The San Francisco call., 1909-11-07

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HE question of armed conflict apart it is
interesting to receive from trained OBJ
= server view of modern Germany and the
forces that animate it and make it loom large
in the world problem and especially at present,
in its relations with Great Britain Robert
J. Thompson American consul at Hanover,
z writes for The Call an article full of surpris-
ing and entertaining information His is
story of peaceful conquest, and he displays
firm grasp of a big subject, regarding it with
the calm valuation of who has studied
peoples and the great economic and political
movements of history.
The commercial and naval progress and the
steadily increasing population of Germany as
compared with other European countries
lines of notable development which causing
England disquietude that voices itself through
responsible governmental authority, all sections
of the press and constantly reiterated public
expression by patriotic Englishmen. Some of
the men in the United Kingdom whose opinions
bear weight figure the conditions have been
shaping, and now at quite threaten
ing stage which make war with Germany well
nigh inevitable. Recently such person de-
clared that this fact being accepted, the clash
might come most advantageously at this time,
when the British navy is in high state of
efficiency and still has preponderance of power
any other navy.
The recent impressive pageant of King Ed
wards sea fighters a well planned object
lesson for effect at home and abroad. The spirit
. aniuating il was expressed by Arnold White,
who has contributed recently much clear sighted
matter on the German scare, when he said in
recent number of Black and White: "The feet
of the More stands between overlordship of
quarter of the earth's surface and a power
that thinks it would make better thereof
than the people and rulers of Great Britain"
" INCE 1898, at the Columbian exposition in
Chicago, and at other times and places such
as the Universal exposition at Paris in 1900
\ ! and the Worlds Fair at St Louis in 1908
writes Mr.. Thompson, the commercial and in
dustria world, especially in America, has observed
with profound asonishment the startling evidences of
the superiority of German industry. The eye of the
iayman as we'll of the expert was held in deepest
admiration of the completeness perfection and wider
comprehension of the niceties of modern life and civ
ization exhibited those occasions by the Germans
1t is remarkable that these pronounced evidences
of an awakened and rejuvenated people suggested
little more to the observer than that the Germans
were experts in exposition No farther back
than 1900 at Paris the German motto, "Our future
lies upon the sea" caused smile by those who
thought they understood and inquiry what it
meant by those who did not.
The world is dense and slow to understand Those
exterior signs Of Germanys progress with which we
are more or less familiar, simply indications of
her advanced position in practically all other lines of
modern civilization.
A few years ago hearts out in sympathy
10 Japan because her women were working the fields
and tling the soil that her army might be supported
IN the Manchurian campaign l think do not ex-
aggerate when state that this very moment there
are not less than two and half million work
ing in the fields and gardens of Germany economic
proposition not to be overlooked. She works her
cows and she works her dogs, but that you may not
get false impression, often the with visit
ing Americans, l will add that where the fields are
large enough she has installed complete equipments
of electrically driven machinery in her rural indus
tries Every forul of hay turned by the shining
muscular of the German frau fraulein, every
potato lifted from the so increases by that much the
wealth of the nation, and 1 must add the health of
the people.
MILLION BABES A YEAR
Out of her confines and without immigration
the country increasing her population at the rate of
q million a year. am informed by an American army
officer that detachment of German infantry going
into maneuvers near Hanover last fall marched the
incredible distance of Is miles in four hours
with only four five men falling on account of
chafed feet. l have seen $4,000 men maneuvering
across the heAuS IN tHe Wllio anu suhsnlne III
gala dress with athletic swiftness suggesting to
my mind more the power of physical endurance and
perfect heath-good blood and rational outdoor
cise-than the dreaded aspect of Quite aside
from and above the military viewpoint of the German
army think fair judgment would render to that
country the prize for the finest and comprehen-
sive physical development and health culture system
for its young that the world affords The casual
visitor Germany judges things specifically If he
crfticises he will say, TOO much mitarsm; too
Slow From the standpoint of health he is wrong in
the first instance, and from the standpoint of results
in her undertakings manufacturing, in ship build
ing exports and the acquisition of wealth he is
than mistaken in the second
England leads the world in the export of manufac-
tured products she has done for the last century
The most recent available statistics 1907 show her