never endured permanently; it can endure least
of all in our days, in which an array of mighty armed powers stand
prepared to guard their independence. World domination sooner or later
leads inevitably to an alliance of the States whose independence is
threatened; and thereby it leads to the overthrow of the disturber of
the peace. That, as we all confidently hope, will be the fate of England
as well as of Russia in the present war....

World politics, however, may mean something else; policies based upon
world value, (Weltgeltung.) The policy based on world domination differs
from that based on world value, in that the former denies the equal
rights of other States, while the latter makes that its premise. The
State that asserts its rights to world values demands for itself what it
concedes to the others: its right to expand and develop its political
and economic influence, and to have a voice in the discussion whenever
the political or economical relations of the various States at any point
in the inhabited globe approach a state of change....

In this sense has the German Empire heretofore engaged in world politics
in contrast with Russia and England. That it cannot be carried on
successfully without overseas colonies, a strong foreign fleet, naval
bases, and telegraphic connections through cable or wireless telegraph
apparatus, needs no further elucidation. For this sort of world politics
also the name "Imperialism" may be used. But such use of the word is
misleading; I shall therefore hereafter avoid it.

And herein I think I have uncovered the deeper reason for an early
misunderstanding of great consequence. It seems as though in a
certain--to be sure, not a very great or very influential--circle of our
German fellow-citizens the opinion prevails that the German Empire
should substitute its claims for world domination for those of England.
Such a view cannot be too soon or too sharply rebuked.

The claim for world domination would set the German Empire for many
years face to face with a long series of bloody wars, the issue of which
cannot be in doubt a moment to any one familiar with history. The
enforcement of this claim, moreover, would of itself be the surrender of
the German spirit to the spirit of our present opponent in the war. The
idea of world domination, imperialism in the true sense of the word, is
not a product grown on German soil; it is imported from abroad. To
maintain that view in all seriousn