Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/288

 280] FOREIGN HISTORY. [1899.

position of Germany with regard to transoceanic questions. The German Government had always pursued a tranquil middle course, equally removed from neglect of German interests and from extravagance. Events had begun to jostle each other in a manner which could not have been foreseen two years ago." After giving a short sketch of modern history, intended to show that every century had been occupied by the various nations in the partition of influence and territory, and dwelling upon the ex- pansion of England, France, and Russia in the nineteenth century "while Germans were breaking each other's heads," Count von Biilow continued : " Scarcely a year and a half ago the Spanish- American war gave a new impetus to the movement of events, and has led to great results and far-reaching changes — ancient empires have been shaken ; new countries are made to ferment by new kinds of leaven, and no one can say, no one can predict, what the consequences will be of the war which has set South Africa in flames during the last few weeks. The forecast of Lord Salisbury — ' the strong States must become stronger and the weak States weaker ' — had been confirmed by every- thing that had occurred since the remark had been made. Do we again stand before a fresh partition such as occurred 100 years ago ? I would fain hope not, but in any case we cannot permit that any Power should say to us on occasion, ' What is to be done ? The world is already divided.' We do not wish to interfere with any other country, but we do not wish that any other Power should interfere with us, should violate our rights, or push us aside either in political or commercial questions. It is time that, in view of the great change in the international situation, and in consideration of the great change which has taken place in the prospects of the future, we should make up our minds as to the attitude which we ought to adopt with regard to the changes which are in preparation all around us, and which perhaps may determine the distribution of power on our planet for an indefinite period. Germany cannot stand aside while other nations divide the world among them. The rapid increase of our population, the growth of our industry, the capacity of our merchants — in brief, the keen vitality of the German people — have drawn us into the international market and bound our interests up with those of the whole world. If Englishmen speak of a Greater Britain and Frenchmen of a Nouvelle France, if Russia opens up Asia for herself, then we, too, have a right to a Greater Germany. . . . In the hitherto isolated cases in which we have had to come to an agreement upon colonial questions with France we have always been able to arrive at a friendly settlement without any difficulty. From Russia we have met with friendly treatment in these matters, and we gladly reciprocate. The good relations existing between us and the United States have recently been emphasised by President McKinley with a warmth of expression which gives us the sincerest satisfaction, and which we do not doubt that country