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Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 13

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GERMANS RETURNING

REOPENING CONSULATES.

(FROM OCR OWN CORMSPONDINT.) SYDNEY, iOth January. . Sufficient time, apparently, has elapsed to restore the confidence of Germans that they will not find too much hostility in Australia to permit of their sharing the good things here which it was one of their war aims to seize. Arrangements have been made for the reopening of the German consulates, and simultane-, ously inquiries for the restoration of trade are being made in various directions. One enterprising firm saw visions of carrying off the rich prize of the contract for the Sydney harbour bridge, tenders for which are about due to close. This, however, was blocked by an announcement by the Government that it had been decided to limit the tenders to those from British firms, and those carrying on business in countries which were our allies during the war, thus embracing America. A curious incident on the north coast of New South Wales this week illustrates the antipathy which still exists towards Germans. It appears that a. certain German who owned a dairy farm there let his property early in 1914, and went to Europe. It ia ■ locally alleged that he fought throughout tho war on the German side. Now he has returned to his farm, collected the whole of the accumulated rent which had been duly paid for him, and, the lease having expired, turned out the tenant fanner. \On resuming the farm, however, and despatching his cream to the local co-operative dairy factory, he met with the hostility of neighbouring farmers, who approached the directors and secured the rejection of the man's cream. Feeling runs high on the matter in the district, and, so far as the man is concerned, an impasse has been reached.