The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-17
THE GERMAN BoGEY.


the German DOGGY is being laid at last.
Some of those who have most suffered
from both acute and chronic Teutoniph-
obia are beginning to realize that the
responsible head of one of the greatest
empires and of the greatest military
powers in the world is not an interna-
tional firebrand and marplot, and that
it is quite possible there should be an
instruction in Natal, or a famine in
Japan, or an earthquake in California,
without its being caused by malevolent
German intrigues. Prince Bulow, in
his latest speech, just before he was
stricken down with illness, declared in
straightforward fashion that Germany
had had no political designs on Moroc-
co, no desire to interfere with the his
toric claims of France and Spain and
no wish to strike a blow at Great Bri-
tain, but merely wished to protect her
economic interests and to show she
was not a negligible quantity in in
ternational affairs. 1t would be easy
for some one to reply with a cheap
sheer about sour grapes, but it would
we believe, be unjust. For ourselves, we
held and expressed, long before the ALL
geciras conference, precisely the views
of German policy which the Chancellor
afterwards announced. There seemed
to us every reason for Germany's keep
ing the peace, and absolutely none for
her provocation of a wanton war.
Germany was and is, entitled to full
est recognition in International affairs
in Africa and Asia as well as in Europe
Great Britain accorded it to her in the
case of the Anglo French agreement
over Egypt 1t is quite probable that
had the same been done by France in
the case Of Morocco the dispute over
that country, which at one time was
little short Of acrimonious, would have
been avoided 1t must be remembered
that Germany is one Of the greatest
empires in the world, and has, with
one exception, the most widespread in
terests She has the largest civilized
and enlightened population in Europe
and one Of the two or three largest in
the world She is one of the two or
three greatest industrial empires, and
after only Great Britain she. has by
far the largest ocean-borne commerce.
Golden, the great apostle Of peace,
would have fought for markets. Ger
tainly Germany has a right to use all
legitimate means for securing and re-
tanning access to the markets of the
world With single exception, such
access is most necessary to her of all
great nations,
There is, no doubt, certain natural
and inevitable rivalry between Great
Britain and Germany, and there is also,
in less degree but in the same kind,
rivalry between Germany and America.
There always Is rivalry between two of
trade. Yet it is to be remembered
that while England has fought almost
every other power Of Europe she has
never been at war with Germany, or
/ with Prussia, but on the contrary the
two have in more than one great war
been allies. We do not like to recall
/ cur wars, yet the historic record is that
while we have fought England twice
and France once and Spain once, and
have on other occasions been within
measurable distance Of war with each
of them, we have never fought Germany
! nor been in serious danger of a quarrel
with her. There is no question that
since the reorganization of the German
empire a generation ago the Teutonic
I world has been self-assertive and has
4 developed a tremendous military po-
tency Why not? Who shall deny
! Germanys right to material greatness?
AT the same time she has been-per-
haps we might say especially under
! her present Emperor-a constant
makeweight for peace among the ma
tons This feature of German life and
policy was we'll recognized the other
day by THE London Spectator" in
speaking of "the growing desire Of
Germans for quiet, as essential to that
increase "of wealth and commerce
which makes $50 much happier" That
desire is real, and is already dominant.
1t is desirable that each nation should
recognize that the other is not a wan
ton international meddler but is simply
seeking to safeguard and to promote its
own interests. We have no doubt that
Germany regards with much solicitude
the extensive and prosperous settle
ments of her people in Brazil and Ar
gentina but we cannot credit the sug-
gestion that she meditates the military
conquest of those countries, or of any
part of them. We have no doubt that
she would greatly like to possess a
colony, or at least naval and coaling
station, on the Caribbean Sea, and
there is reason to believe that some Of
her forward" colonial party have
coveted such a holding and have ex-
pressed desire, if not a determine
ton, to get 1T; but when an authorize
tive minister Of the German Empire
officially dsclaimed for his government
any design of securing one or of taking
any action in those waters contrary to
the interests, policy or wishes Of the
United States, we accepted his declara-
ton at its full value. To our mind, it
Is far better for each nation to devote
it's energy and its vigilance to the
proper promotion of its own interests
than to keep sitting up O. night sus-
pecting all manner of evil of its neigh
bors-New York Tribune.
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