New-York tribune., 1918-03-20
Come Full Circle

NH July, 1868, Lord Palmcrston told
the House of Commons that the
Germans dreamed OF a great tleet and
wanted Kiel as naval base. The next year
Prussia and Auctria together made war on
Denmark and wrested from her Schleswig-
Holsten, the first step in the path to world
domination Now this ambition is SO near
accomplishment that the very existence of
Denmark is endangered. If the Baltic IS
to be a German lake Germany must hold
the key. And the key is Copenhagen. Thus
is the wheel come full circle.
The political and economic Importance of
the Baltic provinces has been recognized by
every power that aimed to hold them. In
the fifteenth century Poland fought the
Tcutonc knights for Danzig and the west
crn provinces Of Prussia. In the seven
tccnth century Gustavus Adolphus of
Sweden won them away from Poland for
tine. In the eighteenth century Charles
nj of Sweden attempted once more TO seize
them, but he had to cope with Russia as
we'll as with Poland, and with his death
Sweden passed forever from the list of great
powers Then came the period of Russian
domination and of the successive partitions
Of Poland which wiped that nation from the
map. Now Germany would take her turn
and filch the Baltic provinces from her Old
accomplce in the Polish robbery.
Peril Again for Denmark
Already she purposes to hold in person
or by proxy the cast coast entire to the
northcrnmost tip of the Gulf of Bothnia.
Sweden. her long cherished hope of regain
ing Finland forever gone, will be after the
war what she has been in effect during the
war-a vassa state. She might, with the
other Scandinavian kingdoms, make dcs
perate attempt to save herself by beated
union with the Allies; but there is little in
her past attitude to justify the belief that
she VIII. AS for Denmark, whose peril is
moro immediate, she cannot act alcnc. Her
tcmcrity in following the usagcs of inter
national law and interning a German prize
of war stranded Off her coast has brought
forth threats Of vengeance which Germany
has both the disposition and the power to
execute. To pick a quarrel on this ground
would be an easy matter. Copenhagen is
more tempting prize even than Kiel.
1t is proftless, in sense. to consider the
mi ght-havc beens Of history. Yet if Eng
land France and Russia the Allies of 1914,
had gone to the aid of Denmark in 1864 the
German Empire might not have become a
was the neshng of the imperial sword. Two
years later Austria was defeated and hu-
inflated by Prussia; four years later France
was robbed Of Alsace and Lorraine and
william Of Prussia was crowned German
Emperor at Versailles. The Blond Beast
had learned that it could prey on Europe
with impunty.
A Parallel of Treaties, Too
The growth of German power could not
have been foreseen in 1868; even Palmer
ston argued that Germany should be strong
ain order to control those two ambitious
and aggressive powers, France and Russia,
that press upon her east and west" But
Palmerston saw that it was the duty of
England to go to thc defence of Denmark
in 1864, as she went to the defence of Bel
gum in 1914. Lord John Russell, then
Foreign Secretary, agreed with him; and
when the actually broke out the feeling
in England in favor of intervention became
intensely strong. The obstacle to such ac-
tion not Mr.. Gladstone or Lord Gran
vile, but Queen Victoria herself. AS in the
case Of Italy, she allowed her pro- Prussan
and pro-Austrian feelings to sway her even
in the face of public opinion. ooh. how
fearful" she wrote, at is to be suspected,
unchecrcd, unguided and unadvised, and
how alone the poor Queen tCelS!
Neither Lord Palmerston nor Lord John
wanted war; neither believed that if Eng
land made Prussia and Austria understand
that they would not have Denmark alone to
deal with there would be war. There was,
however, a treaty to be considered in 1864,
Just as there was in 1914 1t was supposed
to guarantee the integrity of Denmark,
though Dsraeli argued that it did not com
pei England to go to war for such pur-
pose. In intent, however, it just as
clear as the treaty regarding the neutrality
of Belgium which Germany treated as a
scrap of paper.
If England mad done in 1864 what she did
in 1914, if the throne had been as free from
German influences then it is now, would
the misery which Germany has inflicted
upon the world have been avcrtod? The
question is unanswerablc, but none the less
| interesting.