GERMAN CONDITIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

GERMAN CONDITIONS

Major B. W. Poison Newman, who has just returned from studying conditions in Germany, writes in the London Sunday News —

The first thing that strikes the British visitor the post-liague Germany is the fact that finance dominates the whole German people from the highest official to the humblest artisan, but behind this financial mist there. ,is quietly developing an interesting situation that points to a new era in AngloGerman relations.

Even a year before the evacuation of the Rhineland by British troops there was noticeable in Berlin a distinctly friendly feelihg towards Great Britain, which is now free to develop owing to the removal of the “occupation" obstacle to full friendly relations, and has been stimulated by certain circumstances and actions of policy. A very good impression was created at the beginning of last year by the frank attitude of the British Embassy towards tlm German Government over the Anglo-French Naval Compromise —-a move incurring great responsibility, which was amply justified in view of the importance of tAe question at the time. This open attitude with the Germans, together with the praiseworthy conduct of the Army of. the Rhine, helped to earn for Britain a reputation for straightness and justice which won her high respect if not great affection. This relationship, existing between the Germans and that particular ex-enemy which is most akin to them in racial character, caused Germany to begin to look to the British nation in her effort to obtain justice and fair play. In her hopes Germany was not disappointed. “A Friendly Act.” Whereas before the first Hague Conference there was a strong feeling in Germany that Locarno was a onesided affair from which Germany derived no benefit—and there seemed at the lime to be considerable grounds for this contention —things have moved rapidly in the last few months to show' that Great Britain intends to support Locarno with regard to Germany as well as with regard to France. Not only has Great Britain taken the lead in the evacuation of the Rhineland, and thereby broken up the Allied “stickiness” on the banks of the Rhine, but she has also demanded justice for Germany in the Reparations settlement at the Hague. Even Count Westarp s nationalist paper Kreuz Zeitung wrote that Mr Henderson’s offer to Herr Strcsemann to evacuate the Rhineland, independently of France, before the end of 1929, was “a really friendly act”; and Mr Snowden’s insistence at ilie Hague that there should he no settlement of differences between

creditor nations at the expense of Germany has been added to the credit of Great Britain. While it is too much to expect actual gratitude for all this —gratitude is too rare a commodity—there certainly is in Germany to-day a deep sense of appreciation, although it is temporarily obscured by internal economic matters. The Germans also realise that while France, Italy and Belgium receive considerable sums op account of Reparations, Great Britain received very little after the settlement of the American debt; and when all Reparations payments are made through the International Bank under the Young Plan, this will be still more apparent.

The Army of Occupation. British Rhine policy has certainly improved the German attitude towards Great Britain, and the British soldier has made a great contribution towards this improvement. A senior official of the Ministry of Occupied Territories in Berlin has just spoken to me in the highest terms of the British troops, emphasising the correctness of their whole attitude and explaining that, the impression they created was specially good because they showed by their demeanour that only duty had brought them there. The Germans much appreciated their complete detachment from internal affairs and • politics, as well as the high sense of justloe of the British General Officer Commanding. There w r ere very' few instances of unpleasantness in the British zone apart from the actuM fact of occupation, and there was general satisfaction’ with the justice administered by the military courts. This Gorman official assured me that there was a general feeling of appi relation throughout Germany that it was due to the firm attitude of the British Government that general evacuation was agreed upon at the first Hague Conference, Against this, however, must he set the friction caused over the question of German private property in England, although this matter has now been finally settled, for better or worse, in

NEW ATTITUDE TOWARDS BRITAIN DEVELOPING. INTEREST IN FINANCE DOMINATES THE WHOLE NATION. AN ENGLISH SOLDIER’S VIEWS.

the’Young Plan; economic jealousy and commercial competition at a time W'hen Germany is compelled to press her export trade; and the failure of the German Press to respond to friendly acts on the part of Great, Britain. While German statesmen and officials have been quick to appreciate any friendly gesture, such as the evacuation of German families by air from Kabul about a year ago, the Press has alluded to such incidents with reluctance, and only after pressure has been brought to bear by the Foreign Minister. In this way the German Press has hindered progress in i Anglo-German relations, although ; there are now editors known to me in Berlin who arc anxious to help in the furtherance of friendship. Wanted —A Common Interest. Since the troops left the Rhine perhaps the most striking symptom of friendliness on the part of the < ff - mans has been the increase .in callers at the Berlin Embassy. Hitherto it was impossible, on principle, for certain German official classes to mix freely with English people in Germany, but now that the Chief of the General Staff has “broken the ioe” the way is clear again for normal peace conditions. The last few weeks have also seen an Improvement in the attitude of the country gentry, and there is a general softening on the part .of those who liold themselves aloof from any form of intimacy as long as the occupation lasted. As most of these people have a strong Influence in Germany Uie chango in their feelings Is of importance, But before there ,can be any solidity in Anglo-German relations it is essential to find some cornerstone for co-operalion. Friendship and goodwill arc all very well, hut (hero must be some basis of common interest. Such a basis is already provided between Germany and France by the “mobilisation” provisions of the Young Plan, and the provision of a similar foundation for Anglo-German relations would bo a valuable contribution to Locarno,