The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-04-26
GERMANY
WILL FIGHT
FOR COLONIES
Expects to Ring in Wilson's
Fourteen Points AS Basis
for Claim to Colonies.
A. c. ANDERSON

IsTAFF coRREsPoNDENT l. n. sERyicEl
BERLIN. April -, tDelayed) -
Whatever Germany may submit to on
other questions at the peace table there
is al least one point for which her dele
gates VIII fight TO the last ditch and
that is the retention Of her colonies
So declared Dr. Johannes Bell. colon
jail secretary. in an interview on the
peace outlook.
You have observed that notwith-
standing sharp party issues on all other
subjects the national assembly al
Weimar has stood solidly together on
the colonial question" said DR.. Bell.
From the extreme right TO the extreme
left, the opinion is unanimous that Ger
many must retain her colonies. Our
representatives. viii have the backing of
the whole German people in making
this demand ait Paris
by lighting / mean, Of course. as a
lawyer would contend to win his case IN
a court Of justice We shall present
every argument at oar command
The biggest Of our arguments. We
believe. VIII be that of justice. founded
upon various utterances of President
Wilson. foremost among which I place
the nth of his fourteen points of peace
wherein he promises an impartial adj
justment of all colonial questions. Ger
many. as well as the entente accepted
President wilson's fourteen points as
the basis for an armistice and peace.
Il present my case under three main
headings: One is ideals; the second is
the possibility of laying the foundation
for future ill-will; the third is economic
necessity.
"a q ~rrFe~r arfFz IN a
order given. The retention of our
colonies is a matter of honor. We have
once begun our program Of colonization.
If we now abandon II. we shall be
branded as d failure in the colonial
field. We have started TO elevate the
natives Of our colonial possessions to a
higher plane Of culture. IF we are
barred from continuing we also are de-
prived OF the opportunity of proving
our ability to fulfill the task.
Secondly. If Germany IS given a peace
that will enable the German people to
live under tolerabIe conditions you will
not find a more peaceful nation than
ours. But If the entente leaves a
stigma on US there viii always be a
secret yearning for revenge which
sooner or later. will break out. To
take our colonies away from US would
leave a sting in our hearts that would
not be forgotten. The German race is
nation Of Woodworking. industrious
and able men and women. You can
take away our wealth. but you cannot
take away our ability You cannot fep
ever hold down 100000 people. The
earth is round and some day these TO-
geo people Will again come out on
top.
Finally. there is the argument Of
economic necessity. Our colonies, pTac-
ed in relation to our industries and
commerce. mean just 50 much in food
and clothing to the German people. We
depend on our colonies for raw ma
terials for our manufactures. and we
have been building up trade with our
overseas possessions. They are as vital
to our existence as are the British
colonies to that OF England or the
French colonies 10 that OF France.
Another point is this: Owing to
lower wages and lower cost or produc-
ton, Germany was up to the time of
the war England's and Americas most
dangerous commercial competitor. Let
me tell YOU that IL We are deprived Of our
colonies we will be a still more danger
Gus competitor IN the future. Given
the opportunity to buy and sell goods in
our own territory the necessity loF
competition in other markets is far less
than when we have no colonies to fall
back on for trade. Furthermore. do
not see why we should not reach a
satisfactory agreement with the en-
tente whereby competition and prices
can be controlled.
we are going to make an outright
demand for the retention OF our colonies
and We will not meekly sign any dotted
line on the colonial issues"