The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-02
tContinued from Page one)

island and look upon the continental sys- tenn a system of which she was not a part, in whose affairs she could interfere or not interfere as it suited her fancy upon each particular occasion. Indeed, since the Crimean war she had contracted no European alliances. The sun never se. upon her flag. she was mistress of the seas, her merchant vessels carried her wares to all quarters of the globe and she maintained the predominating navy of the world to protect her widespread in- terests.
 Rise of German Sea Power
 But the German nation had meantime, under the careful guidance of her states men and fnanciers, had become a great nation of manufacturers Producing more than she could herself use. she sought markets abroad for her goods, and soon a myriad of articles. from children's toys to great pieces of machinery, articles of Lcommerce marked made in Germany, made their appearance in every corner of the world. Her commercial growth of course marked her agrarian decline. Her rapidly increasing population fiocked to the factories and crowded the cities.
 As to FOOdstuffs
 The country no longer produced suf- ficient cereals to feed her people, and large quantities of grain had to be imported. 1t became vltally necessary to gain enough money from the sale of her manufactured goods abroad to pay for her imported food supplies. Any halt in the sales abroad meant that she should be living beyond her income, and if such conditions should continue even for a short time she would become a bankrupt nation. As carriers for her goods. therefore. heavy subsidies were given her merchant marine. and soon har aoc Twin in tect her merchantmen and her trade routes the construction of powerful navy was begun. Bismarck had concerned himself mainly with the internal solidarity of the empire, of subordinating the local interests of the many integral states to the greater good of united Germany, and the establishment of powerful mili- tary machine, He had made of Germany a vast manufacturing nation, but he had not insured to her the markets of the world.
 When the present Kaiser, William H. succeeded to the throne he dropped the pilot" Bismarcks resignation came ir 1890. William continued his policies ir the main, but urged the Germans to the sea. Our future is on the water" he said 'the more the Germans go upon the water the better 1t will be for us." To in. sure friendly markets and ports of rest for his waishlps he aimed at colonial ex- ,arsnn. which Bismarck had neglected From his accession until today. at every shifting of the boards, William has threat ened to unloose his dogs of war unes: spells in territory were given him. 'Germany's Intimidation
 | By this policy of intimidation Germany l has gained what colonies she has today | They are not many at present, and they are not particularly valuable. but they l4f f. bttf a rf Of what she evident | ly aspires to acquire. Upon examining l the map of the world one will see tha | some large tracts of wild country arr | under her domination in Africa that sh, | has gained foothold In China. and some island possessions in the Pacific. IT | to the present the Monroe doctrine, witi the American fleet to back it, has warned her away fro mthe western hemisphere | but it is well within the bounds of pos | sibility that if Germany's naval and mill | tary power should survive this present war, we will some day find Germany bid l ding defiance to our guarantee of thu 1 integrity of Latin-Amerca.
 Abandons Policy of Isolation Germany's growing commerce and hei , rise in naval power became a direct chal lenge to England's supremacy of the seas l Her hunger for new colonies became ar imminent danger to the British colonies
 
 overseas, held to the mother country. al they are, only by the slender threads 0 l sentiment. For every ship German, 1, launched England built two, and the ex penses of the competition began to impose heavy burdens on the taxpayers of potl countries. The drain on her riches becom | ing more onerous every day, England be gan to doubt the wisdom of her aloofnes' from continental alliances. and began |, look around for friend upon whom sh' | could count to help her when the test O strength should come. She found Franc, | with splendid army and a respecta bl' navy nursing her 30-year-old hatred fo | the conqueror who had violated her ter ritory and injured her pride
 The English had been the tradtiona enemies of the French. For centurieI France had been subjected to the period ical depredations of "Perfidious Albion. But a common fear of Germany mad,
 friends of the ancient enemies.
 The Entente Cordial
 In 1904 England and France promul gated the 'entente condiate,'' ''cordia understanding. It did not amount to al alliance from the first. and the exac extent of the obligations imposed thereb. was not definitely known to the world