Luxemburger gazette. [volume] (Dubuque, Iowa) 1871-1918, 1914-08-18
THE BRITISH TESTAMENT.

Ever since the reign of Elizabeth
but n object and one problems was
known to England, viz: to maintain
the supremacy of British commerce,
to rule the al with particular ref
erence to the water routes of the
British colonies, and in order to ac-
cOmplish this, England covered the
European continent as well as its
own transoceanic colonies, with
bloody, cruel and destructive wars,
which TO date, have taken their
course over Spain, Holland, Den
mark, France and are now threaten
ing at Germany'S boundary.
After the destruction of Spain as
a sea power, it was Holland whose
growing power at sea was checked
by a most brutal attack. The daring
of the Dutch Seamen had given to
Holland large colonial possessions:
entire South Africa, India and the
North Atlantic coast of the present
United States. These extensive CO.
lonial possessions gave Holland such
a flourishing trade, that it practi-
cally controlled the worlds COM
long permit these conditions to exist,
therefore the fleet of the Neither
lands wa destroyed; and the Dutch
colonies became British dependen-
cies. In 1861 the London Naviga-
ton Act was made a law under
which Dutch commerce received it's
death blow and the seas of the world
| were reserved exclusively for Eng
fish ships. This law forbade abso-
lutely the importation of merchan-
disc from Holland and Germany and
permitted the importation of mer-
chandise from America, Asia and
Africa, ONLY in English ships. At
that time, although the Dutch fleet
earned everlasting glory under De-
ruyter and Tromp, the Netherlands
were forced to consent to the Navi-
CATION Act and they lost, along the
Hudson. the historic ground upon
| which New York stands today. Dur
ing the N~apoleonic era, England sue
ceeded in robbing the Netherlands
of the Cape Colony.
After settling Spain and the Meth
erlands the British attacks were di-
rected against France and the small
but energetic Denmark, which also
was to be found among the pioneers
Of the period of colonization.
During the eighteenth century the
numerous English-French Wars took
place as the result of which almost
the entire extensive French possess
Sions in America became British
| property. Then, as now, the Lon
don Government followed the iden-
tical principle, viz: to get European
land powers to fight for England
on land. Just as she now sets Rus
STA and France upon Germany, so
England in the seven years war
helped Frederick the Great in his
battles against France, not because
of friendship for Prussia, but in or
der to annex Canada during this in
teryal. The sea victories OF Abukir
and Trafalgar completely eliminated
France as a competitor of England
for the worlds commerce. At the
same time. the bombardment of
Copenhagen and the capture of the
entire Danishs fleet destroyed the last
competitor of England upon the seas.
Now Germany is the dangerous
rival of England on the worlds
waters. London did not hesitate a
Germany. At first peaceable mean
were tried-it was during the Boer
War and Chamberlain conducted the
negotiationS,-that England offered
Germany an alliance. The English
offer was that England would sell
it's friendship on the condition that
Germany would forever desiSt adj
ding to its fleet of war craft which
virtually meant that Germany should
forever remain in the power of Eng
land as far as the worlds commerce
would be involved. As soon as Ger
many refused this English alliance,
the policy of Edward VII to isolate
Germany, went into effect.-Illinois
Staatszeitung.
THE AFFAIR OF EIGHT DAYS.
The ten days, which interviewed
between the ultimatum of Austria
Hungary to Servia and the declara-
ton of war by England upon Ger
many, may serve to prove how eager
England was to throw off the cloak
of friendship, when the situation
took such shape as did give England
an excuse to enter into the conflict.
On July % the Austrian govern
ment made its demands known to
Servia and thereby created a storm
in European journalistic circles. The
German as well as the Italian press
openly declared that Vienna's de-
mandS, in consideration of the Sera-
jevo murder, were entirely justified.
The English papers expressed them
selves in the same tone in which at
that time the voice of civilization,
humanity and political justice was
sounded because no one thought
then that the bloody deed of Servian
murderers could be used in connec-
ton with a declaration of war
against Germany. Thus the "Pall
Mall Gazette" wrote, July "a, that it
was the duty of Servia to accede TO
the demands of Austria; and the
Westminster Gazette" the organ Of
the Liberals, thought that no power,
not even Russia, could protest that
Servia should give the satisfaction
demanded of her.
But it was different in Paris and
in St. Petersburg. Upon the same
oath of July, the "Nowoje Nremja"
reproduced the views of the Russian
department of Foreign Affairs to the
effect that Russia could not remain
unconcerned and the Paris Temps,
blew Justify upon the faint spark
when it wrote that the Vienna ul-
timatum must unquestionably find a