Obvious punctuation errors have been repaired silently. Word errorshave been corrected and a list of correctionscan be found after the book. The author's incorrect spellings of Danishand other foreign names and words have been retained, such as "HolgerDansker" for "Holger Danske", "Amalieborg" for "Amalienborg", "Hvidhöre"for "Hvidöre". An incorrect reference to the Danish King Christian IV. forChristian IX. has been corrected.
A Retrospect and a Warning
By
Maurice Francis Egan
Former United States Minister to Denmark
Hodder and Stoughton
London · New York · Toronto
Copyright, 1918,
By George H. Doran Company
The purpose of this book is to show the reflectionsof Prussian policy and activity in a little countrywhich was indispensable to Prussia in the founding ofthe German Empire, and which, in spite of its heroicstruggle in 1864, was forced to serve as the very foundationof that power; for, if Prussia had not unrighteouslyseized Slesvig, the Kiel Canal and the formationof the great German fleet would have been almostimpossible.
The rape of Slesvig and the acquisition of Heligoland—thatdespised 'trouser button' which kept up the'indispensables' of the German Navy—are facts thatought to illuminate, for those who would be wise, thepast as a warning to the future. There is no doubt thatthe assimilation of Slesvig by Prussia led to the Franco-Prussianwar, and liberated modern Germany from thedifficulties that would have hampered her intention tobecome the dominant power in the world. The furtheracquisition of Denmark would have been only a questionof time, had not the march of the Despot throughBelgium aroused the civilised world to the reality ofthe German imperial aggression—until then, unhappily,not taken seriously. Had Germany followed the policywhich induced her to hold Slesvig, in spite of the promisethat the Slesvigers, passionately Danish, might by votedecide their own fate—and seize Denmark, the VirginIslands, not American, would have been German possessions.The change of policy which sent the Germanarmy into Belgium and Northern France, instead ofinto Denmark, was, in a measure, due to the belief inGermany, that the war would be short; and, with Francehelpless, Russia terrorised and England torn by politicalfactions, she could control the Danish Belts that leadfrom the North Sea to the Baltic and treat these watersas German lakes.
She reckoned as erroneously on that as she reckonedon controlling the Mediterranean and on smashing theMonroe Doctrine by practically possessing Argentineand Brazil. She built well, however, when she madeKiel the pride of the Emperor and the Empire. Europewatched the process, and hardly gave a thought to theoutrage on humanity and liberty it involved. The worldis suffering for this indifference. The retention of DanishSlesvig created the German sea power and the constantthreat to Denmark concerns us all. It is a worldquestion; and it must be answered in the interest ofDemocracy.
Denmark is geographically part of Germany. Innormal times you reached Berlin from Copenhagen in anight. In a few short hours you may see German sentinelson the Slesvig frontier,