LORD HALDANE'S VISIT. A LL the indications point to the fact
that Lord Haldane's visit to Berlin has been useful. It is not going to produce the Millennium, nor did Lord Haldane, we may be sure, expect any such results from it. It does seem, however, that there is good reason to suppose that it may prove the beginning of better relations between the two countries. The best feature connected with the incident is that the Government have not been attempting to do too much. They have been urged to do many foolish and dangerous things in the namo and in the some happy change in the climatic conditions. The results hope of peace, but happily they have not committed of the German elections and the completion of the treaty such capital errors. Let us examine this negative side of with France, coupled with the unmistakable steadiness of the visit a little more closely. To begin with, we are our Government in their essential policy, have all tended glad to note that there seems to have been no attempt on to secure recognition of the simple truth that our Govern- our part to suggest any formal agreement as to the restric- went is not in fact eaten up with a desire to thwart tion of naval armaments. It may at first hearing sound German ambitions. If an impression of that kind has at strange that we should express pleasure at this result. A last been made upon the German Government, then Lord restriction in favour of the status quo would clearly Haldane and his colleagues may well feel that they have suit Britain exceedingly well. We have got the com- done a good stroke of work. wand of the sea, and an agreement binding Germany We are not in the secrets of the Government, and we never to challenge it by outbuilding us would surely be do not know what further advantages may have been excellent. Unfortunately this is just one of those things secured. If, however, as is possible, Lord Haldane may which are too good to be attainable. We could not ask have been able to ask the question what the Germans for the Garter was an advertisement to the whole world In writing thus we shall perhaps be told that wo that the visit involved no alteration in policy—a policy are only dangling a great African empire before the which, we have pointed out again and again, is based on eyes of Germany to withdraw it, because we must the firm and loyal maintenance of the entente with France know that neither Portugal, nor the Belgian Congo, and Russia. To sum up, Lord Haldane's visit meant nor anybody else can be induced to part with an inch of neither a foolish attempt to propose to Germany an land to Germany unless the Germans are prepared. to use agreement as to the restriction of naval armaments, which force—a condition which we have said is not one to which must be a cause of humiliation or friction, nor any weaken- we could assent. Such a remark may seem at first as if it ing of the triple entente. would entirely upset our whole argument. We do not But, it may be urged, these so-called negative successes believe, however, that the obstacles are in reality as for- really only leave things where they were. What the midable as they appear. For the moment Portugal may world wants to know is whether the visit did any good on be inclined to refuse any offer for a German purchase, and the positive side. In our opinion there is good reason to the Belgians may feel the same in regard to the Congo. hope that it did. Lord Haldane, we may imagine, was It is, however, quite possible that before long matters may able to assure the German Government how perfectly change in this respect. As we pointed out not long ago pacific are our aims and objects, and how willing we in an article on Portuguese Africa, it s quite con- should be to help Germany to get that place in the sun ceivable that either through a native insurrection or which she is said to desire, provided we can do it through internal weakness the Portuguese administration without sacrificing our own essential interests or the may break down altogether. But if that were to happen interests of any Powers in alliance or agreement with Portugal might be very glad to obtain German financial us. Perhaps it will be said that it was a curious thing assistance. Again, it is possible that the Belgians might to send a Cabinet Minister so far in mid-winter to say be willing to make frontier rearrangements which would this, especially as it must have been known to the Germans establish a connexion between German East Africa and the for the last ten years. No sane person here has over West African possessions of Germany through a newly wished to thwart Germany's aspirations towards Imperial acquired German colony on the West Coast. Again, there development. No doubt that is true enough, but at the same are other rearrangements of territory conceivable which time, when ill-feeling has arisen between two neighbours, might tend to benefit German development. To put the be the cause what it may, there often comes a moment when matter in another way. Even if we were not able to do any- the reiteration of some very obvious truth will be useful. thing to help Germany at the moment, except by giving The fact that the seed has been scattered ninety-nine an assurance that if circumstances arose where our help times before and has not grown does not prove that at the would be beneficial and could be given without prejudice to hundredth time it may not grow and bear fruit owing to our good faith and loyalty to others, we should do our best Germany to assent to such a perpetuation of the naval mean when they talk of Germany being deprived of her status quo without asking her to endure what would be