Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-07
even more extraordinary than the govern
ment was willing to undertake.

IHeit was Wiling 10 uHOeIldhc.
Since that time the German war scare
has been the first thought in the minds
Of the British people. The general cleo
ton. the controverted budget, the tariff
reform agitation. the struggle between
the commons and the lords. everything.
fear of the Germans. Even now, despite
the truce that seals the lips of agitators,
the German war question is an inn
minent and compelling factor in British
thought The self-governing colonies
have responded, in one way or another,
to the agitation at home by making Of
fers of battleships or by laying the
foundation for colonial navies. The
rebels in India have gloated over what
they consider the fright of their white
masters.
In Germany the kaiser talks and
works for peace, he compels Russia to
assent to treaty violations by Austria
in the name of peace. he curbs his inn
world will forget his indiscretions Of
yesterday. But the shipyards of the
Elbe work day and night on the bat
tleships which are. in the kaiser's
man fist. The Krupp factory at Es-
sen. the largest and most complete
industrial plant on earth. is working
night and day forging the huge guns
which are destined, perhaps to aid
Germania to rule the waves.
-
The Englishman accepts the fact that
he is superior to all other human be-
ings as naturally as he
A Supreme accepts the fact that the
Thames flows through
OVAAueASo London to the sea. Lord
Curzon not long ago wrote a book on
the Problems of the Far East and he
dedicated it ITO those who believe
with me, that the British Empire is.
under Providence. the greatest instru-
ment for good the world has ever
seen" There are few Englishmen who
would not feel that the dedication was
a personal compliment. When people
believing such exalted things or them-
selves are brought face to face with
the possibility of national extinction,
then. indeed. the situation is serious.
1t must not be forgotten. in apprais-
ing the situation, that party politics
has played a considerable part in the
agitation of the German danger. But
this only serves to aggravate the seri-
BUSINESS of the problem. The conserv-
alive party, under the leadership OF Mr.
Balfour, is the heir Of all the traditions
When things get too hot at home the
tory policy is to stir up a foreign
question and endeavor to unite the
country to their support by appeals to
tory privileges more than once in the
past. and it was the German war scare
as much as 1T was tarin reform that
brought gains to the opposition in the
recent general election.
The reckless use of the war scare as
party thunder tends certainly to In
crease the irritation between Germany
and England, and helps to make the
struggle even more surely inevitable.
Furthermore, 1t is conceivable that the
extreme tory wing might prefer to risk
the issue Of q war with Germany rather
than surrender their ancient privileges
to the clamoring democracy. Meantime.
the liberals cannot minimize the danger
because IL Is real: nor can they be ag-
gressive because for the moment they
are the actual imperial government.
Whatever the rest Of the world may
think, England is convinced that the
danger is real and i'm
Believes the minent. Never before
nn, in all the history of
tremendous preparations for war been
made as are now being made by Germany
and Great Britain. There is no quarrel.
no dispute, no bone of contention. But
it does not follow that there is h6 cause
for war.
Germany has 100000 people in a
territory but little larger than that OF
the state of Texas. These millions have
made wonderful progress in industrial
want room to grow. They want colonies.
Wherever there Is room for really
profitable colony the site is already pre-
empted by Great Britain or II rs guarded
by the Monroe doctrine. The time was,
not long ago. when German activities
x;~I~ inc hot