DUNEDIN SOLDIER AT MULHEIM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 8

DUNEDIN SOLDIER AT MULHEIM

THE MATERIALISM OF GERMANY. The .follow-in? letter, published in the "Olago Times,' , was written by a Dunedin soldier. After reading it the reader may naturally ask himself how the great writers, militarists, thinkers, scientists, and preauhers of Germany now view tho result of the work of -their hands in the moulding of their race.. The Diincdin soldier paints, on the 0112 hand, a picture of the beauties of the centuries; on the ether, the gross materialism of tho German race of to-day':—

Mulheiin, February 1. This will be tho last letter written in Germany. AVe arrived in Germany two or three days before Christina!-, and since then 1 have -made the most of my time in sightseeing, operas, theatres, and all ports of things. 1 have been to Coblenz, Mainz, Bonn, AVicsbaden, Cologne, and also right up the Rhine on a pleasure boat. 1 have seen an , ! been in the wonderful dome of Cologne, the finest cathedral I have ever seen. 1 have been to "Faust," "Pan," and numerous ot'herheavy German operas, and also to some of the light operas. .1 have heard the "Tales of Hoffman" played by master hands. 1 have seen Iho *latue of Hin(lenbiirg that the Germans drove nails in to raise money to carry on the war. I paid a visit to Beethoven's birthplace in Bonn, and.saw the house where lie wrote his "Moonlight Sonntiv" and also the organ flint he played to the Wind girl when he was comjiosiiig it. I paid a visit to thu of Horses, a great German legend, and fome day will tell you the. story. I have seen the wonderful l.raths at Wiesbaden, and have bathed there. Have been- through the factories at Leverkusen where Germany controlled the world's dye market. I have listened to- legends, heard beautiful music, seen perfect woman. Have sal in calyu'P.ts and drunk vermouth and Uhpin wine—in fact, I've seen and done everything worth seeing or doing round our bridgehead. 1 have smmi '.he original eau-de-Cologne, the finest perfume in tho world. Have wundpral round the banks of the Rhine and have often wished T oould paint. It has been a very beautiful stay here and I regret thai the people who belong to Germany 11 re Huns.

A beautiful country, with imirvellous propnects, all destroyed by the beastly people who inhabit it. .1 can now speak German very well, but. it won't bo of iniit-h use to me, now that Germans are to be forbidden the Pacific. Keep them out for God's sake. There are 70 to 80 millions of them still alive and kicking, and if they don't draw their stings out now, well, our great-grandchildren will have to start all this hell over again. They are still to be reckoned with in the year.- to come. . They have the knack of woriiiing themselves in, and if once they get hold of the world's markets ogaiii, well, lock-out. Commercial success breeds greediness, and they won't be satisfied. Bitter resentment against the people who settle them will form, and take- my word for it, the next time they won't ,-hirve them into submi^ion.

Tlipy talk at the Peace Conference day after day—much said and nothing accomplishecl. T h<lllo t.hry sriunsh Germany, lint ibopß they feed tho •itnrvii"; I'v-Bnjids liore: th" , are starviii". T| is niHfnl lo sop it. AWmp" will ..'.ll rWr ■.■"'i's hrre r n a 'F brmd f nr ||] P i r ki'!d ; "s. i"d ""•■",(bv I'm- smiiiT to wril» a hoik al»"»t f>rnin'iy and their ppntfV-* no tint , --. Tl'py are immoH, pxcnprliimlv ■■■«. in fact, hul they love their children. 'I'lipv o' , '* contr.Tl.icli"">.-. evprv onp o , ? tlii-in. I'm ...rlail they didn't win tho war. T woii'-lii'l like to see Germany runnini' New Zealand.