A DISABLED MAN'S VIEW

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 129, 5 June 1929, Page 10

A DISABLED MAN'S VIEW

. A N.VS. Disabled Eeturned Soldier," who wishes to see the British Empire keep its proud place under mfinarchism, writes re!v lw g % c ''fmden" visit. He mentions that he himself wears an artificial leg as a result of the Great War, and he continues:—l have been following the 'various statements and criticisms arising out of the forthcoming visit of the Emden. bo far the only sensible -utterance has come from .the German Consul, who rightly advises .us to cancel all or any arrangements, lor the reception," if the Press references are really a guide to'public opinion. We thoroughly deserve the opening words of his telegram, reading "Assuming that there were grounds for the Press references," etc. Where is our Britv tradition of the outstretched helping hand to the vanquished ? ' *!* Are we trying to build 1 up^ a permanent barrier between ourselves and the German^nation, one of the foremost nations 1™ WOTW. with a population o£ 60,----000,000 human beings who are without question our intellectual equals? Our participation in the war was not against, and for the purpose of destroying the G.erman people, but against,-and for the purpose of destroying the danger wnicn threatened humanity because of the policy of militarism fostered and finally loosed by the Satanical war lords of Germany. Now that our object has been obtained through victory of arms, and finally by the German people through their renunciation of militarist control by the formation of a Kepublic, the way lies open to the establishment of a better understanding between the individuals of the late opposing nations, which understanding will prove a greater incentive to. and guarantee of peace, than all the Peace Ireaties and Limitation' of Armaments Agreements put together. Strangely enough, two events are so closely separated by time as to almost make it necessary for me to refer to my diary to find: out whether it wag a .frenchman who deprived me of my leg at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June, 1815, when at my side stood a German as an ally, or whether, it was a German who so deprived me at the Battle of Lens, in June, 1915, when at my side stood a Frenchman as an ally. What would have happened had we built -.up a barrier of hatred, suspicion, and isolation againat the French during the short time since Waterloo? Thank goodness, that the nature of the British people made such- a tning impossible, and makes such a thing equally impossible towards the German people.'

Now, with the visit of the Emden with probably 1500 young Germans aboard, most of -whom will probably have had no active connection with the past war, we have a glorious opportunity to give them proof of our desire for permanent peace between all nations, proof that our entry mto the. war was for the purpose already referred to. Maybe, many of these young men have bitter memories of hardships suffered as young civilians during" the war, maybe they Have mistaken ideas as to the cause of the war, maybe some of them harbour a desire for revenge, due solely to these bitter memories ■ and mistaken ideas. What a glorious opportunity we have to dispel'this desire' for revenge, to meet these. men as . men to men, to talk to them, and convince them that what we did was what we believed to be right under the circumstances, to tell them that bur attitude under similar circumstances would be the same whatever nation we would have to oppose. Give these men a genuine welcome, give them a good time, and send back 1500 ambassadors of peace who will spread themselves throughout Germany and tell the German people that we British are fair and above-board in our declarations of our desire for goodwill between all nations. The Rev. H. K. yickers expresses his opinion that "Germany has made an awful error in sending a war vessel of the name 'Emden' to these waters." How he arrives at that opinion can only be explained by himself, but I seem to have gained the impression that all visits of this nature are made in warships, and I also seem to have heard that the name "Emden" carries with it a record of action, ■! courtesy, and bravery in war which does not disgrace the records of naval history. With regard to the'Christchurch R.S.A. motion, even though they claim that it represents the unanimous vote of a large gathering (150), I honestly believe that it is not the opinion of the vast majority of returned soldiers or of Britishers generally. The suggestion that "No welcome should be extended to a German warship while returned men were still suffering from the results of the war," means sim? ply the encouragement of suspicion, hatred, and desire for revenge for a generation to .come; and the fruits of such a policy will have be borne by the generations to follow. I believe that the majority of returned soldiers still suffering from war injuries will not begrudge the money necessary to entertain the crew of the Emden, and will gladly welcome the opportunity to be associated in a reception to the crew, that will be a bigger step, forward towards the establishment of peace and goodwill between all people than the published reports of a dozen Peace Conferences.

Is not the reception given at Potsdam to Sir Henry Segrave when' he Yon the motor-boat race. sufficient to gladden the