place in the sun, we can well imagine a very useful regarded—and quite naturally—by the German people conversation to have taken place. Yet here, again, Lord as a humiliation. Consider for a moment what we should Haldane could in reality only have been pointing out be demanding. Napoleon after Jena made the Prussians the fact that the door has always been standing open, bind themselves by a ten-year agreement not to raise an though, for some strange reason or other, the Germans army of more than 42,000 men. That was regarded as the seemed to have imagined that it was shut. Speaking for extreme of national degradation. How, then, could we ask ourselves, and at the same time, we believe, for the vast Germany to bind herself to a fixed number in the matter majority of Englishmen, nothing would please us better of battleships and cruisers P To make such a request must than to see Germany given an opportunity to try her be to invite friction and ill-feeling. If Germany voluntarily colonizing energies on a great scale. As we have said conies to the conclusion that she has got a large enough before in these pages, what we should like, if it were fleet, that is another matter ; but a formal treaty or agree- possible, would be to see the greater part of the African anent tying her hands is impossible, and could only be possessions of Portugal pass by means of a friendly pur- suggested by persons ignorant of the way in which the chase into German hands, and also, on equally just and relations between great and independent Powers are con- friendly terms, a portion of the Belgian Congo. By these ducted. Besides, even if we could imagine this difficulty means Germany could be endowed with an African empire got over by some diplomatic form of words, the danger of stretching from ocean to ocean, and big enough for large an agreement would still be very great. No matter how adventures in the matter of railways and colonizing develop- carefully the agreement was framed, questions as to its meat. Apparently the Germans imagine that the people interpretation would be almost sure to arise, supposing of England would regard such a consummation as injurious i pacific are our aims and objects, and how willing we in an article on Portuguese Africa, it s quite con- should be to help Germany to get that place in the sun ceivable that either through a native insurrection or which she is said to desire, provided we can do it through internal weakness the Portuguese administration without sacrificing our own essential interests or the may break down altogether. But if that were to happen interests of any Powers in alliance or agreement with Portugal might be very glad to obtain German financial us. Perhaps it will be said that it was a curious thing assistance. Again, it is possible that the Belgians might to send a Cabinet Minister so far in mid-winter to say be willing to make frontier rearrangements which would this, especially as it must have been known to the Germans establish a connexion between German East Africa and the for the last ten years. No sane person here has over West African possessions of Germany through a newly wished to thwart Germany's aspirations towards Imperial acquired German colony on the West Coast. Again, there development. No doubt that is true enough, but at the same are other rearrangements of territory conceivable which time, when ill-feeling has arisen between two neighbours, might tend to benefit German development. To put the be the cause what it may, there often comes a moment when matter in another way. Even if we were not able to do any- the reiteration of some very obvious truth will be useful. thing to help Germany at the moment, except by giving The fact that the seed has been scattered ninety-nine an assurance that if circumstances arose where our help times before and has not grown does not prove that at the would be beneficial and could be given without prejudice to hundredth time it may not grow and bear fruit owing to our good faith and loyalty to others, we should do our best to support Germany, a good deal would have been done to remove friction between the two countries. If you want to satisfy a dissatisfied neighbour, or to bring about better personal relations with him, the first thing is to try to find out what that neighbour really wants of you. It may still be that you cannot do what he wants, and that he is asking the impossible. On the other hand, you may find that he has got it into his head that you will never yield on some point where as a matter of fact you are perfectly willing to oblige him, or, at any rate, would be willing to oblige him if circumstances were to render it physically possible. If Lord Haddene's informal con- versations with the German Government fit in with an analogy of this kind, as we think we may assume they must have done, then his visit cannot but have been useful—nay, successful. To sum up, it would be a great mistake to rush to the conclusion that there is to be some immediate and miraculous change coming in our relations with Germany, or, again, to imagine that we have suddenly changed or can change our foreign policy. But it is quite conceivable that the visit may conduce to a better feeling. Nothing but good could come from a. recognition in Germany of a fact which has long been patent here, namely, that we have no desire to thwart Germany, and that, provided no attempt is made to represent our special friendships with Franco and Russia as an act of hostility towards Germany, we are more than willing to give every possible consideration to Germany's claim to a place in the sun.
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