New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-12
IN THE GERMAN EMPIRE.
Condition of CoIonies-Diet EIec'
tions-Tuo Remarkable Trials.
berlin. November %.

- ,,,vv radically wrong. mas peeh our TREAT
-.,+ % The German transoceanlc possessions so
e. saws high Official THESE colonies nave
1@i .-s-as under our rule. recall the
= English friend once gave me when I
-, why II was that his countrymen had
.-SlAe~ v-ere stiu playing such 8 dog in the
- -o,icv toward in the matter OF colo
,-,,eriug and hindering Us wherever and
- they could. Because said he. you
- know nothing about colonizing; don't
lrou anything about II from people who
- more about it than you do, and viii never
- enough TO get any good out Of your pos
.sssons either for yourself or for the world
- large. Look at the French colonies! It's
ne same thing with them. We English are the
only people who have learned colonizing as
r,stness. And the commonly accepted doctrine
nowadays is that only those are entitled to
colonies who know how TO manage them and
make something worth while out OF them
i admit there IS considerable IN this view OF
the matter But I told him that our colonies
were as vet very young; that We We're certainly
very inexperienced in this line, and likewise
oonstitutionaIly slow. But, on the other hand
7 said we were sure. We were patient and we
had made Up our minds 10 keep the colonies
We got and 10 acquire additional ones wherever
we honestly and decently could AS answer
ny English friend only shook his head IN a
him as Uncanny. And yet I was right. And
what is more, I am firmly convinced that in the
long run We Germans viii nake-ceteris paribus
as much or more out Of our colonies the
English are making out OF theirs And recent
events are beginning TO bear me out.
Germany has territorial possessions beyond
the oceans amounting 10 about six times the
size OF the motherland. with a population Of
ten or twelve millions all told. They are located
within the subtropical and one, VIZ Kiao-Chou.
on the Chinese coast. lies in the moderate zone.
As I admitted at the outset. We have so far not
made q success Of them. Everything has had
70 conform 10 the official tape measure, pain
OF being prevented from fourishing. directly or
Indirectly. That has been-and to a certain
extent stiu is-the great curse under which our
colonies have Suffered Whatever could not or
would not be squeezed or stretched into the
Official Procrustean bed had 10 die. But the
fact is unmisrakable that public opinion in its
widest sense IS veering around We seeing
the folly Of our ways. Hereafter, private ini-
tfst5ve viii have better field in our colonies
The imperial government from now on VIII
vigorously further colonial development in every
reasonable way. commercially, agriculturally,
and IN the matter OF attracting desirable immi-
grafton
True. the bulk 81 our colonies offer no ade-
cuate iuducement 10 our lower class immigrants,
men and women owning only their fists
mobile capital, for in the tropical colonies-in
German East Africa, n Togo. in Cameroons, IN
The Caro-tues and Marianas. even in German
Ner-Guinsa and in German Southwest Africa.
cur immigrants could not live by the sweat
OF their brows: the climate is against them.
They need capital 70 make their way. Even in
Samoa the amount Of this capital must not
BE- below 10000 marks about $4,000, according
20 the statements Of the present Governor Soils
before Reichstag committee, and the amount
required in Africa-for sugar. cotton, rice, coffee
plantations. etc-is much higher, varying from
20eN 10 $4,000 marks. So. then. our present
colonies. with the single exception OF German
Southwest Africa adjoining Cape Colony TO
The south and, IN a certain sense. Kiao-Chou as
Wei. VIII never do 10 defect the stream OF our
emigration from the United States, Canada.
Argentina and South Brazil into their own chan
nels. II is somewhat different. however. with
our German population IT Australia. which IS
being attracted 10 settlement and investing CAPT
Ia IN the Car0lines. But for German capital
and for Germans with funds amounting to
10000 UP 10 10000 marks even our present
colonies VIII prove hereafter. under the more
favoring circumstances now prevailing, rather
promising field.
The Prussian Diet elections have come ana
gone almost without causing q ripple on the
surface Of public life; nay more. almost with
out changing for the ensuing lUstrum anything
n the makeup Of that body. falsely called rep
TeseutsJive-" To the peculiar workings Of that
PrUssian election law under which delegates are
chosen for the Diet and 10 the three-class sys-
TEN Of electors which ii provides. attention was
called IN previous letters. There is not q man
bold enough II Prussia. not even the most dyed
in-the-wool reactionist Of them all. 10 defend
this monsuous election law per Sc a law which
Bismarck himself. although at the time prohting
from is defects was frank enough TO term the
worst electoral system in existence" Yet there
# is; under its wording the usual reactionary
majority Of entailed estate holders Of high gov
eminent and court officials. and Of other repre-
Eentatives Of class legislation IN its baIdest and
most heinous form, has been returned In all
about three-foU-ths OF the delegates in the lower
house belong TO these elements. and the higher
branch. the House OF Lords (IIerrenhaus). con-
tains almost none but these And this is the
Prussisn Parliament which IS supposed to rep
resent the people" Numerically, the largest
party in Prussia. the Socialist. has not elected
single nember-in fact. how-could they under
law which is purely plutocratic in its tend
ency? But one-fourth Of the members in the
lower house belong 10 other elements than the
4ounker" perty-that IS. 10 various shades OF
ne Liberal party. TOO weak either TO initiate or
prevent obnoxious legislation. And, OF course
a. attempts which viii be made during this
Session q the Diet 70 modify abrogate this
eefleature q an electoral system viii be voted
Gown ~ an overwhelming majority. All the ef-
-oE's OF such Liberals as Dr.. Theodore Barth. all
ne editorials Of the entire Liberal press-con-
-.long by Tar the most numerous and most
.sosntial portion OF the German press-and all