WILHELM II.'S LETTER TO LORD TWEEDMOUTH.

Published by The Morning Post of London, Oct. 30, 1914.


The subjoined letter written to the late Lord Tweedmouth by the German
Emperor is made public for the first time. It is a literal transcript of
the original document in which occur a few slight errors in spelling.
The existence of the document was first made known to the public by the
military correspondent of The Times, who published a letter on the
subject on March 6, 1908, but its contents were not divulged.

The significance of the letter can be understood only in the light of
the naval and political situation six years ago. During the preceding
year, 1907, The Hague Conference, ostensibly convened in the interests
of international peace, had resolved itself into a committee to
determine how to diminish the severities of war. There was a section of
opinion in this country which was persuaded that the only method of
seeking peace was to reduce the navy and army. At the same time the
Imperial German Navy was making swift and steady progress, and its
menace to British supremacy aroused considerable alarm in this country.
Although the British Navy held superiority over the German Navy in ships
not of the dreadnought type, the balance in dreadnoughts was virtually
even.

Dreadnought Supremacy.

It was stated in Parliament that in the year 1916 Germany, according to
her naval law, would have thirty-six dreadnoughts, a number which would