Evening star., 1917-10-07
WAR REVIEW
Continued from Fifth Page.)

CONTINUED from Fifth Page)
shared with the British the task OF ex-
pelling the French from Canada, the
Beers followed Botha in the invasion OF
German Southwest and the end WAS not
long in coming. July. 1915. saw the sur
render of the last German commander.
and German Southwest passed to the
control of the Union of South Africa.
And just as the American colonists dis
closed determination that Quebec
should not be returned to the French,
the South Africans early proclaimed
their annexation Of German Southwest
as definitiye.
Expected Colonies to Revolt.
Germany has reckoned on the disaffsc.
tion of British colonies the world over.
She had believed the war would see the
looSening of the bonds that held together
the British empire. The response OF
Canada had been heard in the second bat
tie of Ypres, when the Canadians had
saved the day in the great gas attack.
Australia and New Zealand answered to
the roll call on Gallipoli peninsula and
the story of the Anzacs had become
part Of imperial history when the South
Africans completed their task Of extin-
gushing German rule in South Africa
and accepted the next duty the in
vasion of German East Africa. No dis
appointment of all that Germany suf-
fered was more real more serious
than that caused by the course Of the
British colonies. She had hoped to dis
rupt the British empire. but before the
first anniversary of the war was over 1t
was plain that the war had cemented II.
AS for the other colonial incidents.
they call for but passing mention. Ger
man Tosoland WAS conquered by Anglo
French forces after a campaign which
lasted but three weeks, and was ended
in August. 1914. On February IS Of the
following year the Kamerun was also in
British and French hands. Only Ger
man East Africa remained, and this was
able. because of its size and the prob
lens of transport, to resist with ever
diminishing force until the fourth year
of the struggle. But the resistance was
always horeless, and, long before this
time. restricted to inland districts re-
moved from that great railroad which
had been the life line of German plans
in Central Africa
And in this collapse of Germany's
overseas empire may be found one moro
incentive to German activity in central
Europe, in the Balkans and in Asfatio
Turkey. Since sea power had demon
strated the helplessness of Germany
beyond the mainland. since her colonial
establishments had disappeared. 1t was
patent that il Germany were to have
he- place upon the map. a place COM
mensurate with her real greatness. It
must be sought where her armies could
march and where British sea power
to the great pan-German dream, to
with its Asiatic exten-
sicns: and now when Mitteleuropa is
Germany is turning again
to Mittelafrika.
l have tried to indicate why any Ger
man proposal to evacuate Belgium In
return for a restoration Of her colonies
will be rejected by the allies Amer
leans will find their best parallel for
this situation in their own history In
the pre-revolutionary era. After a long
series of wars. during which time New
and northern New York were
ravaged by Indian bands led by French
officers. Quebec was finally conquered
by the British with the aid of large
colonial contingents Had the British
to return Quebec to France
the revolution would have come earlier
than it did. The American colonies
were resolved to make an end of bor-
der warfare and to abolish an enemy
frontier. The people of South Africa
and of Australia are now of exactly
the same mind as American colonists in
the middle of the eighteenth century.
Their purpose is bound to prevail. and
aside from possible Central African ar
which are unlikely in the
extreme, there is no chance Of a res
toration of German colonies, not be-
cause of British, but colonial senti.
nent.