The sun., 1914-09-27

/ the world history We nave been the
friends and the allies OF these people.
1t was SO in the days OF Marlborough,
in those of the Great Frederick, and
In those of Napoleon. When we could
not help them with men we helped them
with money our fleet has crushed
| their enemies
And now, for the first time in his
! tory. We have had a chance Of seeing
who were our fri nds in Europe. and
/ nowhere have We met more hatred and
more SANDER than from the German
press and the German people. Their
most respectable journals have not hesi-
tatcd 10 represent the British troops
troops every bit as humane and as
/ highly disciplined as their own--not
only as committing outrages on per
son and property but even as MUIR
derinE women and children.
"a first this unexpected phenome-
/ non merely surprised the British peo-
pie, then it panied them, and finally
after two years of Il It has reused a
deep, enduring anger in their minds"
He goes on to say: The continued
attacks upon us have left an enduring
feeling Of resentment which will not
and should not die away in this genera
/ tiun. II is not too much To say that
Ave years ago a complete defeat of Ger
many IN "A European war would have
certainly caused British intervention.
Public sentiment and racial affinity
would never have allowed us to see her
really go to the wall. And now it is
certain that in our lifetime no British
guinea and no soldiers life would under
any circumstances be spent for such an
end. That is one strange result of the
Boer war, and in the long run it is pos
sible that it may prove not the least
important"
such was the prevailing mood Of the
nation when they perceived Germany.
under the lead Of her Emperor follow
ing up her expressions OF enmity by
starting with restless energy to build
up formidable fleet adding pro-
gramme to programme out of all pos
sble proportion to the German COM
merce To he defended or to the German
coast line exposed to attack. Already
vainglorlous boasts were made that Ger
many was the successor to Britain upon
the seas
The Admiral of the Atlantic greets
the Admiral of the Pacific said the
Kaiser later in a message To the Car.
growing menace? So long as she was
isolated the diplomacy of Germany might
form some naval coalition against her.
She took the steps which were necessary
for her own safety. and without form
ing an alliance she composed her differ
ences with France and Russia and drew
closer the friendship which united her
with her old rival across the Channel.
The first fruit of the new German
fleet was the Entente Cordiale We
had found our enemy. II was necessary
that we should find our friends. Thus
we were driven into our present COM
bination.
And now we had to Justify our friend
ship For the first time We were COM
PEELED To openly oppose Germany in the
deep and dangerous game of world poll
tics. They wished to see If our under
standing was a reality or "A sham. Could
they drive "A wedge between us 10y show
ing that we were "A fair weather friend
whom any stress would ALLEVIATE?
Twice they tried ii. once in 1906 when
they bullied France into conference at
AlgeCira,. but found that Britain was
firm at her side, and again in 1911 when
in a time Of profound peace they stirred
up trouble by sending a gunboat to
Agadlr. and pushed matters to the very
, edge of war. But no threats induced
Britain to be false to her mutual in
surance with France
Now for the third and most fatal me
they have demanded that We forswear
, ourselves and break our own bond lest
"A worse thing befal us, Blind and
, foolish did they not know by past eX-
, percnce that we would keep our
promise given? In their madness they
, have wrought an irremediable evil to
! themselves, to MS and TO all Europe.
. have shown that we have in very
truth never injured nor desired to in
jure Germany in commerce, nor have
, we opposed her politically until her own
, deliberate actions drove us into the
. camp of her opponents. But 1t may
we'll be asked why then did they dis
like us and why did they weave hostile
, plots against us? II was that, az il
, seemed to them and as indeed it ac-
q tually may have been, we independently
: of our own wills stood between Ger
, many and that world empire OF which
she dreamed.
, This was caused by circumstanc
over which we had no control and
which we could not modify IL we had
| wished to do so. Britain through her
maritime power and the energy OF her
merchants and people had become q
great world Power when Germany was
still Uniformed. Thus. when she haC
. grown to her full stature she found that
= the choice places Of the world and those
VI most fitted for the spread Of a trans.
planted European race were already
filled up.
1t was not n matter which We coult
= help nor could we alter il, since Canada
J, Australia and South Africa would not
y even If We could he imagined to have
wished II. be transferred to German
, rule And yet the Germans Chafed and
" II We can put ourselves in their places
" we may admit that il was CALLING tina
" the surplus of their manhood should e
~ to build up the strength Of an allen an,
y possibly a rival State.
So far we could see their grievance n
J. rather their misfortune, since no on
T" was in truth to blame in the matter
" Had their needs been openly anC
reasonably expressed and had the tw
n States moved IN concord in the matte
"a it is difficult to think that no helpful
II solution of any kind could have bee
II found.
u" But the German method of approach
ne ing the problem has never been to asl
~ | tl,,- nd hnt ,,to