Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-01-12
FREEDOM or TRADE IN THE
NGEDVTERRAN MEAN


MEDITERRANEAN.
England took possession of the sea
route from the Atlantic to the Indian
Ocean by securing the control over
four places: Gibraltar. Malta, Port
Said and Alden. The Suez Canal is,
or at least was before the advance of
thoTurks, in English hands, although
officially it belongs to the Com
pagnie Universelle du Canal Mari
time de Suez. and all nations have
right to its use. The fact is, how
ever, that the canal is closed to the
merchants marine of the nations
hostile to England. since the latter
controls the entrances to the canal.
All the nations have to take into ac-
count the fact that they are running
chances of being cut off from their
harbors at the Red Sea, the Indian
Ocean and beyond. This is especially
true of Italy and Holland since these
countries are greatly interested in
the trade with the Orient and be-
cause they have colonial possessions
beyond the Suez Canal.
1t seems to have been accepted as
decision of fate that England was
allowed to become mistress of the
keys to the Mediterranean Even
France has come to terms and has
become accustomed to the idea that
in the south she is bounded by an
English sea. Italys politicians al
ways have to be aware Of the fact
that because Of her large coast line
she can enter upon the. offensive only
if England does not object. Once
the mistress of the Mediterranean,
she now has fallen back to the third
place since France, because of her
connection with England, has ceded
to the latter power the protection OF
her north coast
Turkey now is trying hard to shake
on the fetters which the English
friend" more than a hundred years
ago forced upon her. Greece's atti-
tude is dependent entirely on Eng
lish wishes. Spain has to suffer that
Gibraltar-the most strategic point
in naval or mercantile politics-has
to be left in the hands OF foreigners.
The legal ground on which Eng
land bases her rights regarding the
strongholds in the Mediterranean
and in the Red Sea, is that OF the
protection OF her interests, her con-
nection with India. This is a right
based chiefly upon might, a right
which is the cause OF that navalism
which has oppressed Europe for cen
turtles. The German commercial
route leads through the English
Channel. According to the maxim
OF the protection Of our interests,
!. e., the right to this protection,
which after all is not applicable to
England alone, we could demand
Dover. For what is fair to the Span
iards, must be fair also to the Eng
lish. For the sake Of her commercial
interests England has occupied NAL
ia, opposite Italy. Malta is an TIA
lian island with an italian popula-
ton. II in the Mediterranean the
right OF might were not prevailing,
this bulwark would belong to Italy
In 1882 England took advantage
OF the disturbances in Egypt, clamor-
ing for constitutional rights under
the leadership OF Arab Bey she
bombarded Alexandria and occupied
the country. The French, who had
already lost the Suez Canal to the
English, and who were Inundated
at Fashoda suffered this high handed
deal, although they were hit hardest
OF all. Thus they had to back down,
bound by the "Revanche" idea
against Germany-a mistake which
the French themselves slowly begin
to see.
The day Of reckoning is approach
ing. One should imagine that Italy,
too, would recognize that something
more important is at stake than q
few hundred thousand Italians in the
southern Tyrol The time has come
where she can lay the foundation for
the return of that prosperity which
she enjoyed during the time OF the
Roman Republic and during the
middle ages.
Germany and Austria. however, do
not strive for supremacy in the Ne
diterranean, but are favoring the free
competition of the nations; further
more they believe in the principle or
the open door for the trades OF all
nations, the right OF exchanging COM
modities without England's permis-
sion to do so. and the deliverance Of
the seas from English tyranny