New-York tribune., 1909-09-29
NORTHCLIFFE'S VIEWS
GERM4NY SECRETLY PRE-
P4RING FOR VAR.
British Public Apathetic, Says Lon
don Editor-Dra1cs analogy from
United States and Japan.
fBy relssTaph to The Tribune J

ou-ner Of The London Times" in an ln'erNie"
n he rublished in THE Tribune to-norFO"
viii say: .s,-
of sheir own gigantic continent that they nave
not the time 20 devote 10 the study OF huropea"
,oli,ics which are more Kaleidoscope IN their
changes than are those OF the United states.
..r7,ere Is an impression in this country that
some hostility exists between the people OF
Great Britain and Of united Germany
Il know the Germans intimately. From child
hood have travelled extensively lhiOusHOU'
most Of the German states. / have many Ger
man family connections, and venture to say
that outside the usual body of Anglophobes one
meets in every country there is little hostility
10 the British on the part OF the Ger8ans; and
on the other hand, there is in England no dis
like Of Germany, Au contrare our statesmen
sre adapting German legislation TO our needs
and il imitation be the sncerest form OF hattery
the Germans must he well pleased with our pro-
posed reproduction Of their workingmens m
surance. the labor bureau and a great many
other legislative improvements that it appears
10 me, would he just vital to the~Cnlted
States as fbe, seem to he to Great Britain.
WHY, then II so happy a state of affairs ex
fSts between the two nations, should there be
any section Of people in England 10 suggest the
possibility Of var?
Turn back 20 1862 Was there any friction
between France and Prussia? There was no
hostility IN either side But any reader OF
Bussche's Bismarck" or other standard author
itv on the great German empire binder, will
acknowledge there was immense preparation on
The part of Germany--a preparation that was
kept secret, as far possible. and which also,
as far as possible, is being kept secret by Ger
many to-day.
'As TO that which is transpring in the Ger
Sl,inhuilSinQ ,-ap5S more or less know
that by 1912 Germany. in ships of the super
Dreadnought class, VIII be the equal Of England.
IL we were in your position, able TO grow our
own food on own acres, it would matter lit
lie to us il We had merely an ornamental navy
But how few Americans realize that our food is
brought to Us from Australia, Canada, much of
it from this city OF Chicago and your Western
wheat fields from the Argentine Republic
nearly all Of il from over the sea?
Two or three days ago I was at San Fran
cisco where your government has spent an inn
mense sum OF money in fortifying the Golden
Gate against imaginary Japanese attack
Throughout the greater part of your Pacific
slope the Japanese. depleted as they are by a
great war, infinitely inferior they TO you
in population, situated immense distance
from YOU, With no coaling station on your shores
sre looked upon as = dangerous opponent.
Even il IL were possible for them 10 cross the
Pacific 10 attack vou--a more than ridiculous as
sumption having in view a hundred and one
contingencies. including the Anglo-Japanese Al
liance-Nhat damage could they do?
Now, assuming that tho Japanese are eleven
hours distant, have population one-third
larger than your own and arc constructing a
navy IS rapidly as you. would IL net be wise to
give some careful consideration 10 your posi-
tion?
7 sec it is suggested in the American papers
that there is kind Of q scare in England.
wish there were Our public has been warned
by the Prime Minister. by the Minister of For
eign Affairs. by many 81 our leading public men.
such Mr.. Frederick Harrison and Lord Rob
erts; by prominent journalists including Mr.
Stead. and by Others, but they have not yet, as
sou say. begun 10 sit up and take notice
Leaders on that side of politics to which I
belong. including, hope, Lord Rosebery Mr.
Bslfour and Mr. Chamberlain, have also directed
attention to the need FOR national precaution,
but without avail
We have to-day a superb navy: we have in
the line Of battle vessels such as the In
domitable the Inaexible, now in New York.
which are as efficient in their sphere as our
Nauuetanias and Lusitanias are in theirs We
are not wasting time aeroplanes and gas
bags, but are developing submersibles and wire
less.
why then worry? Those Of our people who
think as ! do are looking ahead
we have the official figures of the German
naval programme up 10 1912, which are serious
enough. but know that these figures are lust
as inaccurate the figures made public
by Germany prior To the Franco Prussian War
0f 1871, We know that the German press. un-
like that Of the United States and Great Brit
ain. is prohibited from telling the truth about
these matters. We know that al the Hague
Hesoe conference Germany declined to discuss
tho limitation Of srmaments the use of float
ing mines at sea
These arc few Of the reasons why many oi
our Younger think il time that Great
Britain should respond effectively to the naval
programme or Germany.
"As 20 the attitude Of tho United States
have no doubt that il will bc strictly impartial
was ours during the Spanish American War
We do not expect assistance froDa any outside
source.
Already our colonies have shown much
greater aiscrity in preparation than has the old
country. Little New Zealand is taxing itself So
head for man, woman and child Australia !,
raising army 81 270.00O men and has offered
handsome naval contribution. Canada is dis
cussing a navy which in no way could Je an.
tagonistic 10 the United States but will cna biz
il 20 protect the st. Lawrence on the one hand
and on tho other British Columbia where We
already have magnificent station al Esqul-
maut"