The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
NARROWING GERMAN DEMANDS.

German territorial aspirations after
four years of war seem to have mar
rowed down to the retention of the
French ore fields adjoining Lorraine;
to a protectorate of the western and
southern provinces of Russia and the
Balkans, and to the return of former
colonial possessions. JUST now Ger
many is singularly quiet regarding it's
political and commercial purposes in
the first and second directions; but it
is very loud in it's protestations that its
former colonies must be returned, and
with an extension of their borders.
It is more than a possibility that
this powerful colonial propaganda has
been launched at this particular time
in order to conceal and distract at
tention from its aims in the other di-
rections. However that may be,
Germany having raised the question,
Germany should be answered. The
only answer conceivable is that the
colonies should not and will not be re-
turned.
The German colonial empire as it
was constituted before the war, says
a bulletin issued by the Philadelphia
Commercial Museum, covered some
what over one million square miles of.
territory in tropical Africa, in eastern
| Asia and in the southern Pacific, an
| area all told equal to one-third of the
continental area of the United States.
In the year rore the war the value
| of the trade of these colonial hold
/
hood of ninety million dollars, about
equally divided between imports and
exports. Making due allowance for the
| fact that this past trade under Ger
man auspices does not accurately re-
fleet the economic possibilities OF the
colonies, and despite their consider
| abe area, the German colonies with
the except. perhaps of the Kiau-
chau concession would not be attrac-
tive even to nations pent upon loot.
The reasons for their retention lie in
| other directions.
The German colonies will not be re-
| turned because Australia, New Zea-
land and South Africa will not look
with favor upon any proposal for the
of lis neig ing territory
which, even prior to the war, was a
constantly growing menace to their in
tegrity. Nor will China and Japan
look with or upon any compro-
mise Involving the return of Kiau-
lchau and the Chinese province OF
Shantung, and the rehabilitation OF
the German influence in the rich sur
rounding territory.
The German colonies will not be re-
turned because such resources and
trade as they possessed were exploited
solely for German benefit and in Ger
man interest, with utter disregard te
the rights of the natives to their labor
, and their products. and without re.
gard to that freedom Of trade upor
, which Germany is now so insistent.
The German colonies must not be re
turned because in less guarded mo
ment more than one responsible Ger
man official has publicly stated tina
the return of the colonies is essential
inasmuch as in the German plan fel
) world domination they are to be uses
; as the stepping stones to more sole
colonial empire. The German co1onie
5 must not be returned because of tn,
: abusive and brutal treatment of tn
natives stopping just short of actua
determination. which has character
E lied the whole course of German col
t orffal misrule.