Anglo-German Relations.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13355, 3 August 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

Anglo-German Relations.

PACIFIC.SENTIMENTS. A few weeks ago a parly of English journalists visited Germany, as journalists dmrous of finding out for themselves. amongst other things, what German opinion of England leally is. The following article, by one of the parly, purports to give a statement id their impressions :- There were e.ingiilaily few 1 races of animosity against England, though in Mime circles 1 hero was de.p distrust of British policy; and alike in North and in South Germany we. found everywhere a si.u"-:o passion for peace. The Germans are p'vmd of their army, but lust for military glory dors not- possess their soul:;. Wlier-vcr we vwent, we found that the notion of wa>between England and Germany was dismissed as simply unthinkable. I cannot speak of the military caste, for we did not much come into con'iact with military or naval officers, though I had the pleasure, of a conversation in Berlin with Admiral von Tirpitz. The Minister of Marine was exceedingly genial, and laughingly described himself to me as "the bogey-man of the Navy' League." He speaks English excellently, and told me that the' happiest memories of his midshipman days are connected with Plymouth, which he knew in the 60's.

HOW AXGLOPHOBES ARE MAD]-:. Whatever the feelings ol' the military caste, there can be no question that the. mils of the German people are. all well-dlm-posed to this country. Of this we had a thousand indications. An anti-English party exists in Germany just as an antiGerman party exists in' England ; but in the one case as in the other it is small, insignificant, and m no way representative of the German or the British people, it is curious to observe how prejudice is nourished by prejudice. In the office of a leading German newspaper a member of the staff was pointed out to ma as a violent Anglophobe. Ha is a charming man, and received me with great urbanity. On the tabla m his room I noticed' magazines in various languages. The only English magazine among them was the " National Review, where Teufcophobfein is notorious, in England the hot vehemence of the " NationaT Review'-is for amusement, not for ■edification. It has no weight in our pub- « ■ ' f entctem influence on our affairs . There are not half a dozen m«n in: our pubicTife who would subscribe to the fantastic doctrines. Yet in some circles m Germany this magazine, the articles of English tradition, is regarded as a true exponent of.English feeling! No German who reads the "National Review" can fail uo become an Anglophobe. Thus deen calk „nto deep, and:Teutophobe and Anglophobe inflame -each other by their follies and their fears.

Though there is no hatred of England among the German people, there is in polj-Ucal-circles; uneasiness concerning British policy England J 5 aC c„ sed of pursuing steadily; a Machiavellian policy, whose. ,i,„ is to isoiata Germany and pen her in beTZ enen «! J eS - the san,e time ' there is full confidence m the bona-fides of the present British Government.- These pe ! sons, however, regard the reign of pacific Liberalism iirthis country as a mg phase. They think that the real permanent opinion of England i s voiced bv °«r Jingoes and the "Times." The v iS of so many representative journalists from London and-the provinces will help to dispel that mischievous illusion TEE GERMAN ARMY. We found the Germans almost nervouslanxious to justify the maintenance. e ir ,g«a army, and to vindicate the 1 titu de of their Government in regard to arrest of it to me "A powerful army i.s as nectary to Germany as is a powerful Navy to Engand. If we were weak, our weakness would mv.to attack. 'The strong man armed* kespeth peace in his house.' " T e n he dwelt on' what the .Germans had suffered m the past from foreign foes owing to .weakness and internal dissension. Particularism has bsen in marked degree a vice ol the German peoples. The Imperial Army is a bond of unity, giving coherence and strength to what used to be " disjecta membra." There are profound differences still between the various States banded together in the German Confederation. '■Bavaria and Prussia, for instance, have curiously little in common. It is necessarv to remember how inveterate Particularism used to be in Germany to appreciate the magnitude of Bismarck's work in uniting into one harmonious whole such dissonant, elements. The hegemony of Prussia ie now cheerfully accepted, and we discovered in Dresden and Frankfort as warm a pride in the German army as in Berlin itself. The Emperor, too, is undeniably popular. There is criticism of his taste in the aits and reprobation of his love for oratory; but the people have a genuine pride in his leadership and admiration for his personality. Happily the edge of the old animosity against England on account of the Boer War has been blunted by our grant of a Constitution to t-h's Transvaal. 'Unit striking proof or British belief in the i fiicaey of free institutions has greatly impressed the Germans. "No other nation would have done it," said' Professor Brentano, (.lie eminent economist, to me. " The new Transvaal Constitution is worthy of the best traditionsof British statesmanship." Other eminent Germans, old friends of England, rejoiced in our recent policy in the Transvaal and in. our adhesion to Fret" Trade. "England," said one of them, "is herself again. She has recovered her old position in the world as the istandard-bearer of 1 ! !>- ertv." FREE TRADE SENTIMENT. We discovered iti our jouriKyings a strong Free Trade sentiment, especially in Hamburg, and among the intellectuals elsewhere. An Imperial Minister in conversation with 1110 warmly repudiated the idea that Germany's commercial development is due to Protection. Its cause* were rather, he said, to be sought in the unification of Germany, in education, and in (he spirit of tli? people. The effect of our Free Trade policy on international affairs has not received the attention it deserves. The throwing open of our ports to the commerce of the whole, world h:\i3 had an important inlluence in modifying the envy excited by our worldwide Empire. This intluence is very marked! in Germany, whose oversea commerce has increased by leaps and hound:; in (ho past fwenly yea is. During their visit, the British joumalisus had oppoitunilies of talking with sialosmrn, banker's, professor*, m reliants, deputies and Socialists. Wo were welcomed, too, with effusiveness by the populace. On all hand:; wo found a cordial desire to stand well with England, and to be thought well of by England. It wrr. like th'' desire of a youngsv scion sprung from the same parent . slock who. having acquired power and; position for himself, wishes to be accepted on sWflexpecting terms of equality by his elder kinsman. Peace is the greatest oT all BvitVh in trio Is. said one of our statesmen. Peace is th > greatest of German iiiU'rvsls to-day. To Germany, with her expending roni'iunc-. and prosperous industries war wou'd be an immeasurable disaster.