LORD AND KAISER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 22, 9 January 1912, Page 4

LORD AND KAISER.

The cables show us that the good natureci Lord Lonsdale has, vulgarly speaking, ’’put his goot in it” badly. .His Lorship has evidently been privileged to meet the German Kaiser and has also, evidently, conceived a warm regard for the Emperor of the Geiman people. Thinking therefore to do the Germans a good turn he has spoken freely of the goodness of the Kaiser Wilhelm and sought to remove all suspicion of his warlike designs upon Britain. He represents the Kaiser a;; Britain’s warmest friend; a great upholder of peace ; a man who had a horror of war and that Britain had no more devoted ally. This sounds particularly nice, and in ordinary circumstances would have been warmly welcomed, but unfortunately for Lord Lonsdale his interview came at the wrong time. The German elections are on and the Government has made a strong feature of its Anglophobia to win

elm nation to acceptance of its extensive armament policy. A very large section of the German people are opposed to the militant programme of the Government. and the Socialists are at present particularly aet ; ve. To win over support, to make the people believe in imaginary danger, and to exclude the .Socialists from the Reichstag, the official Pi ess has preached the gospel of “power to cope with Britain," and represented the Kaiser as the champion of the patriotic Germans. To have him described as an “Angel of Peace” at the present juncture is seriously disconcerting and the wrath which has descended upon Lord Lonsdale’s head is only what he could expect for interference. In- | stead of clearing away suspicion from the Kaiser he has openly insulted him. Lord Lonsdale should remain a sporting Feer and leave diplomacy and world politics alone.