The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOVEMBER 26, 1901. ANGLOPHOBIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 272, 26 November 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOVEMBER 26, 1901. ANGLOPHOBIA.

A contributor to the Auckland Herald, Tobunga,” makes a now departure in dealing with the subject of Anglophobia. He “ chaffs ” the British for not 'liking the free criticism of the Germans, and thon proceeds, “ But really we deserve it.” That startling statement is then explained away in a breezy fashion, for we are told that if over any nation in the world deserved to have foreigners interfering in its concerns and taking au active part in its politics and assembling in mass meeting to express their small opinion of its national honor and credit it is our British nation. This extraordinary assertion rather takes away the breath of the loyal Britisher, bnt it is thon declared that the British have themselves boon a most interfering people iu regard to the affairs of other nations. “If every freeborn Briton had a threepenny-bit for every time that the British heart has choked with indignation at foreign misgovornment the weight of coined silver in the world would break down the gold standard.” This, too, from a good old Conservative paper. The writer then starts to banter his countrymen most unmercifully, saying that we are the Chosen, who never make a mistake, who are always right, and who alone are pure-minded. The writer considers that the way tile Germans have beon howling at ns will do us good, and teach us to mind our own business. There is a good deal of truth, and possibly some insolence or impudence, iu the following remarks:

“ There is Italy, for whose ‘ freedom ’ a British Volunteer Legion fought against Austria, with whom we were at peace, and for whose assassinating societies our British soil was notorious harbourage. Did we never welcome Garibaldi the Ilefugee with shouting streets '! And did we never laugh when the London brewer’s carters horsewhipped Austrian Hayran ? Have we never winked at Alnbamas ? Did the Spaniard never recruit in England against Don Carlos '? And what about the demonstrations when stout Count Morny gave to France the flamboyant ruler she deserved ? From IS2O to 1890, and later, the British public has played the gods in the European variety show, and persistently made an asinine exhibition of its habit of measuring every people and every country by yards, feet, and inches. When the Germans do the same we want ! to have it out round the corner. Imagine, ! then, the number of peoplo who have | wanted to take us round the corner ! We are learning. We have pretty unani- | mously come to the conclusion that Italy might as well be ruled by Bomba as by Humbert for all the good her degenerate race can get from either; that the Austrian is not too bad an Empire, taking all ] things into consideration, ana tnat I Carlos can misgovern Anarchic Spain no j worse than anybody else. The American no longer bait as constitutional monarchy, and the Briton no longer aspires towards a Republic ala Francaisc. And we know that the United States made a big step forward when she hammered secession to death, and that the German Empire, with all its faults, is a great deal better than the medley of tiddly-winking little principalities that Bismarck wrought together with blood and iron. Wo have lost our national sympathies wdth the knifing propensities of the slave races. We no longer believe it possible for every man to travel our political road, and as for all men being our brothers, the doors of Greater Britain are closing one by one against every man who does not come of Anglo-Teutonic stock. Yet only live years ago Britain pulsed with enthusiasm for the talkative Greek. Imagine how outown pro-Boers would splash their sympathy with the enemy if Germany Held our position in South Africa! Conceive aow Exeter Hall would protest if Anarchy ,vas being weeded out ot South Africa j.y the German hoe instead of by our own!"

The re a! point of the at tide, however, ; i<s io the conclusion, where we are advised , to keep our temper with the German for j the reason that wo have the same civilisa- 1 tion, the same religion, the saute inspira- j tions, “ for we spring from the same ! parentage, and he melts into Anglo- j Saxondom at opportunity as a river melts | into the sea.” In a semi-humorous, but- J none the loss effective, style, we are j told :—“We may light it out or we may ] vote it out, or we may monarch it out, but 1 sooner or later the Anglo-Teutonic-vaee j

will form one Empire with English as its I speech and the Saxon institutions as its 1 palladium. The difficulty is that making | allowance alike for his continental position j and for our insularity we are so much 1 alike that we aggrav ate one another j tremendously when we fall out. fro- 1 bahly one of us may ultimately have to thrash the other before we adjust our relations, but we are not going to fight over the Boers. The German never does anything but talk for pure sentiment's sake, a national trait which separates him from the Frenchman by a bottomless gulf, but proclaims him close kin to the AngloAmerican. The only thing is that when we do find something worth while going round the corner lor with our dear German cousin wo shall tighten our belts one more hole when we remember how he took the stump.” The meaning of the latter unclassical sentence no doubt is that should there be a light with Germany it will he wise to be well prepared. There is certainly much of deep interest in the racy remarks of •• Tolumga,” though on some points exception may bo taken.