WARD BEECHER ON GERMANY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15189, 9 April 1917, Page 7

WARD BEECHER ON GERMANY.

“More than forty year.' ago, in 1875 the Ottawa Journal! Henry Ward Beecher wrote Germany down an a nation of hypocrites, “it its wonderful," ]u said, ‘'what bad neighbours poor Germany seems to have. There is that great hectoring Belgium trying <o pick a quarrel with her. There is France, recovering from her great defeat with a rapidiU which shows very little consideration for Germany’s feelings. Austria, too, retains the sovereignty over 12,000,000 subjects' of German race, which, of course, is exasperating to the great empire. And don’t Holland and Denmark persist in holding on to their nice bits of sea coast with an obstinacy as annoying as Naboth's of old? And isn’t there the Pope, who, as everyone knows, has countless armies at his back wady to march to Berlin? It really looks aa if poor Germany might feel obliged to go to war with, somebody just to keep the peace. And to make her case harder,' the unsympathiaing persist in thinking that if there is a war in Europe at present it will probably be because Germany—or the group of soldiers who rule Germany—chooses it.”