The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1902. BRITISH REPRISALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7296, 8 January 1902, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1902. BRITISH REPRISALS.

It is impossible not to sympathise with the residents of Oamaa-u in their determination to boycott Gentian-made goods. Doubtless, on principle, it is advisable that civilistd nations should avoid reprisals of this kind, but in practice thus is not al- , ways easy. The demeanour of one people to another depends largely upon force of circumstances. Under such provocation as the British have received from the people of Germany, they may be forgiven if they are stirred into molding retaliation. ' It does not follow that retaliation would be the most dignified way of rebuking Germany, but it would be the most effective. Germany depends, to a very large extent, for her commercial prosperity upon her foreign trade, amd particularly upon tbe trade which she has cultivated with Great -Britain. "Made in Germany" is an expression only too oomimonly employed in referring to articles of daily use throughout the British Empire, and there is reason to believe that the articles bearing this brand represent but a tithe of the German manufactures which find a ready sale wherever the Union Jack flies. It is plain therefore thafc v if the rest of the nation were to follow the example set by the citizens of Oamaru a heavy blow would be struck at German trade, and supposing the people of Great Britain did adopt this method of answering the unsavoury libels of the German Press, would any impartial critic assert that they were not justified in doing so? We think not. The verdict of every right-thinking man and woman would be in favour of the British. They might possibly question the dignity of such ai proceeding, but they would be forcect to admit that ib represented but retributive justice in the strictest acceptation of that expression.