and to make themselves independent of other countries.  The livelihood of our working classes directly depends on the maintenance and expansion of our export trade.  It is a question of life and death for us to keep open our oversea commerce.  We shall very soon see ourselves compelled to find for our growing population means of life other than industrial employment.  It is out of the question that this latter can keep pace permanently with the increase of population.  Agriculture will employ a small part of this increase, and home settlements may afford some relief.  But no remunerative occupation will ever be found within the borders of the existing German Empire for the whole population, however favourable our international relations.  We shall soon, therefore, be faced by the question, whether we wish to surrender the coming generations to foreign countries, as formerly in the hour of our decline, or whether we wish to take steps to find them a home in our own German colonies, and so retain them for the fatherland.  There is no possible doubt how this question must be answered.  If the unfortunate course of our history has hitherto prevented us from building a colonial Empire, it is our duty to make up for lost time, and at once to construct a fleet which, in defiance of all hostile Powers, may keep our sea communications open.

We have long underestimated the importance of colonies.  Colonial possessions which merely serve the purpose of acquiring wealth, and are only used for economic ends, while the owner-State does not think of colonizing in any form or raising the position of the aboriginal population in the economic or social scale, are unjustifiable and immoral, and can never be held permanently.  “But that colonization which retains a uniform nationality has become a factor of immense importance for the future of the world.  It will determine the degree in which each nation shares in the government of the world by the white race.  It is quite imaginable that a count owns no colonies will no longer count among the European Great Powers, however powerful it may otherwise be.” [F]

[Footnote F:  Treitschke, “Politik,” i., Section 8.]

We are already suffering severely from the want of colonies to meet our requirements.  They would not merely guarantee a livelihood to our growing working population, but would supply raw materials and foodstuffs, would buy goods, and open a field of activity to that immense capital of intellectual labour forces which is to-day lying unproductive in Germany, or is in the service of foreign interests.  We find throughout the countries of the world German merchants, engineers, and men of every profession, employed actively in the service of foreign masters, because German colonies, when they might be profitably engaged, do not exist.  In the future, however, the importance of Germany will depend on two points:  firstly, how many millions of men in the world speak German? secondly, how many of them are politically members of the German Empire?