GERMAN HATRED OF ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 11

GERMAN HATRED OF ENGLAND

For English people in Germany lifo is becoming almost unbearable, writes the special correspondent at Rotterdam of a London newspaper. He was assured of this fact, lie said, by a lady who had just come through from Coblenz on her way to England. Since September she had been trying to got permission to leave the country, and, although conforming to all the regulations, only succeeded recently. "The only reason," she said, "was that I was English, and fair game for German hatrod of my country. It has been getting worse all tho time.

"At first, although obstacles were put in the way of my leaving, I was always treated with civility. But on the last thveo occasions when I went to the authorities, the treatment was very different. As soon as I <>aid I was English, officers either told me they could •jo nothing, or else kept me waiting for hours. On the last occasion I was compelled to stand in a passage outside tho office for three hours, and was j scowled at by every officer who passed." I This lady's testimony is endorsed by all the information from Germany. A letter from a neutral in Hamburg says that in the last few weeks several Englishmen there hare disappeared. Presumably they have baen made prisoners, but in all cases no information has been given to relatives or friends. The same communication states that to be heard speaking English in tiie streets or cafes is inevitably to be mado the subject of insult. This hatred for all things English is a cause of annoyance and difficulty to Americans, who are harassed and questioned on suspicion if heard using their own language. Even in Holland the Germans are unable to conceal their hatred for England. Here is a characteristic instance which occurred at The Hague. A boy employed distributing tho British communique, issued daily by the British Consul, handed ono to a German business man. The latter glanced at it, exclaimed: "Lies," and struck the boy a heavy blow on the head. The state of feeling in Germany in regard to the war was well described by a neutral from Berlin. "The German people," he said, "are now like a man suffering from consumption. He is always hopeful, tries to make himself believe he is getting better, but knows all the time at the back of his mind hat his doom is certain. They are simply living now in hope that something will turn up to change tho odds in their favour. There has been a groat change in the public demeanour smcc the failure of Hindenburg to follow up the Russian Tetreat from East Prussia. Before that,' all bulletins announcing triumphs were accepted at their face value, but since I have noticed obvious disappointment among the Berlin public, and a tendency for the first time to criticise and question official information."

There is one submarine belonging to the Australian Navy, and another is being built.

Britain's Royal Naval Reserve was established in 1859; the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1901,