CO129-430 - Others & Individuals - 1915 — Page 589

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their views your Kaiser; who, in spite of the Hohen- zollern's dangerous claim to divine right and might, has stood for two decades for the world's peace and who, against great obstacles, has worked determinedly for Germany's peaceful development and greatness; our regret that these Militarists have at one stroke destroyed the patiently woven fabric of Germany's great prosperity in industry and commerce.

Germany and Germans were respected by all and treated accordingly-individually and in the council of nations, and all only too natural desires for expansion could have been satisfied by peaceful means, as they had been before.

That the war has stopped all that continues to be the writer's deep regret and this for the very reason which you mention (though in an opposite sense) namely, because the writer, though a British subject for 25 years, was born in a State since incorporated in the German Empire, and because he thus knows and appreciates perhaps more than other Englishmen Germany's im- mense progress, and has often pointed to her manifold attainments as an example worth following by England's young men, as did many of our leading statesmen and writers of all parties.

Another explanation of your patriotic outburst may be that you and others are still believing in the fable of England's responsibility for this war, a fable so assiduously propagated by the Berlin wire pullers;- England with her Liberal Cabinet of many pacifists and without a proper army for a Continental war!

The opinion of many, and our own, is indeed that England could only have prevented Germany's decla- rations of war against Russia and France had she been more bellicose and possessed a bigger army!

The very fact that even Germany's well-posted diplomats were utterly surprised to find that England did mean war in certain circumstances, furthermore speaks for the foregoing. It was indeed the im-

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patient and undiplomatic haste of the Militarists which, by insisting on their plans to march through Belgium, immediately brought England into the war (because that threatened British interests). As if the pow- erful German Army could not have done without that if involving dangers of that kind. Alternative plans were no doubt ready.

Of course, you in far away China are less able than others to sift fact and truth from the mountain of hypothesis and fiction which the newspapers dish up for your consumption. We do not except some of our own papers.

Here is an illustration of the misconceived no- tions of these Junkers:

Extract (translated) from a proclamation, dated Grivegnée

the 8th September, 1914.

"I insist that all civilians who move about in my district, particularly those of Beyne-Heusay, Fléron, Bois-de- Breux and Grivegnée, show their respect to the German officers by taking off their hats, or lifting their hands to their heads in military salute.

In case of doubt, every German soldier must be saluted, Anyone who disregards this must expect the military to make themselves respected by every means.'

JJ

Can you imagine anybody but a Junker-Militarist compelling civilians of an invaded country to salute their conquerors? We trust and believe this to be only an exception, as the writer knows there are many high- minded men among the German officers quite incap- able of issuing such an order; and yet it is so charac- teristic of that type of the Junker-Militarist whom we had in mind when writing you.

We note that you refuse to accept the goods bought of us which, very wrong as it is, only shows how excess of patriotism is apt to blind one's better judgment. For that reason, we express only regret.

We may add, for your and your friend's inform- ation, that ours has been the only firm who occupied itself to attain an object in which also you were greatly concerned.

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