76 BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA "frightfulness." In this, alas! his views and statements have proved to be only too well founded. Any travelled business man can see that his works abound in falsehoods and superficial nonsense regarding com- mercial and political matters, and it is rather surprising to find his views on these subjects so strangely out of joint with his more correct forecasts regarding the milit ary and naval methods which would be employed by Germany in the event of war. It may be that on his voyage round the world he was received at various places by his fellow-countrymen, and entertained in the lavish style adopted by many Germans in foreign countries, and it is probable his hosts, in their endeavour to please him, im- pressed him to an undue extent with their optimism. However, from this point on- wards the General and his sayings will not be referred to again. We can safely dis-
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miss his plausible claptrap from our minds, and get on with facts.
We had better begin by admitting that the German merchants are industrious, more so perhaps than the average British merchant. The Britisher East of Suez expends a great deal of his surplus energy in sport, the German often elects to spend inost of his spare time in the office, and has been known even to sacrifice a portion. of his beloved Sunday plodding at his desk, and wondering why he is not making a fortune. There is something to be said for both sides. The Britisher doubtless benefits in health owing to his sport, and the German, by playing the continual spider, may occasionally book orders while the other man is practising at the nets.
Turning to the question of intellectual equipment, one often heard much about the superior and more thorough education en-
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