LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2359, 15 January 1915, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CERMAN V. BRITISH IDEALS. Sir,—As a New Zealander bom and bred in the country I deaire to rouso my countrymen to the danger of the German menace now threatening Europe. At the ago of sixteen I was apprenticed to the drug business; and have had 31 years' experience, holding •good positions iand appointments in various towns in Now Zealaaid during that period. I havo seen the growth of the Germany Navy and the expansion of German commerce, and also the rapid growth of the German drug trade and its connection with German commerce, to which I intend to conline myself mostly. From coal and coal tar derivatives purchased chiefly from Britain, Germany has built up a large drug trade in German dyes, to such an extent that the indigo trade alone ill India has been practically destroyed, bo the Indian has no time for Germany. Some twenty-five years ago a former employer of mine purchased acetanilid or phenacetin, made in Germany at 7s. 6d. per ounce, some ten or twelve years ago I purchased the same article at 6s. per pound, showing a profit to the German manufacturer of 2000 per cent., and by his improved method of .manufacture no doubt he is still keeping up liia large profits. I could quote numerous other instanoes of enormous profits from German drugs. The Germans are such a highly-scien-tific nation, and in their application of science to commerce can, unfortunately, run rings round the British manufacturer in their business methods. I have been forced in business through medical men prescribing German drugs, to pay as high as a guinea an ounce for a certain drug that was practically valueless from a medinical point of view.- Take saccharine again: this has taken the place of sugar for sweetening purposes. The kauri trade of New Zealand is practically controlled by Germany.. The copra trade of the South Sea Islands is also controlled by Germany, and soap is returned in place of copra, perfumed by German perfumes which are synthetically built up, their range of perfumes is so large that only an expert can toll the real from tho artificial. Even food supplies are being . made in Gormany artificially, such an innocent-looking thing as New Zealand tallow can l)e made into an instrument of war in Germany, one of tho by-products of tallow is'glycerine; by the addition of nitric acid you obtain dynamite or nitro-glyperine. Now, the German chemist can make nitrio acid from tho air, bo that his resources are unlimited. I have heard Englishmen say that because Germany could not import saltpetre from Chili slie would soon have to cave in, but thoy never made a greater mistake in their lives, for Germany can make deadly explosives from the air and her own national resources, I have also heard it said that the German chemist is poorly paid, another mistake. I know a New Zealander, a fellow-student of mine in the past, who secured a good appointment in Germany as a chemist, and I hope if lie is still in Germany that he would suffer imprisonment, or even death, sooner than use his knowledged to bring about British defeat, ior tne ideals that Dntiain and her Allies are fighting for are tho noblest and grandest, ana must in the • end triumph. And now a word or two about the Germans; during the past few weeks I have done a lot of travelling from Christchurch to the north of Auckland. In my travels I have met many Germans, some naturalised and some not. One German in particular struck my fancy. In the course of conversation I found he was made in Germany, unci camo to New Zealand at the age of seven. He has an Irish name, and lie told me that the Prussians would fight to the last man, and even the woman. He also predicted that within a few months Japan and America would be at war, and I said: "Yes. And Japan will give America a licking, which sho deserves, for not protecting Belgium's neutrality." The document sho signed has so far proved a sorap of paper, and I would not like to see England and America at war on account of our blood and tie . relationship. The longer reinforcements are delayed from reaching the seat of war so long will Germany have time to strengthen her defences, and prolong the war. ■ I fully believe that New Zealand'will have to send 50,000 to 60,000 men out of the country before peace is proclaimed in our favour. Knowing this, I believe it will be better for our young men to volunteer than that conscription should be forced upon them, which will come if the war is not ended scon. And now, in onclusiop,'although I am just over the age limit, I am quite prepared to offer my services and even my life in dofeuce of British ideals, as against German ideals.—l am, etc., F. E. WILLIS, M.P.S. ) Birkenhead, Auckland, j January 12, 1915.