Germany had plenty of opportunities to attack
and good opportunities to boot, for we knew for years that the army of
France was no more ready than that of Russia. But the Germans are not a
warlike nation and the German Emperor, with his Government, has always
shown how earnestly he meant his reiterated assertions that the
preservation of peace was his principal aim. He was actuated in this by
general considerations of humanity, justice, and culture, as well as by
the consideration of the German trade and commerce. This, especially the
transoceanic commerce of Germany, has increased from year to year. War,
however, means the ruin of commerce. Why expose Germany needlessly to
this terrible risk, especially as everything in Germany prospered and
her wealth increased? No, the German Army bills were merely meant to
protect us against, and prepare us for, the attacks of Muscovite
barbarism. But nobody in Germany has ever doubted for a moment that
France would attack us at the first Russian signal. Since the first days
of the Franco-Russian alliance things have become entirely reversed.
Then France wanted to win Russia for a war of revenge against Germany;
now, on the contrary, France thought herself obliged to place her power
and her existence at the disposal of the Russian lust of conquest.
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