Every country around it had a slice of it. Napoleon
took the larger western part of Germany as his property, England held
Hanover, the former Kingdom of Poland held Saxony, Austria held Silesia,
and so there was no Germany. The Teutonic races had no home in which
they could develop and live without interference by others. To prevent
such interference Germany of all nations needed an army; to prevent
similar interference at sea England of all nations needed a navy. That
great British Navy bears precisely the same relation to the protection
of Great Britain at sea which the German Army bears to the protection of
Germany on land.
To sum up, what are the countries fighting for? Russia for her
enlargement; she has no grudge whatever against Germany except that it
exists. France for revenge; she has no grudge whatever against Germany
except that she wants revenge for 1870. What grudge has England against
Germany, except that Germany has grown commercially, financially, and
industrially to a position which threatens to crowd England into a
second rank? Jealousy appears to control the English attitude.
The position apparently assumed by England is best expressed by the King
of England in his telegram to Prince Henry of Prussia, dated July 30,
1914:
My Government is doing its utmost, suggesting to Russia and
France to _suspend further military preparations_ if Austria
will consent to be satisfied with occupation of Belgrade and
neighboring Servian territory as a hostage for satisfactory
settlement of her demands, other countries meanwhile
suspending their war preparations.
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