ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND GERMANY. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."
j
Sin,—In reference to a paragraph in the Spectator of March 8th, is it seriously contended that we, who have destroyed the independence of Holland in Africa, should fight for the independence of Holland in Europe,—Holland
the geographical complement of the German Empire, and throughout many centuries politically a part of Germany P
Our Dutch-African policy has been forced upon us by Im- perial necessity. Cannot we make a similar allowance for Germany if the question should ever arise ? You have con-
sistently urged that we should recognise and support.. (or, at
least, not oppose) the designs of Russia, on the ground that realisation may produce satiety, and so make for the peace of the world. Why not apply the same line of argument to Germany, which has far more need of territorial expansion than either ourselves or Russia? At all events, the conqueror of Pretoria can hardly pose as the defender of the Hague.—
[There is no sort of parallel between the two cases. In a new country the Boers denied the rights of citizenship to half the inhabitants, though they had entered the Transvaal but some fifty years earlier than the Outlanders. Had they been as liberal hi naturalisation as we are in our Colonies there had been no wan No doubt Mr. Knaus will find at present many sympathisers with his appeal to Britain to leave Holland to her fate, but for ourselves we think the Dutch ought not to forfeit our help and protection because of their attitude towards the present struggle.—En. Spectator.]
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