15 APRIL 1938, Page 19

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR,—Your correspondent, Mr. Meyrick

Booth, who confesses to feeling " rather amused " about the danger of Germany obtaining, " somewhere or other," a little extra influence, cannot be taken seriously by anyone with a proper' grasp of Germiny's position in the world today.

We must remember that the main purpose of the Versailles treaty was to ensure that Germany should never again arise as a powerful, military State and threaten the peace of the world. However, we have seen an efficient military machine being developed within the last six years in Germany so that, instead of a peace-loving nation we are faced with one which has broken treaty after treaty, culminating in the entry of armed troops and aeroplanes into Austria.

Does such high-handed action savour of peaceful intentions ? And would it be wise to return to a Germany in her present mood her former colonies ? Is it not obvious that such a gesture would create a very grave menace to our own colonies and trade routes in any future war with Germany ? For we can be quite certain that these colonies would be strongly fortified and the native populations at once put under arms.

Let your correspondent digest these prospects and I am sure he will no longer be " rather amused " about the outcome of the return of her former colonies to Germany.—I am, Sir,