Schleswig Holstein. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2159, 11 July 1895, Page 13

Schleswig Holstein. TO THE EDITOR.

Sm,— Since 1863, when first I landed here, the Otago Witness has been a source of pleasure and information to me. It is a journal the colony may well be proud of ; but— ah, yea, there is a but— now and then I do give a«growl when I como ucross something where the writers have been a little too hurried with their pan. For instance, Is a leading article in your isbiie of June 27, tpeaking of the opening of the Kiel Canal, the writer says t 1 And the fame province was shortly afterwards the main cause of the quarrel between these two national thieves— a quarrel which was terminated in favour of the Prussians by the historic battle of Ladowa, leaving Kcbleswig-Holstcin in the sole possession of Piussia." This is evidently a quotation fiom " Chambers's History of Europe," if my memory does nut deceive mo. Surely ajy old observant newspaper reader must know that the above quotation is eutiroly misleading. Now, the causes of that war we have to tr^ce from the after effects of the revolution in Austria in 1848, when the then Emperor Ferdinand was compelled to abdicate. The c same causes came pretty strongly to the foro in what was called the Rpemerzug of the Hpignonen in 1863 at Fiankfurt at tbo sitting of tho German Diet, aud which compelled Austria to join Prussia the followiug year against Denmark. The tame causes again in Frankfurt in IbGG brought about that disastrous war between German and German ; for Prussia was on the one side and Austria, Hanover, Saxony, and some other German States on the other ; bnt SchleswigHolatein had nothing at all to do with it. Holstt:in. which had been apportioned to Austria, was bought by Pm-sia in 18S7 from the former. The causes then censed from the A,u triaa side, because of that country being separated from the German Diet, but they soon made tLeir appearance from the other side. No sooner were they ready, or thought they were, than they fished for a pretext, and as the Otago Witness in 1870 reported the French Empress to have said, " This is my little war." Well, she had it. Did the causes cease after that war ? Not they ; for strong as the Man of Iron was, they kicked him out or office, and at the present day they are at bitter and galliug to the German nation as possibly any cause

WAITAIIUNA-

can be —I am, &o. July 5.

A bouquet of beautiful water lilies has been frozen in a block of ice weighing 6cw t, a*nd is to bo forwarded from Sydney to London for presentation to the Queen. The colour of the lily (Njrnphea gigantca) is blue, shading to p&lo lavender at the extremity of the petals. 16 is a native of North Queensland, where it is found in great abundance.