Even England is no proof to the contrary, for we are too apt to forget the true nature of the Anglo-Saxon world in its relation to the British Empire. If only on account of her community of language and Kultur with the American Union, England cannot be compared with any other State in Europe.
Hence Germany’s only hope of carrying out a sound territorial policy lay in acquiring fresh lands in Europe itself. Colonies are useless for that object if they appear unsuitable for settling Europeans in large numbers. In the Nineteenth Century, however, it was no longer possible to acquire such territory for coloniza¬ tion by peaceful methods. A colonizing policy of that kind could only be realized by means of a hard struggle, which would be far more appropriate for the sake of gaining territory in the continent near home than for lands outside Europe.
For such a policy there was only one possible ally in Europe—Great Britain. Great Britain was the only Power which could protect our rear, supposing we started a new Germanic expansion (Germanenzug). We should have had as much right to do this as our fore¬ fathers had.
No sacrifice would have been too great in order to gain England’s alliance. It would have meant renun¬ ciation of colonies and importance on the sea, and refraining from interference with British industry by our competition.
There was a moment when Great Britain would have let us speak to her in this sense; for she under¬ stood very well that, owing to her increased population, Germany would have to look for some solution and find it either in Europe with Great Britain’s help, or elsewhere in the world without it.
The attempt made from London at the turn of the century to obtain a rapprochement with Germany was due first and foremost to this feeling. But the Germans were upset by the idea of “having to pull England’s