There  is  one  interesting  question — constitutional  as  well  as
military — involved  by  Germany's  increasing  colonial  responsi-
bilities which  has  never  yet  received  the  attention  which  it
deserves,  yet  which  one  day  will  have  to  be  faced  seriously.  A
Colonial  Army  will  sooner  or  later  have  to  be  formed,  even
though  Germany's  possessions  beyond  the  seas  should  receive
no  further  additions.  But  for  such  an  army  the  constitution
makes  no  provision.  The  only  political  party  which  has  hitherto
recognised  clearly  the  direction  in  which  events  are  marching  is
that  of  Social  Democracy,  and  its  attitude  of  Ohsta  princijnis
is  consistent  enough.  Meanwhile,  the  Government  has  dis-
creetly given  no  countenance  to  the  view  that  a  Colonial  Army
is  the  logical  outcome  of  colonial  expansion,  and  quite  recently
Herr  Dernburg  said,  referring  especially  to  South- West  Africa  :
"  The  Government  has  no  intention  of  creating  a  Colonial
Army,  but  it  is  necessary  to  be  prepared  for  all  emergencies,
and  a  peaceful  occupation  of  the  colonies  is  not  possible,  as  may
be  concluded  from  the  colonial  wars  of  England  and  Holland."
The  Government  may  have  no  immediate  intention  of  proposing
any  modification  of  the  constitution,  but  in  politics  events  arc
more  powerful  than  principles,  and  often  deal  in  a  summary
fashion  with  pious  promises,  and  the  ultimate  issue  of  events  it
is  not  difficult  to  foresee.  At  present  the  troops  who  do  service
in  the  colonies  are  enlisted  voluntarily  and  paid.  In  the  year
1906  these  troops  numbered  4,579,  275  being  stationed  in  East
Africa,  a  garrison  of  3,528  being  stationed  in  Kiauchau,  609
being  stationed  in  South-West  Africa  (apart  from  the  remnant
of  the  expeditionary  force  sent  out  to  quell  the  rebellion  of  the
Hereros),  275  in  East  Africa,  149  in  Cameroon,  and  18  in  the
other  colonies,  while    the   coloured  troops  numbered  4,386  in


THE   NEW  COLONIAL  BEA  401

the  aggregate.  At  the  present  time  the  army  of  occupation  in
South-West  Africa  still  numbers  4,000  men,  and  there  is  no
immediate  probability  of  any  large  reduction,  at  any  rate  until
the  semi-military  police  force  has  been  trained.  This  is  to
number  over  1,200,  mostly  mounted  men,  and  the  majority  of
those  whites.
