New-York tribune., 1903-03-30
4 NORTH SEA RAUPART.
German Agitation in FAVOR of Ab-
sorbing Denmark and Holland.
London Ma-ch L


fnces by its powerful rival forty years ago in
defiance OF treaty law and international obIiga-
tons is gradually falling into obscurity The
| skill OF the Queen as match maker impaired
dignity to the royal family. and COPENHAGEN
through these connections with the rcirning
houses OF Russia, Great Britain, Greece and
other countries. has been one Of the minor cen
| tres of European diplomacy. These alliances
| have offered meagre compensation for the loss
| Of the provinces in the with Prussia and
| Austro- Hungary. The little kingdom, which
| was thus abandoned to campaign of wanton
| aggression and plunder. has steadily declined
! in resources and commercial influence. The
| Danish provinces OF Germany have prospered
under the new conditions, and with free access
| to the markets OF great Industrial empire
| have increased IN wealth and productive ca
pacity Their good fortune has excited envy and
| dissatisfaction in the remnant OF the dismsr-
| bered kingdom; and il is object lesson Oh
| which German writer's have laid stress in their
| arguments in favor of the absorption or Den
| mark In the empire OF the confedAratod
| monarchies. The establishment Of the now Brit
| ish naval base the North Sea IS not guar
| antee of the independence Of Denmark II is
/ not an assurance that the little kingdom will 10,
| protected against another campaign of aggras-
sion similar to Bismarck's 1t is, however. Safa-
| guard against German naval power. and may
| come to have high utility
The German Emperor has not lost sight e
/ the maritime Kingdoms Of the North SEQ Ito
has been cuItivating the friendliest possible t.
! lations with both the Danish and the Dutch
/ courts and has succeeded In creating both at
Copenhagen and at The IIasu"-a better under
! standing with Germany. He will be received
/ as a friend when he pays his next visit IN tha
| Danish court, which for long time has hean
under Russian and British influence The mo-
! tives of this astute sovereign in paying marked
attention to the feeble little kingdom ran read
lily be understood when the articles constantly
appearing in the German press are remembered.
These homIes enforce the moral that the day
for small States has passed. Denmark and H"-
land need the protection Of powerful military
States whenever their independence l. menaC"'l
by war; and in time Of peace their industrial Do"
velopment and commercial prosperity are d.
pendent upon their incorporation with Germany,
which can be brought about on honorable terms
without loss of nationality sacrifice Of racial
pride. This is the teaching Of the German NOR
alists and it does not lack cOgency- The Danes
certainly only need To remember the campaign
of 1864 in order to be convinced that treaty law
is a reed shaken by the wind when the indePer-
dence of a feeble State il nenaced, and the ad-
vance made by their lost provinces under Ger
man rule is practical reminder that in peace
as we'll as in war there are great advantages in
Incorporation with an industrial empire. The
little kingdom now has a court here both the
Car and the Queen Of England delight 10 spend
their holidays; but it has no guarantee II pro-
lection either from Russia from Great Brit
ain. The German moralsts emphasize the face
that it would have absolute security if the mon
archy were to be admitted into the Confederacy
Of the empire; and. with elastic imagination,
they enlarge upon the benefits which would ha
derived from a customs union and free access
to the markets OF the Fatherland.
The same arguments used with even
greater persistence by German controyersialsts
in urging the incorporation of Holland with tha
empire. The Boer gave them an opportu-
nifty for starting an agitation in their own press
nd for gaining influential support in Holland.
Dutch resentment against England was strong
on account of the campaign against the two
republics; and jealousy Of Germany was tenn
porariIy counteracted- The German Emperor,
by his telegram Of CongratIIaticn To President
Krtiger in the crisis of the Jameson raid. mads
himself a popular parsonage in Holland Th4
anti-English feeling in Germany during the war
in South Africa was shared by the reseHtfuk
Dutch population and created good fellowship
and sympathy. The German COntroverslalists
have made full use OF their opportunity Sin'9
the Jameson raid there has been an organized
and we'll directed agitation in favor Of a customs
union between Holland and Germany, with ina
absorption Of the little maritime kingdom with
it's colonial possessions in the empire as the
ulterior object. The cautious Dutch pollcy OF
maintaining neutrality in European affairs AMI
OF having as little to do possible with thA
issues of international diplomacy has been con-
denned as IN inadequate safeguard The Dutch
have been reminded that they are surrounded ny
powerful European States and that the pTotA"-
tfon OF the German Empire would give them So
curity against foreign attack They have alSr
been promised a great expansion If trade on tn
Continent and in the East and West Indies Z
they will enter into a customs union with Ger
many.
The zeal with which German writer's have cor
Quoted this agitation for the gradual conGues-
and annexation of Holland is likely to excite
distrust as time goes and suspicion Of Eng
land wears of. The Dutch are as close bargain
ers as the Beers ind are not easily overreacnet
in business transactions. The advantages Of :
customs union wiLa Germany are lot without
serious drawbacks. All the conditions OF bust
ness and living will be transformed by the sub
stitution Of the German protective tariff for thT
existing low revenue system Amsterdam. for
example is the great tobacco market Of the Con-
tinent sir ce no duties levied the r7ate.lal
for smokers. It would lose its pre-enlinen~a
under any scheme of customs union with Ger
many. Breadstuffs are imported without duties.
and close approach to free trade on Cobdens
lines is made in all the schedules; and a Gus
toms union would alter all the habits and COM
mercial arrangements OF the Dutch people.
country which finds its commerce with its colo
MES highly renunerative, and has neither coal
scale, is naturally reluctant to share its external
trade with Germany, and IS not easily convinced
that 1t would profit bv enlarged business deal
fnr in -xaf AZ IS ror70IAteIv controlled