GERMAN IDEAS ABOUT BRITAIN.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 9

GERMAN IDEAS ABOUT BRITAIN.

At a banquet in London the other evening the German Ambassador to Great Britain made a speech in which he deprecated the attempts made in many quarters to stir Up trouble between Germany and Great Britain, and declared that Germany desires above all things to be friendly. This important and very' welcome assurance is confirmed in a striking way by a writer in 'Blackwood's Magazine,' who has been spending a long holiday in a German town, going in and out among the -people, and noting their relations towards this country and their life Generally. His article is well worth reading. We quote a few passages:—

—The British VFleet and the German Army.— Nov/ and again a newspaper may attempt to make political capital by representing England as an aggressive and unscrupulous Power, and by hysterical w-axnings to the German nation "to be ready to stand to arms ' at a moment's notice; but I believe from the bottom of my heart that the bulk of the German people are at least as peaceably minded as ourselves, and would regard a serious quarrel with England in the fight of a deplorable and well-nigh intolerable calamity. Only a few days ago I happened to say 'to a German visitor at our Pension' that I I had never yet been able to make up my' mind whether sundry uniformed people . I > met in the town really were soldiers, or post- j men, or railway porters, or firemen, or sailors. "To me they all look equally military," I remarked. "Ah," he said, "we are what you call'a nation military. We have a large army, true, but all you see in uniform will not be soldiers. Too .many, perhaps, are."

" Well, we are the other way up—too few 1 soldiers." "F«w, but goot,. very goot. And your sheeps—see, German Navy so," and he held up his little finger, "hut English Nayy so!" and up went both hands. "England," he continued,, "many.sheeps,, Germany many, soldiers; they shall' always be; very goot friends, and thei'world shafi be quiet. No more war, because England and ■Germany say so." -■"■ —German Shopkeepers are Obliging.— Out German shopkeeper, if he has not got the exact article required, does not offer me a substitute, nor does he even quote the old formulßß of the really bad English shop: "We don& eem .to have it in stock to-day, sir. The fact is that we are just sold out of it. - But wo shall- have some more in to-night, if you would kindly call to-morrow or the next day.'i, Making no bones abont the matter, he simply says that the article is not exactly in his line, but can be purchased, if the herr. happens to bo going up tho street, at suci" and such a shop, or if the berr's way lies down the street, somewhere else. Whether he goes up the street or down is generally a-matter of indifference to the herr, but it is often difficult for him, even though the aid of much gesticulation •is evoked, to comprehend exactly the rapid guttural directions. " Bitte, langsam!" I suggested, having found in these words the key to many mysteries. But the shopkeeper has ready to hand a key which will open the door with greater certainty. "Comm!" he says, by way of a compromise between- English and German, and with that ho leaves his shop to take care of itself, personally escorts me to the shop I want, and explains my requirements to the proprietor. Then, with a courteous bow and a smiling adieu, he returns to his own business. Not onco or twice only, but a good half-dozen times has this happened to me.