The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-28
Acquisition of Heligoland by
Germany Was First Step Made
Toward Founding Great Many


sequences. For this reason the treaty
lapsed. To my way Of thinking, 1t
had already lost its main value from
the fact that the Russians no longer
stood whole-heartedly behind it. was
confirmed in this view by a memorial,
written by Count Berchem, Under Sec
rotary of State, who had worked with
Prince Bismarck.
The Agrarian Conservatives opposed
Caprivi as man without landed prop
erty and a violent fight ragged around
the commercial treaties These Difficult
ties were greatly enhanced because
Prince Bismarck, ignoring his former
maxims, took part in the fight against
his successor with all his character
istic energy. Thus arose the opposi-
ton of the Conservatives against the
Government and the Crown, and the
Prince in person sowed the seed from
which later grew the misunderstood
Bismarck" and that "Reichsverdros-
senheit" (unfriendliness to the empire)
so often taken up in the newspapers.
The misunderstood Bismarck Great
ed permanent opposition throughout
my reign against my suggestions and
aims by means of quotations, speeches
and writings, as well as by passive
resistance and thoughtless criticism
Everything that was done was paint
ed in black col6rs, made ridiculous and
criticized from top to bottom, by a
press that placed itself quite willingly
at the disposal of the Prince and often
out ismarcked Bismarck in it's be-
havior.
nh hnnonan n
parett at the time of the acquisition
of Heligoland This island, lying close
in front of the great waterways lead
ing to the principal Hanseatic com
mercial ports, was, in the hands of the
British, a constant menace to Ham
burg and Bremen and rendered i'm
possible any project for building up a
navy. Owing to this, l had firmly re-
solved to win back this formerly Ger
man island to its fatherland.
The Deal for HeIigoland
The way to cause England to give
up the red rock of Heligoland was
found in the colonial domain. Lord
Salisbury proved inclined to exchange
the barren rock" for Zanzibar and
With in East Africa. From COM
mercial sources and the reports of the
commanders of German cruisers and
gunboats which were stationed there
and cruised along the coast Of the re-
Gently acquired German East African
colonies, knew that, as soon as Taga,
Dar-es-S alaam, &c, rose to prosperity
the Importance of Zanzibar on the
coast of Africa as the principal port
of trans-shipment would be thing Of
the past, since, as soon as the above
mentioned harbors were made deep
enough and provided with sufficient
cargo-loading equipment for trading
steamers, there would no longer be
any need of ferrying goods coming
from the interior in dhows to ZanZi-
bar, in order to have them again load
ed on vessels there, since they could
be loaded direct at the new harbors
along the coast.
Therefore, l was convinced that we
had, first, an acceptable asset for
swapping purposes, and, secondly,
good opportunity to avoid colonial fric-
ton with England and come to a
friendly understanding with her. Ca
priv agreed, the negotiations were
concluded, and one evening, shortly be-
fore dinner, / was able to tell the
Empress and few intimates the ex-
ceedingly joyful tidings that Heligo-
land had become German.
A first and important extension Of
the empire had been achieved-witfr
out bloodshed-the first condition for
| the upbuilding of the fleet was full
filled, something which the natives of
the Hanseatic towns and the rest Of
! the North Germans had wished for
centuries had come to pass. In silence,
an important event had occurred.
| Had Heligoland been acquired in the
| CHARACTERISTIC of Prince Bismarck, it
would probably have been valued
very highly. Having happened under
/ Caprivi it loosed a lot of criticism. 1t
was merely Caprivi, the usurper, who
had had the audacity to sit in the
| Princes chair, and the irresponsible"
"ungrateful," ''impulsive" young mas
/ ter who had done such thing Had
Bismarck only wished, he could have
had the old rock any day, but he never
would have been so unskillful as to
give up to the English for it the very
promising African possessions, and he
never would have allowed himself to
be thus worsted. That was the sort
/ of thing heard almost everywhere. The
newspapers of the Prince joined loud
/ ly in this sort of criticism, to the