a certainty that one day the whole of the Dutch East Indies are to come under the German flag— all those enormously rich exploited and unexploited islands with their harbours so useful as coaling stations. This is to be attained by the Netherlands being forced or cajoled into joining the German Empire for her own preservation, by picking a quarrel with her and simply adding her to the empire, and then her famous ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, as well as her rich It is so East Indian possessions; are theirs! It is so obviously desirable from the German point of view that I wonder it is not constantly in the minds of statesmen—I mean politicians, for where are the statesmen? These ports and all these islands under the German flag, her growing navy, her great fleet of liners'using these harbours—this is to be the beginning of the end for us. So they think. Will it come? It is a very obvious aim—just glance at the map to see what it really means. What has Australia to say to it? Nothing at all; she ignores the idea. She is obsessed with the fear that she is to be eaten up by Japanese. There is no sign of the British flag anywhere; not a ship or a schooner have we seen flying it on this direct route to Hong-Kong and Singapore. I do not wonder the Germans deem it easy of attainment, despite British, Dutch, Portuguese, Americans, and Japanese. [As yet none of these things have come to pass; but they are coming nearer. The proposed fortification of Flushing, and the establishment near there of Krupp's works, are signs of what may be.]
I discuss all these things with them with interest, but without heat, though my feelings are strong on the subject. Indeed the aims and ambitions of Germany in these seas are what we talk and think most about. The Dutch make
