The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-09-03


many to make its strength and cap.
ability prevail in the world"
| - - -.
Deutschland ueber allies" in short,
and England was the obstacle. Ger,
many. for no fault of hers, was the
latest of the nations to become a
great power, and when she began to
look about for the perquisites of pow
er she found them taken. She want,
ed colonies, but the great days OF
colonization were passed. and wher,
ever she turned England blocked the
way. BY her military superiority
she might assert pTedOminanCe in Ecu
rope, but il did her little good when
| by mere passive interference Eng
land could prevent her from reaping
the benefit. So far as Europe is con
cerned Germany has little to gain
from further annexation of territory
saturated with people of other races;
what she wants is q place in the
sum-" a chance to expand, TO build up
! a greater Germany overseas. 1t is
q natural and an honorable ambition
but as a late conner Germany could
crafty il only by despoiling some
otner powers, and at every turn she
found England barring the way. 1t
was no more England's fault that she
came early and had good luck than
| IL was Germany's fault that she came
| late and got only the crumbs, but it
explains way there has been very
much more bitterness in Germany
| than in England; it is the resentment
OF the disinherited for the lucky elder
horn who inherits the estate.
At no time have the relations of
the two countries been precisely cor.
dial, despite their alliance against the
| Corsican. English writer's, excepting
few enthusiasts like Carlyle, have
usually failed to appreciate the great.
ness of the German character, and
used to sneer at the country as back.
ward, dowdy and insignificant. Nor
was the movement for German unity
received with enthusiasm. During
the Schleswig- Holstein controversy
| English sympathy was with Denmark,
and in 1866 it lay with Austria rather
than with Prussia. In 1870. Basmack
succeeded in alternating English SYM
pathy from France by publishing the
terms of the proposed treaty by which
France was to take Belgium. but while
aged to incur the dislike of both cOun.
tries.
Thus there was no tradition of
! friendship TO smooth matters when
the very intense business rivalry be-
tween the two countries began to
take form about 1895. Their quarrel
has not been of a definite sort,
for that reason it has been the more
difficult to adjust. The real quarrel
was that Germany by efficiency in
manufacturing and in trade was be-
coming a formidable rival to England,
and that is a dispute which can hard
ly be settled by diplomacy or even re
duCed to specific issues. Thus it has
more than once happened that the
two countries were in a state of eX
treme irritation and excitement, with
their newspapers talking freely OF
the danger of war, when it would have
been extremely difficult for either side
| to have formulated a grievance. Ger
tainly it was no grievance for Ger
many to aspire to a strong navy, an
ambition which was certainly her
right and was as a rule Candidly ad
mitted in England to be legitimate.
putting England into panic, because
on land the German army was ire
sistible, and to add a strong navy
meant the constant menace OF inVa.
sion.
1t was to meet tiis menace that
England was forced to sink her diff.
ferences, by no means trivial, with
France, and Russia, and form the tri-
pie entente, which in turn reused new
resentment and fear in Germany be-
cause it was taken to be a diabolical
English scheme to organize Europe
against Germany. This feeling was
not unnatural, in view of the unrelia-
bility OF Italy as member OF the
triple alliance, and the dangerous
weakness of Austria Hungary, but
there seems no good reason to believe
that this policy, for which Edward VII
was held responsible and to which he
certainly gave his influence, was die
tated by any such purpose. England
was alarmed, and it felt the need of
a REIMBURSEMENT OF the balance of pow
er for the sake of peace in Europe.
Thus both nations have for years been
ugly suspicious. England
has felt that it was only question
Of time when Germany would find
TO land an army and hold
London to ransom, and Germany has
felt that she was being steadily sur
by a ring of enemies, held |
together by British diplomacy, wealth |
and sea power.
And this at the bottom OF the fur. !
Gus rage shown by Germany at Eng =,
and's joining her enemies, while !
tally refuses to join her allies. The
entente made such a deadlock that !
Germany was obliged to deal with
III her enemies at once or keep /
Deace. That England would have |
anctioned an aggressive war upon
Germany Is improbable, for the sim !,
lie reason that from her fortunate
position England had most to gain
" maintenance of peace. But the
cry conditions which made England
'acific and ready to propose truce
n naval competition only increased
he wrath OF Germany, and this stea
y blocking by peaceful means OF +
ierman aspirations has kindled more =
intense hatred by far than is felt to-
Yard Russia or even France. 81, IT IL
ue TO the 'Eduardsche politik" that Z
,ermany liz Obliged to settle not sen.