The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-09-10

standing army from $4,000 to 100000
Ito restore the balance Of power, they
said. For this purpose a "Wehrbei-
trag." or increased armament tax, was
levied on capital and, incidentally, l
was informed thai l would have to
pay my share. The idea Of paying a
tax to upbuild the German army,
which was already so powerful that
1t menaced the peace Of the world,
did not appeal to me at all and 1
spoke to Ambassador Gerard about it.
He advised me to pay 1t under protest,
agreeing with me that there was no
reason why an American should be
required to contribute to the German
war budget. However, had to pay II.
The German efforts at colonizat ton.
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
important part Of the program Of world
domination which Germany planned
for herself. and II is not unlikely that
II 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.
Il have nearly 100000 people,"
the kaiser said to me on one occasion.
"and 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 I am
developing our world markets, just as
your country secured Hawaii and the
Philippines as stepping stones to the
markets Of the far east, as l under
stand 1t That's why 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 ore.
mo more AM can emigration for
rs after the war" he said. My
people will settle In the Balkans and
develop and control that wonderful
country. have been down there and
j know II II a marvellous land for our
purposes"
The kaiser's vision Of the part ho
would take In the reconstruction OF
stricken Europe vas indicated by a
remark he made to NE In 1915 when
I was visiting him at the army head
quarters at Pless.
Here I am nearly sixty years OF
a ko hn
build the W. Of Europel"
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 our
annexation of Hawaii and the Philip
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
-ckhardt, 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. "Why not
let them fight their battles out alone2"
Abiding to Americas threat to en-
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 Monroe doctrine OF Eu-
rope and keep her hands out Of this
7"
There is no doubt that the kaiser
lmae that the great army and navy
he had built up would enable him to |
carry out his ambitious program with
out effective resistance.
The one power he most feared but |
for which he pfofessed the utmost con-
tempt was England He had an idea |
that England would never dare to
measure swords with Germany and
that he could provoke war when the |
opportune moment came without much
fear Of Englands Intervention.
In 1911. when the international situ-
alton over the Moroccan affair was
acute as a result Of Ger
many's having sent gunboat to Aga.
dir to demonstrate that she was seri-
ous IN her demands. the kaiser had
great hopes that war with Franco
might thur be precipitated and he was
confident that England would keep out
Df Il.
England would be afraid to war
With us, H. told me at the time, I" for
'ear of losing Egypt, India and I-eIand