The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-07


The German efforts at colonization,
which were more or less of a failure
because the Germans refused to in
habit the German possessions, and the
measures adopted to conquer the COM
mercial markets Of the world were an
part Of the program of world
domination which Germany planned
for herself, and 1t Is not unlikely that
If she had confined her efforts along
those lines she might have progressed
further along her chosen path than she
has advanced by bathing the world In
blood.
II have nearly 100000 people,"
the kaiser said to me on one occasion,
land we shall have to find room for
them somewhere. When We became
an empire England had her hands on
nearly everything. Now we must
fight to get ours. That is why l am
developing our world markets, just as
your country secured Hawaii and the
Philippines as stepping stones to m
markets Of the far east, as I under
stand it That's why I developed the
wonderful city Of Kiao-Chau."
His plans in this connection were
changed somewhat apparently by the
developments of the present war, FOR
he told me that when 1t was over the
Germans would not emigrate to the
United States any more.
mo more American emigration for
us after the war;" he said. MY
people will settle in the Balkans and
develop and control that wonderful
country I have been down there and
l know 1t is a marvellous land for u
purposes"
The kaiser's vision Of the part he
would take in the reconstruction OF
stricken Europe was Indicated ny a
remark he made to me In 1910 when
/ was visiting him at the army head
quarters at Pless.
Here / am nearly sixty years OF
age" he s~oliloquized, "and must re-
build the whole of Europe"
Although the kaiser SO freely admit
ted his designs on the world at large.
he was impatient OF any expansion
on the part of other nations. He often
spoke Of England's grabbing" pro-
pensity and viewed with suspicion u
annexation Of Hawaii and the Philip
pines and our development OF Cuba
after the Spanish-American war. He
prOfeSsed to see In Our new policy a
striving after world power which was
inconsistent with the principles upon
which our government was founded.
He objected to our interference In
Mexican affairs, although, as was dis
closed by the Zimmerman note to Won
Eckhardt, he was making every effort
to have Mexico interfere with ours.
"What right has President Wilson
to attempt to dictate the internal poll
cies of MexicO?" he asked. "WEy not
let them fight their battles out alOne?"
Abiding to Americas threat to m
ter the present war, he asked: What
right has America to insist upon the
Monroe doctrine of America and then
mix In European affairs? Let her rec
ognize also a Monroe doctrine Of Eu-
rope and keep her hands out Of this
conflict! !"
There is no doubt that the kaiser
imagined that the great army and lazy
he had built up would enable him to
out effective resistance.
The one power he most feared but
for which he professed the utmost o n
tempt was England. He had an Idea
that England would never dare to
measure swords with Germany and
that he could provoke a war when the
opportune moment anne without much
fear of England's Intervention.
In 1911, when the international stu.
alton over the Moroccan affair was
particularly acute as q result Of Ger
mnry's having sent a gunboat to Aga.
dir n demonstrate that she was Ser1.
GUS In her demands, the kaiser had
great hopes that war with France
might thus be prccipitated and he was
confident that England would keep out
of it.
england would be afraid to war
with u.s. h, told me at the time, " for
fear of losing Egypt, India and Ireland.
Any Iation would think twice before
fighting my armies. but England par
ticularly because she would not dare
o risk the loss Of her overseas colo
MES"
When the kaiser's ambitious project
to dominate the world Is considered,
his consistent opposition to the univer-
sal disarmament proposals Is easily
understood. Without a superior army
and navy, his whole plan would have
to be abandoned and his dream Of
worldwide dominion would be shat
tered.
On n occasion when we were dis
cussing the Carnegie peace efforts,
the kaiser disclosed very positively
just where he stood on the proposition.
Look at the history of the nations
Of the world" he declared. 1.-THE only
nations which have progressed and be-
come great have been warning nations.
Those which have not been ambitious