. France and the United States.
The expansion policy championed and ad-
vocated in the chambers of Congress at
Washington encouraged the belief in Ger
many that the United States will leap IN
at the ripe moment to plant the stars and
stripes In South America and bring the
struggling republics under the Union
hat" The pan-American congress and
efforts to obtain a joint currency and III
ternational regulations between the Union
| and the repNiolics are also regarded as tes-
timony here that such annexation Will take
place at the opportune season. 70
| strengthen this impression the New York
and Washington correspondents of leading
German papers. like the Vossissiche Zeit-
ung Preussische Zeitung. Munchener
Zeitung Lokal Anzeiger and National
Blatt contribute weekly letters In which
| the Monroe dostrine and expansion politics
are treated according to the taste OF the
German editor. For the German news