Germany, England And Africa.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 21, 1913:
    In our Berlin dispatches Monday morning it was reported from well-informed quarters that an understanding was near between Germany and England the consummation of which would be "the crowning political feature of the Kaiser's forthcoming silver jubilee." In substance, the understanding involves the withdrawal of British opposition to German expansion along certain lines in Africa, and the withdrawal of German opposition to British control of the Bagdad Railway terminal and the possession of the harbor of Keweit on the Persian Gulf. The latter would leave Great Britain in practical command of the approaches to India. The former would give to Germany that opportunity for colonies from which she has held for a long time that Britain has barred her.
    The main object of such an understanding is the establishment of reasonably stable friendly relations between the two great empires, and with that the security of European peace for an indefinite time. If the German Emperor can bring about this result it will certainly be the most important and precious achievement of the last quarter of a century. It may not appear in history as the source of so much glory for the German ruler as the triumphant wars by which, under his grandfather, and under the stern and unscrupulous guidance of Bismarck, the present German Empire was wrought. But in the judgment of those who value the lasting welfare of the German people and of the world, it will be a task quite as beneficent and even more difficult. For some twenty years the British and the Germans have been impelled in their respective policies by persistent jealousy and suspicion each of the other. Each has spent vast sums with the avowed intent solely to put itself in position to resist the aggression of the other. At the same time their essential interests really involved no need of apprehension, much less of animosity. The ruler and the statesman, British or German, who can end this costly and perilous misunderstanding will deserve well of mankind and may justly claim laurels that war rarely can bring.
    The immediate basis of understanding that is announced seems entirely practicable. Germany already possesses colonies of great value and of very great promise in Africa, in the east, the west, and the southwest, amounting in all to more than a million square miles. Much of this yields, or will yield, under intelligent administration, large quantities of agricultural and mineral products, cotton, rubber, maize, coffee, cocoa, sugar, and tobacco, together with copper, tin, gold, coal, and petroleum. So far, Germany has not obtained from her African possessions the profit that she expected. But she has made genuine progress in their organization and development and fairly justified the hope that, with expansion, she will attain a position second to that of no other colonial power.
    At present her possessions practically surround those of Portugal on the east and of Portugal and Belgium on the west, and in the basin of the Congo. The agreement reported from Berlin relates to the future, particularly to the Portuguese territory in Angola and in Mozambique. As it is presented, it contemplates the obtaining by Germany, by amicable arrangement, of some portion, or the whole, of the Portuguese possessions in Africa. This is not at all unlikely to be agreeable to Portugal. If it were not, England could not assent to it, as she is bound by special treaty with Portugal to aid her in case of aggression. But Portugal is sorely in need of money to use at home. Her affairs are in a chaotic condition. Her home territory is largely almost as undeveloped in proportion to its real resources as is Africa itself. The means she could secure in exchange for her African property, which is far from profitable, would be infinitely more advantageous in the development of her European territory. And certainly Great Britain would find the new situation incomparably better than the one she has had to face for years. In Africa she could assent to any reasonable German expansion that did not threaten her line of communication north and south, for friendly relations there would be second in value only to friendly relations in Europe. While the understanding would be a marvelous triumph for the Emperor of Germany, it would be hardly less one for the quiet, cool-headed, and wise statesman, Sir Edward Grey, who has so skillfully led the British Nation through the recent stormy times.