The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-26
Offered African Empire.

IA the very beginning Of the confer-
| ence Haldane stated that he spoke with
| the sanction OF the British cabinet and
with the consent of the king He be-
gan by holding out 70 US the. prospect
OF a magnificent African empire. This
| was not the first time that England had
made colonial offers to us, but as late
| as January, 1914, the emperor had al.
ways regarded them with distrust,
In the meantime, however, great pres
sure had been brought to bear upon
him, and 1t had been possible to excite
his ambition by the prospect OF &C.
yuiring extensive colonial possessions
without his sufficiently considering this
difficulties which lay in the way and
the reservations which always hedged
about what appeared to be tempting OF.
fers.
He also lost sight Of the factMthat
the English were dispensing colonial
possessions which they neither pos.
sessed nor had the slightest right to
dispose of; yet their cunning offers
could not help but flatter one with thu
kaisers disposition and dim the eyes
with which he looked upon the true sits
uation.
Haldane's talk made painful impress
sion upon me, 1t was too crude, the de-,
sign was too obvious Once before
after 1898, England had attempted to
lull our sense of her growing antago.
nism to Germany by an offer of the
Portuguese colonies in Africa, while at
guese not to sell them, and secretly
strengthened the hand OF Portugal
(After 1893 the relations between
Great Britain and Germany were some.
what strained because of British sym
pathy for the United States in the
many was on the point of actively sup
porting Spain. There were also points
Of dispute growing out Of the Boxer
troubles In China. Won Tirpitz doubt-
less refers to one or the other Of these
situations or both,--Editors note.)
4Haldane's feigned negotiations really
offered sugar coated pill OF Subsection
a political agreement by which we would
acquire certain colonies and in return
we would become practically tributary
state England.
In the face of his declaration at the
opening of the conferences that he spoke
with the authority OF the British cahi-
net, when the audience was closed. Hail
dane astounded us by Stating that all
which the audience proposed merely
bore the character of q private inquiry.
To our arfazement we were told later
that his visit to Berlin had been with
out sanction from his government and
that hts political enemies were accus-
ing him Of pro -Germanism because Of IT.
(Haldane's visit to Berlin took on
such political importance In England
that 1t seems justifiable to give the
British version of the Incident. Even
In British political circles II was COM
monty supposed that Haldane, then sec
rotary for war went to Berlin on "a mis-
sion from the king and cabinet He
spent a week in Berlin and not only
met the kaiser with Won. Tirpitz, as the
latter recounts. but also had a confer-
ence with the emperor In the presence
of Bethmann- Holltveg. In view OF the
conflict between Won Tirpitz and the
chancellor, the admiral may have known
nothing about this second audience. A
fortnight after Haldane's return to Eng
land, Berlin made o guarded inquiry
through the German ambassador in Lon
don as to- the cabinets decision on ~
points which 1t was claimed had BEEN
arranged as a basis of negotiation on Is
points which 1t was claimed had bean
arranged as a basis of negotiations In
the Haldane conferepces, and stating
that Haldane had promised a reply from
the British cabinet within eight days
Berlin was informed in answer to its
inquiry, that neither the cabinet nor
the foreign minister could reply, as Hal
dane had been In Berlin without their
knowledge or authority, and that his
mission had been self-assumed Sir
Edward Grey soon deprived Haldane Of
his var secretaryship by transferring
him to the chancellorship. Editors
r,f,ta