Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-04
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

hauer, This stream Of ernisrants going
out with all it has, furnishing knoWl-
edge and skill to Cur national enemies,
is a tax of gold and blood paid by Ger
many to foreign lands!"
Yet at the same time there was an
annual excess of 100000 births over
deaths, and Germany was overcrowdeo,
with shortage of food and of employ
ment.
BY 1888 the agitation for colonial
policy had taken form and organizations
were created which drew adherentS
from all political parties III the name
Of natioralism and German expansion.
The result was that Bismarck showed
himself to be an opportunist for he
reversed his former opposition and be-
came a leading colonization advocate.
When one Luderitz, a merchant, went
to Africa and obtained treaties with
native chiefs whereby he got control
of a great tract of territory, including
q harbor on the southwest coast, Bis
nlarcG secretly promised him govern
ment protection and aid: the promise
was secret because Of divided political
sentiment in Germany. Official in
structions were sent to the German
consul: Herr Luderitz can count on
the protection of the imperial govern
ment so long as his actions are based
on Justly won rights and do not clash
with the legitimate claims Of others, be
they native or English
The LuderitZ enterprise failed for
want of sufficient capital, but the Bis
marCk policies were thus committed in
1888 to encouraging private colonial en-
terpriSes, SO that in 1884 and 1885 the
German holdings in Africa grew to a
total area of 9l0,150 square miles, which
IS about so per cent greater than the
total area OF holdings of the United
States, including Alaska, or one-third
as great as all the area of Continental
United States. All of that African &C
quiSitiCn was taken by Germany within
two years. In addition, in the years
1685-89, she acquired in the Pacific
Ocean islands, 96l45 square miles of
colonial territory, and when Chinese at
tackled some German missionaries in
1897 Germany acquired a 99-year
lease Of ki2ocEow. with its area Of
1T miles and population of $4,000 Chi
neSe. In five years, from 1884 10 1889,
Germany became ruler over 1912, 500
people-not IN accord with the prin-
cipies on which President Wilson phrascd
the basis for the Versailles treaty, that
all S0VercignticS should be based upon
the consent Of the governed, but by
naval and military power
Is her present claim for restoration
OF her former colonies an indication
that she wants them because they are
profitable and will aid her in paying her
war oebt? Tho latest available raDor 5
as to LAT, date back to 1907. wh-r
her total revenue from her CO'oni~s
amounted to t8l9,00C and her cXpendi-
lures to 1852 900. For every dollar
she received she had to spend G@c.
If, as Bismarck expressed il, cC,onio
enterprise following the union OF tLc
empire III the seventies, would have
been like acquiring a sable coat wh~D
one needed shirts, to what could it be
compared today, when. under the
penalty Of defeat in the World War. She
is forbidden to possess nay, and there
can be no colony without naval Eio.
lection?
In a book by Heinrich Echnec. late
governor Of German East Africa, the
author breathcs threatening language IN
saying:
Half the mistakes made by the allies
in the conduct of the war, and par
ticularly their miscalculaJions and want
of foresight. have been due to DISPOSE
ton TO underrate Germany'S strength
in man-power. matsrial-poWer and.
above ali, Will-power. The bit
ter fact is that beaten and. for the mo-
me:I-. held in restraint though she Is.
Germany today dominates the European
stage, and conditions the peace of the
continent in a way she never did under
the empire. The deprivations of terri
tory imposed Upon her were to have
weakened her beyond hope of recovery;
what they have done is to steel her
spirit and infiame her nationalist fires.
Moreover. the Germans, after
ali, are only expressing a divine afflatuS.
the determination of the best type OF
meu TO dominate the world"
So?
(Copyright, 1929. hy PanI V. CollinS.l