The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-08
Ghs Wlessruger.
GERMAN HOSTILITY TO ENG
LAND.

friend sends US Z copy of theI
Daily Mail Of London of recent date
from which we clip the editorial given
below. It is OF interest to Americans
as showing the feeling OF the admin
istration press IN Great Britain on
the politics Of Europe. 1t also shows
the attitude from the standpoint of
the Britisher Of the German empire
toward that nation. II the facts set
forth in this editorial are correct. 1t is
plain that. no matter how cordial are
the feelings OF the German Kaiser
toward his uncle on the British throne,
there is no love lost between the peo-
PIE or the two nations and that the
German government is at heart hos
tile to hat of Great Britain and is
scheming to check it's progress in the
east. Germany, it seems, is planning
to bring about war between Great
Britain and Russia. with the hope,
Of course, of increasing her compare
tive strength among the European
powers. England is looked upon as the
most powerful OF those nations. es-
pecially on the sea. Therefore any
thing which will curb her progress
n actually reduce her power will
raise the standard of the other pow
ers. Germany's game seems to be to
pit England and Russia against each
other in a deadly conflict for her own
advancement. She seems to be a Sc
cret ally Of Russia not because of her
friendship for that nation but be-
cause of her hatred and jealousy of
the British empire. The Daily Mail.
says:
The action OF the German govern
ment In taking steps at Pekln to pre-
vent the ratification by China of the
treaty between England and Tibet
will come as no surprise to those who
have followed the recent course of
German diplomacy, the first princi-
pie OF which appears to be stealthy
antagonism to England. In this case
there car be no pretext that German
interests are In any way concerned;I
Germany owns no territory within
thousands of miles OF Tibet: she has
no trade with that country; and there
is, consequently, little room for doubt
as to her secret motives.
Her first aim is to keep open the
Tibet question as q cause OF friction
between England and Russia Her
statesmen have realized better than
many Englishmen the immense i'm
p~ortance OF Tibet 70 India as the
northern glacis of the great British
Dependency I'm the East. If, then.
they can weaken the position of Eng
land at Lhasa they will not only shake
British prestige throughout India, but
they may also prepare a future war
between England and Russia, while
at the same time they will lay UP for
themselves a credit account with Rus
sia. whose good Offices they may need
when they decide to settle with Eng
land the question which Power is to
possess the command of the sea-. That
they have the smallest interest in the
integrity OF China. as their organs
allege, is not to be credited by any
but the simplest minds, The less SO as
the treaty in no way 1nfringed the
territorial integrity Of Tibet. They
themselves began the partition of
China by their seizure of Kiaochau,
and. after inducing England to sign
the famous agreement of 1900. which
guaranteed the integrity of the Chi
nese empire. they at once proclaimed
to Russia HI very opposite of what
they had told British statesmen, that
this agreement had no reference tc
NFanahTrio Roth fhpn and AT ar
earlier date they exerted themselves
to the utmost to launch Russia upor
the course of aggression in the Fal
East which has terminated SO disas.
trouslv for her interests.
But there Is a second motive for the
German action. With the fall OF
Port Arthur the British occupation
Of Wei-hai-wei will end, unless step:
are taken to renew the concession
Despite statements which have beer
made TO the contrary effect, the value
of the mort is considerable, and Ger
many has always coveted 1t. The
purpose of the kaiser's visit to Eng
Ian in the winter. with which the
tongue of rumor has been so busy
has been connected by the we'll in
formed with his hope that the Brit.
ish foreign office may be induced tt
hand over to him this possession
Though there is little here but sur
mise, the past completeness of th(
foreign office where Germany ha:
been concerned lave been so remark
able that the story is at least Dlausi
bic. IT IS to be hoped tina
after this incident Lord Lans
downe will show a firm front. and viii