Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-03
ENGLAND AND GERMANY.

the latest speech OF winston Church
i'll, in which he sets forth the eondi-
tions under which the naval competi.
tion between G1eat Britain and Ger.
many is to be carried on during the
next few years, is calculated to at
tract worldwide interest.
1t had been popularity supposed that
recent discussions between Germany
snd. England had resulted In the es-
Enlistment of relations of mutual
confidence which would bring about
{ curtailment of naval construction on
the part of both countries. The tenn
per, of the time was supposed to be
all In favor of such an understanding,
and the exchange of visits between
London and Berlin was believed to
Lave substituted an atmosphere of
confidence for onesof suspicion.
That this has been the case would
seem to be evident from the state.
Taent of the First Lord OF the Admir-
atty in the House Of Commons on
Monday. Although Mr.. Churchill is
reported as having spoken without
the least offensiveness, the text oi
his speech was build, build untir.
ingly," and in this he was supported
by the former leader of the opposi-
ton, Mr.. Balfour, who declared that
the cost of the navy must increase
as long as insane competition in ship
building goes on elsewhere"
Mr.. Churchil's speech this week
like his last one, may be construed as
an invitation to Germany to enter In
to an arrangement with Great Britain
whereby both countries would agree
to limit the size of their naval arma-
ments. But 1t is based on the as
sumption that Great Britain has a
right to maintain, nevertheless, a
greater navy than Germany, and to
that assumption Germany is probably
unwilling to agree. ss
Badly, Mr.. Ghurchill's speech is a
notice to Germany that the former
|1two-power standard, with its uncer-
|taintfes and Indebtedness, has been
abandoned. for the present by the
British Government. and that there
has been substituted In its place the
far more definite standard Of single
roUer-that of Germany--with per-
haps, its ally in the Mediterranean,
Austria. rst#af -
This program cannot but be dis
tasteful to Germany, /" because Ger
many is growing far more rapidly
than Great Britain and her statesmen
probably are not in mood to be die
tated to or threatened. The present
population Of Germany is so per cent
greater than that of the United King
dom, and in productivity, she is in
finitely richer II
The last twenty-five or thirty years
have seen a relative decline of Eng
lish prosperity, and English Lords of
the Admiralty will, sooner or later,
be forced to take. account of this fact,
In the naval budgets which they in
'troduce in Parliament. For long
time there were accidental conditions
which favored England in the inter
national economic struggle. These
have gradually disappeared. The de-
cay of her agriculture has been &C
tolerated, the progress of her indus
try and commerce has been slackened.
and for the first time in several gen.
CITATIONS her supremacy in this field
is questioned.
A land of vast, lopg -hoarded wealth.
of thriving but threatened industry,
England today seems to be tending
toward the condition when she no
longer win be able to derive the ele-
ments of material power from hard
fought economic victories. Moreover,
the advance of German ambition and
tie duel fought with millions be-
tween the navies of the two countries
have shifted the maritime supremacy
of the British people from an unques.
toned commonplace to that of dis
puted fact.
England has to face the question
Of her comparative decadence. I'm
pleasant as it may be for q proud ma
ton to admit it, the fact cannot be
blinked. It would be we'll for the
peace of the world if British states
men would frankly acknowledge the
new international adjustments and,
instead of threatening Germany by
large ornaments, curtail her naval eX.
Penditures within the limits of her
finances.
THE UNDERLYING CAUSES.
lie I1TeSOlI1S dE1lCIS, d reprint lTOiH
the San Francisco Chronicle. although
correct in its conception of British
German relations, does not explain to
the average reader the cause for the
serious and strained relations between
these two great and ciosly related ma
tions.
1t appears that the feeling of hatred
and diStruSt has been the result of
economic. political and military r1v-
airy. In reading the official and semi
official statements Of Great Britaln's
and Germany's statesmen and press
one is impressed by the fact that the
British dwell principally on the "mill-'
tary" side of the question declaring
that Germany's aggressive naval policy
is causing the trouble. while the Ger
mans give predonGnance to the 'pO!it-
ical" phase. claiming that Great BEit :
ain has been and stif1 is threatening
and blocking the just ambitions of