rendered possible only by an unfair advantage being taken of the weakness of France.
This history of the acquisition by Britain of her Overseas Dominions is a tale full of stories such as either of these two, according to the Pan-Germanists. If, therefore, it was right and proper that Britain could acquire territories in such fashions as these, on what principle, therefore, was it not right and proper for Germany to do the same? If Britain holds India and Egypt only by right of conquest and cunning, does she not therefore hold them subject to the right of any other Power to snatch them from her grasp by similar methods? It is admitted that except perhaps for a portion of Asia Minor there could be no more colonisation as a result of the peaceful exploration of the religious missionary with his Bible. But even where Germany had an opportunity thus to initiate peacefully the subsequent acquisition of a colonial territory, as in Asia Minor, Britain even opposed this and thrust obstacles in the way. Germany here referred to the action of Britain in relation to the Baghdad Railway. The German accordingly felt that his scorn for Britain was justified. He claimed that Britain is, at her best, a hypocritical nation, and believed that were the opportunity to afford itself Britain would not hesitate to turn her back upon her fine phrases of the recent past and acquire the first piece of extra territory that was available and which Britain might think suitable for herself and her purposes.
But Germany went one step further, and accused Britain of being a coward nation, or, said Germany, if she were not a coward then the fact must be that Britain knows that she is not strong enough to fight. When Britain proposed that Germany should limit her armaments, Germany referred England to her actions towards Denmark at the beginning of the nineteenth century. "Britain feels that her strength is now leaving her," said Germany, and "Now that her day is over she talks to others of disarmament! It is the first time in history that such propositions have been made, and it is fitting enough that they should come from this hypocrite Power. Britain may gradually sink from internal decay, as Venice gradually sank after 1500, dying of senility; only a touch from Napoleon's sword and she crumbled; or if she has spirit enough Britain may perish from a bayonet thrust to the heart, but perish she must."
The great national historian of Germany, Treitschke, a chief apostle of Pan-Germanism, said of Britain: "A thing that is wholly a sham cannot in this universe of ours endure for ever; it may endure for a day, but its doom is certain; there is no room for it in a world governed by valour by the Will to Power."
