PRO-GERMANS IN WALES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 6

PRO-GERMANS IN WALES

SOME OF THEIR TRIORS,

To-night. I travelled! along a good stretch of the Taff Vale'railway in the heart of the Welsh coalfield (writes James Sherliker, the wel'-known Labour Writer in the "Daily Mail"). "Draw tho blinds, please," a. porter called out at the first stop.

' I had not noticed until then that one of the windows in my compartment was uncovered, in opposition to the notice over the ruck.

"Sorry," I said. ''Quite forgot tho importance of the distriot."

Then came a surprise and a little laugh from a. fellow-passenger in .the opposite corner. The windbw was uncovered because there was only an inch of Mind.

"I was had' just the same," my companion said. "They've been at it again, I see. People who love Germany will go to any ends to prove.their affection, it seems."

I didn't understand, and said so. "Why, haven't you seen the railway company's offer of a reward! for the apprehension of the slitters and cutters of railway blinds? This is the strangest district in tho three kingdoms. We've sent more men than we can spare to the front, and yet we have pro-Germans who cut away window blinds in order to light the way for Zeppelins." "Aro they colliers?" ' "May be, but they are not Welshmen. They are importations; They come here and spray their poison, and the Welsh collier, as patriotic a man as you will find anywhere, is described to the, rest of the nation as a rebel. The born Welshman would as lief think of cutting liis throat as of cutting 3, railway blind to light the way of the Germans. The slasher of blinds is not one 'of us. Ho belongs to the type of despicable scoundrels who have been distributing this circular." He handed me a cutting from a local paper, in which was quoted the following amazing document. It was stated that the circular had been handed to soldiers, ancVmy companion added that copies had been flung out of the windows of railway trains. Here it is:

TO ALL TRUE BRITISHERS,

Workmen! Oppose conscription or national service by national strike. Tho Germans are too splendidly organised to be beaten. All' their generals aro certain that by Octobcr, 1915, tho war will be over in their favour. So what is the uso of our sending more men ? We have given enough, and, after all, the Germans aro not so bad as they aro said to be. They have more respect for a workman than your Government has for you. A Real Friend of Yours Who Knows tho Truo Position.