THE GERMAN BLIGHT.*
THE public is indebted to the National Review for the publication of a most interesting map entitled The German Blight : an Exposure of German War Aims. In the Introductory Preface by Mr. George Philip there are some pertinent statistios, not only showing the advance of Prussia, but comparing her with her sometime rival, • The German Bight : an Exposure of OfriNall War Aims. London : Batasi;4 Review Office. [6s. net.' the Empire of Austria-Hungary. Especially illuminating are the paragraphs in regard to the Berlin-Baghdad Railway and the Rhine-Danube Ship Canal. The writer of the Introduction says that it is not known whether any part of this scheme has been actually carried into effect; but if it were it woulfl enable Germany to transport ships of war from the North Sea naval bases into the Black Sea. The map shows in a very striking and impressive way the course of the Canal and of the Berlin-Baghdad Railway, which are part of the Mittel-Europa scheme, and also Germany's pathway in the North, and her aspiration to buttress herself on the North and East with a whole crowd of vassal States, and, further, to make the Baltic a Prussian lake. Not only were Poland, Finland, the Ukraine, -Lithuania, Esthonia, Livonia, and Courland to become vassal States, but Norway and Sweden and Denmark were to be compelled to come in. The 961113 fate was destined to befall Switzerland ; the whole of Austria was to be Germany's washpot ; and over the Balkans she was to cast her shoe. Needless to say, the Suez Canal was to be under Cerman control. But all these things are better seen and better realized on a map than by verbal description. Germany's aspirations as to her colonies are extensive and peculiar. Holland comes under (lerman control, bringing with her Java and Dutch Guinea ; while southern Brazil becomes a German dependency, as does the Union of So ath Africa. No doubt Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, and those who share his view of his " German friends," will say that this is all nonsense, and that no sane German ever had any war aims of the kind here set forth so graphically. As a matter of fact, however, we believe that chapter and verse can be found for every one of them. Friedrich Naumann's Mittel-Europa is the main foundation, but German r With's/ literature for the last ten or twenty years has given plenty of additional support for belief in the existence of these schemes.
To most Englishmen, who are not imaginative, the whole thing will soon begin to look fantastic, yet, in sober truth, we have had what can only be called a very close shave in the matter of German world domination. If Germany had won the war instead of losing it., unquestionably she would have made herself the mistress of what we should then have had to describe as the uncivilized world. Even sow, when she has been beaten in the field, unless we lay very secure foundations of peace, righteousness, and national independence for the community of nations, she will once again begin to prepare for the unholy war of aggression. Remember that though its teeth and claws may be cut, the nature of the tiger is the same.
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