Having thus far traced the fundamentals of Gertnan policy as proclaimed by Germany's representative spokesmen and revealed in her popular literature, it must be added that there existed two widely-differing. schools of thought as to procedure in bringing that policy to fruition. While the militant section favored the forcible abolition of the British Empire, the 'other and more moderate point of view ad vocated a °working arrangement* vrith Great Britain, whereby the British Empire should be left intact and Germany given a free hand to expand elsewhere. Under the terms of such an understanding, according to Bernhardi's in terpretation, England would have had to give up her claim to a predominant position through out the world and recognize °that Germany possesses equal rights, side by side, with her,' and to agree beforehand to °any increase of Germany's power on the continent of Europe"; to °any possible change of the map of North Africa*.; to °offer no opposition to Germany's economic expansion in Asia Minor,* and °no longer oppose the development of Germany's sea power by the acquisition of coaling stations.* Such an agreement, he believed, would assure European peace, and that °a powerful counter poise would be created to the growing influence of the United States? The result would have °the most far-reaching advantages, not only for England and Germany, but for all civilization)); but the basis of all negotiations between the two countries °would have to be the demand that England woukl have to leave the Triple En tente? When, however, the writer asked him self the question, whether it was likely thas England would enter upon such an agreement with Germany, he answered it with an °un conditional no.* ((Our Future: A Warning to the German Nation,) 1912).
Contrary to general outside opinion, the Ger mans are not essentially a warlike race; it was the stern Prussian military system that con verted them into excellent fighting material. One must distinguish between Prussians and Germans. The former are a mixture of Slav and Finnish compounds, with a groove-like genius for unimaginative bureaucracy; the latter an industrious, peaceful and docile race. As one authority puts it, the Prussians were (the best machine-makers in the world, and their machine was all Germany.* Certain it is that no nation was so thoroughly and scientifically prepared for war as Germany. The Germans are a prolific race, and oversea colonies were considered a vital necessity for their growing population. Large numbers etnigrated every year to other countries. Transplanted on for eign soil, these were entirely lost to the home land within two generations, losing their nation ality and not infrequently their mother tongue unless they settled in German colonies, and very few did that. Emigration, however, had fallen off considerably during recent years before the war, owing to industrial progress at home. Some German authorities have even asserted that economic pressure and over-population vrere not the reasons for German emigration, in proof of which statement they pointed to the enormous number of foreign laborers, Italians, Htmgarians and Russians employed in the country in normal times. But although the Germans were over 100 years too late to join in the scramble for colomal possessions and did not enter the lists until long after Spain, Por tugal, Holland, France and England had staked out the best claims, they were nevertheless fairly succes-sful in acquiring foreign territories. Dur ing about 16 years of colonial activity (1884 1%0) the German Empire was able to annex some 1128,020 square miles of territory with an estimated native population of about 12,000, 000. In addition to this France had ceded to Germany in 1911 over 107,000 square miles of African (Congo) territory with a million popu lation. The total number of Germans and other whites scattered over their colonial empire barely exceeded 25,000, composed' mainly of troops and officiab. The reason of this vras the fact that desirable German emigrants had al ways exhibited a strong predilection for the English-spealcing lands, while large numbers of them also settled in South America, South Africa and all the European countries — every where excepting in German colonies. Thus it
appeared that German colonial acquisitions even at the average rate of 70,000 square miles per annum failed in the primary object of provid ing new homes for German settlers, though it must be conceded that former German East Africa (Dar-es-Salam), WaS the only possession that offered any attractive prospects; all the others were too distantly isolated, undeveloped, or unhealthy. It is worthy of note that Germany obtained all her former colonies while she had no navy; and those she had acquired, as Bem hardi confessed, gin agreetnent with England.* Since 1900, when the German Navy Bill for doubling the strength of the fleet was introduced and passed, the only colonial addition to the empire consisted of the French Congo cession already mentioned, given by way of ((com pensation* over Morocco (q.v.). Up to the last few years of the 19th century we find Great Britain aiding the expansionist aspirations of Germany. The lcaiser's telegram to President Kruger on 3 Jan. 1896 marks the turning point in British yolicy and the transformation of British sentiment toward Germany.
The violent epidemic of Anglophobia which swept over Germany during the South African War gained the popular support for the Navy Bill, the preamble to which set forth that 'Germany must have a fleet of such strength that even for the mightiest naval power a war with her would involve such risks as to jeopard ize its own supremacy.* Not unnaturally, the British people read in the measure a direct challenge to themselves. Subsequent waves of Anglophobia spread in Germany during the Morocco crisis in 1906, the Austro-Serbian crisis of 1908, and the Agadir incident of 1911. Fresh navy bills were introduced after each of these events, with England ever held up as the danger point. There was no secrecy about German ambitions; they were publicly declared and indited to the world by the emperor himself, his leading lieutenants and a large sdtool of writers. If it is true that the spirit of a nation is refiected in its literature, in the utterances of its leaders and the course of its domestic and foreign policies, no student of the ante cedents of the European War can afford to ignore the testimony supplied by the Pan Germanic propaganda. °God has called us to civilize the world,* proclaimed the kaiser at Bremen; Dr. Giesebrecht asserted that ((Domi nation belongs to Germany because it is a superior nation, a noble raoe, and it is fitting that it should control its neighbors*; while another popular writer, Herr Bley, stated, ((We are the superior race in the fields of science and art ". . . the best colonists, the best sailors, the best merchants.* Field Marshal Bronsart Von Schellendorf wrote: 4Do not let us forget the civilizing task which the decrees of Provi dence have assigned to us. Just as Prussia was destined to be the nucleus of Germany, so the regenerated Germany shall be the auckus of a future Empire of the West And in order that no one shall bc left in doubt, we proclaim from henceforth that our continental nation has a right to the sea, not only to the North Sea, but to the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Hence we intend to absorb one after another all the provinces which neighbor on Prnsaia. We will successfully annex Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Northern Switzerland, and their Trieste and Venice; finally Northern France from the Sambre to the Loire. This program we fear lessly pronotmce. It is not the work of a mad man. The Empire we intend to found vrill be no Utopia. We have ready to our hancb the moans of founding it and no coalition can stop us.* It may be noted that the proposed annex ations included, besides portions of France, four independent states and also territory belonging to Germany's two partners then in the Triple Alliance: Coming, as it did, from a field mar shal in the German army, such a pronuncia miento could hardly pass unheeded. Thus the German people, half consciously though in evitably, became aggressive and belligerent in spirit under the highest official and academic guidance.