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BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA Foreigners were welcome in our clubs, social life, and also to our games and sports. The writer once saw a German who was watching an unofficial Volunteer firing practice invited to take a hand in a competition, which invitation he accepted, and, by the way, made quite a good score. This is only a typical instance of our general attitude to foreigners. Even to-day the subjects of allied and neutral nations are still free to participate in the advantages to be derived from our home and colonial life, trade, and institutions (and we are not entirely without a "culture" of our own). Since the war our open-handed manner towards subjects of neutral nations has perhaps been tempered with more reserve, and possibly less cordiality than before. For this, however, the Germans must be thanked. One recalls two particular lines from some verses in
"Punch" which
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BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA
appeared many years ago when Germany was beginning to make her influence felt:
"Where'er the Anglo-Saxon banner flies
New German colonies invariably arise."
Very true these lines, and no doubt very unpalatable for Germans. Yet other nations, and in particular the Germans, have taken every advantage of our free and open invitation to trade, and no better example can be found than the fact that their steamers were free to compete with our own on equal or better terms as regards voyages between British Ports. Many other nations are unable to take such a Jong view of these matters, and rightly or wrongly reserve to themselves their coastal and colonial freight and passenger carrying trade.
However, we are now trading quite well without the help of Germans or their
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