GERMANS IN SPAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16214, 27 April 1916, Page 8

GERMANS IN SPAIN.

BUSY WITH INTRIGUES, CAPTURING PUBLIC OPINION. - Although the Germans havo worked for 18 months to poison Spanish opinion against us, the Englishman who travels in Spain to-day feels at once that ho is amongst friends, writes tho special correspondent of the London Times from Madrid. Ho will meet everywhere enthusiastic admirers of British character and institutions who pray daily for tho victory of the alius, while even in Catholic and Conservative circles he will hoar frank expressions of regret at tho apparent indifference of England to Spanish goodwill, and of hope that tho old cordial relations may bo re-established before it is too late. Unliko tho En" l 'ih and French residents in Spain, many of whom have left to take part in the war, v tho Germans have largely increased in numbers since war began. It is strange how few ablebodied Germans havo been recalled. From the early days of the war Seville, Malaga, and Cadiz all swarmed with healthy, aggrossive, and inquisitive Germans, many of them of military age and bearing, who boasted openly of the Kaiser's approaching march through Spain to Gibraltar, and of what "Kultur" would do for Spain when once it got the chance. Many German refugees arrived from Morocco, Algiers, and tho East, and, having reached this pleasant land, found themselves unable or unwilling to proceed further. To these must bo added the crews of tho numerous German vessels in Spanish ports t whose sole business it has become to spy and smuggle in their country's interest and to make themselves useful and agreeablo on shoro. Patriotism and Trade. In all they are popularly estimated at 50,000, and under the leadership of their Diplomatic and Consular Corps they form a veritable army in discipline and cohesion. There is not an idle man among them. Tho German schools, clubs, and societies which exist in tho large towns have increased in numbers and membership, and by their educational advantages and social amenities havo become thriving centres of Deutschtum and active agents of propaganda. Every German is a natural tout and canvasser for his country, as well as for his firm, for in his mind patriotism and trade are inseparably connected, and in spite of the increasing pressure of the British blockade, he continues to boast of victory, puff his goods, prepare contracts, and book orders with all his old assurance. He shrinks from no trouble and no expense te ingratiate himself with Spaniards and to traduce the allies, for ho aims at nothing less than monopolising the Spanish market after tho war, and he is in a fair way to succeed. Special "News" Service. German methods with the press, apart from the direct bribery of which wo have heard so much, arc simplo and effective. An elaborate news service with copious comment is supplied daily from the German Office in Barcelona to all the newspapers throughout Spain. It is a slanderous and dishonest news service, but it is cleverly edited, full, clear, and interesting; and it costs nothing. Tho Spanish newspapers naturally avail themselves of it to the full. As for the advertisements, tho whole German trading community agreed at one fell swoop to withdraw their custom from pro-ally newspapers and to give it to their own supporters in tho press; and they havo done their best to ensure that loss of circulation shall follow loss of advertisements and to make life intolerable for individual writers who favour the allies. The wholo German effort in Spain is a triumph of patriotism, efficiency and determination, and its effect is slow but suro. The allies should make up their minds to counter it before it is too late. ' ! STOICISM OF SOISSONS. SLEEPING UNDER SHELL FIRE SHOPS STILL REMAIN OPEN. The special correspo' dent of the British press with tho French armies, Mr. H. Warner Allen,. has a despatch describing tho condition of Soissons, a town in tho forefront of the French lines. Ho writes :— The main road to Soissons runs boldly direct, in true French fashion, across tho plain. To-day it is in literal truth a broad way that leads to destruction, for before it reaches the town of Ciovis it is swept by the German guns posted on the hills that form the further bank of the Aisno. To reach Soissons safely one must pass by devious paths, which zigzag wildly in every direction except that of tho town itself. Soissons has a physiognomy of its own, quite distinct from that of other towns that lie in tho French lines, exposed incessantly by night and day to the shells of the German artillery. Anas, with its 26,000 inhabitants, was twice the size of Soissons. Tho last remaining Arragcois go about- their necessary daily tasks, buy. ing and selling and working at their trades, under an almost continuous bombardment, with the fine stoicism and the grim determination of men and women who are accustomed to look death in the face unafraid. When the shells begin to explode they go down into their cellars and shelters, and wait until tho enemy's lust for destruction is sated. As a Matter of Course. In Soissons this same stoicism and determination have, something almost lighthearted about them. There is an inn there where a man can find good food to eat and good wine to drink. In that inn there is a billiard table, and those of tho worthies of the town who still remain play placidly, just as they have done for years beyond counting, as though German shells were figments of the brain. There aro still a number of shops open, plying their trade as usual. In a shop which dealt in cameras and the like we found two girls of about 15 and 16, with their hair in pigtails, who assured us that they had learnt to take bombardments as a matter of course. " When tho shells begin to fall," said one of them, " wo just stay indoors till it is all over. Onco or twice, when they were falling very near, we went down to the cellar, but it was too uncomfortable. There is a pi.blic bomb-proof shelter quite near, but it ii really not worth going there. We takeout chance, like everyone else. Lately things have been pretty quiet dur- ! ing the day, and it is mostly at night i that the Germans bombard us—not that it is any tho more pleasant for that. At first the noise used to keep us awake, but now wo havo grown accustomed to it, and we sleep through it all." Destruction of the Cathedral. Yet, if the people of Soissons are brave and keep up their hearts nobly, their little town is sad and desolate. The citizens must pass by devious side streets, and a fine avenue of trees, which was onco their pride, is givon up to a dog or two and a few hens, who must be amazed at the strange liberty they enjoy ■Of all the sad sights none is sadder than the cathedral. For its destruction the barbarian can put forward no excuse. Its tower could never be used for observation purposes, since the French hold hills on the bank' of the Aisno which afford an infinitely better view of the German lines. It has been destroyed, deliberately, for destruction's sake. One day there appeared in the German communique a vague,- ill-concocted lie, accusing the French of misusing the Red Cross flag at Soissons. The object of the lie was clear. The Germans ware' providing themselves with an excuso for finishing off the muilated cathedral. ' Now ! more than half the beautiful building is beyond all hope of repair,,- ' ■ !"' '''"" :: * '"'