GERMANS WELCOME-MR. KIDSTON'S DISCLAIMER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

GERMANS WELCOME-MR. KIDSTON'S DISCLAIMER.

Sir, —I do not care to indulge in copy for printer's ink, but 1 would like on behalf of absent friends, with your hind permission, ! to make, a few remarks to "A.S.A." and 1 those of your readers who may approve of his sentiments, "that the ut-ter- , ances attributed to Mr. ( Kidston are not only insulting to the British Naval officers and English people generally, but singularly impolitic and inconsistent. Anything in worse taste or moro malapropos it is difficult to imagine." Tho writer is, by his words, an educ'ated man. I cannot attempt to debato the subject, I can only speak of the German colonist as I have known him. I know nothing about 'tho alleged "German encroachment in Samoa, New Guinea, and the Pacific generally." I have heard of the home of Stevenson, and the place where an Irish captain and gallant crew 011 board a British man-o'-war performed deeds of daring that won the praise of all nations. "Now Guinea was a land claimed for Britain by the liite Sir Thomas M'llwraith. Germany disputed the claim, and her right .was admitted by the British statesmen of that day.' It is debatable which . nation, British or 'German; is' making the best use of their possession. ; I lived' in Queensland for over twenty years, and have lived with the German colonists, in their homes and social gatherings; .worked with them on the land and in the workshops, and I say withoiw any hesitation tho moro 'I:knew about .them I liked theinthe better. The Germans were amongst tho first settlers on the Brisbane River. ; A largo, number took up land at Rosewood'and district, a' sliort distance from Ipswich. They cleared miles of scrub land and made happy homes for their families. One hundred and one miles from Brisbane is Tobwpmba' arid district, with a very large percentage of Germans,. whoso . hearts are true to tli-iir Fatherland/ They are,' for'all that; loyal British subjects. I saw in one of ■ these' German farmers my ideal of a soldier": a man just six feet tall, about twelve' stone in weight; ho carried himself well, and wore tho uniform' of the Australian Light Horse'. Ho was the baiidmastcr of tho regiment, and every 'man' in the regiment was proud'of llerr Kretsclnnan, who was for years master of the champion , band, . long before ' the mounted band was' formed. Ho is 0110 of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, and enjoys the. respect, not only of his , own people, but of every man, woman, and child oil t-hfe far-famed Darling; Downs,- a district .that is only _a: dot. on ..tho, map of...Queensland)' district as large as the South .Island of this great Dominion: Another German that I call to mind, was one ..of .' .tho. Queensland Mounted Infantry that went Homo in Jubileo year. Another recollection is the dis-tribution-.of war' medals after tho return of tho troops from South Africa. A young German girl .received the .medal for her brother who was too ill to attend; another young German native is editor, of the "Warwick Examiner and Times," and is an alderman. Scores of'names occur to me, of men, j who: are German by bii-th," and of their sons - and daughters,, who .are, like their parents, loyal Queenslanders.

Queensland is. "a land of. distances," tho Germans are/only, a .'small-per-centage.'of the population of.'tho country. The Queenslander, liko diis cousin, Jonathan of America, is a large-hearted chap, , and welcomes men of tho white race to conic in-and make themselves at home. There is room , and.i to spare," but the ; stranger must prove there, as he has to. do .hero, I .notice, that he is'a manly; man. . I hope that'"A.S.A.", and any like-minded will.put,a more'liberal construction- upon .. .tlio manly;,. | straightforward words of Premier; Kidston, of Queensland. He holds .the confidence of-.the.Queen's-: landers. .They ought to knowtheir own business best.. ;In 'conclusion, :1 would just mention that I once walked/thirty miles to : see'my German sweetheart,'the best in the world—my. wife.—Lam, etc., A QUEENSLAND. SCOTLANDER. '; ■ 'March 2. '• < '-'P.S.f-You. may'. give my name to 'anyrine that wants it. ; • ' '"