INTRODUCTION
admittedly going to compel Germany’s enemies to recognize the new Great Power of Mittel-Europa-^lMS-Tmk&y, and if it could do that, it could certainly compass the much smaller thing, compel Britain and France to give back to Germany h er African colonies : —
That Botha will be seriously in a position, as soon as the war as a whole is decided, to refuse obedience to the British Government, when it instructs him to give back South-West Africa, is an idea which cannot be seriously entertained .—(Deutsche Politik, February 18, 1916.)
If Germany can compel its enemies to recognise Mittel- Europa-^>\nz-T urkey, “ then we can also compel them not only to give us back our colonies in Africa, but to cede to us whatever we need.”
6 .— Franz Kolbe.
In the number of Deutsche Politik for December 22, 1916, is an article by Franz Kolbe, explaining Germany’s need of a big colonial Empire with all the stereotyped arguments. The necessity of a supply of raw materials for German industries from Germany’s own territories is, as usual, put in the forefront. But Kolbe also indicates the importance of Mittel-Afrika as a factor in future wars between Germany and the British Empire : —
If German Mittel-Afrika comes about and our former colonies are given back to us, German Central Africa, adequately supplied with munitions, could hold out for the longest war. The larger this German colonial Empire is, the more troops will it be able to furnish, the more risky will an attack upon it be for our enemies, and the more enemy troops will our colonial troops keep engaged in Africa in the event of war. The larger this German colonial Empire in Mittel-Afrika is, the greater part will it play in future naval warfare, on the supposition that the most important harbours—Duala, Dar-es-Salaam, etc.—are fitted out as naval bases.
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