A Bavar'an Officer On Hate.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 April 1915, Page 3

A Bavar'an Officer On Hate.

LETTER TO AN ENGLISH FRIEND

(London Times.)

The following letter was written to a friend in England by a Bavarian officer ,who before the war was a" doctor in '.Munich, Hfe English friend has a sister in Bavaria, to whom she had written acking her to return to England, but she, knowing only news current in Germany, hesitated to do so, and sent her sister's letter to the Bavarian officer, who is well known to both. He thereupon wrote as t olio we to tli* friend in England:—

Position between Souain and Perthes near to R-eims, Jan, 30, 1915. Dear. ,

sent me to-day your letter, where you asked her to go to England. I wrote her not to do so and to stay where she is. 'Please will you riot ask her again to go home. 1 think it is the best and safest for her to stay.

Let me explain you why I think so: it may be of some interest for you to hear my point of view. I think it is the safest to stay in Munich. She will never see the frights and dangers of war. There is pome inconvenience for her, that she is not allowed to go out from (a village near Munich). That's a pity—but it was ordered a long time after all those things had happened to German people in England. ft is intended to be a kind of revenche.

I say she will never see anything of the war in Munich. The life at home is the same like in peace time. Only one sees more soldiers in Munich than in ordinary times. Rut if ' goes home I am sure she will have to stand all troubles of this frightful war. . .

Let me tell you our feelings against the different nations—Tor Belgium and

V; nee, sympathy and admiration for their soldiers. Tliey are brave fellows and every prisoner is treated as well as possible, like one of our own. For Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, and all the other lot of fighters for civilization —dispise. One has To fight against them like one fights against a disgusting animal. For England—hate and disgust. A hate I Tiave never believed to be possible. I have this hate too. Xot againsT , not against you or any other English acquaintance. But let me tell you. \\ hen I was in Belgium I told" to my soldiers—five francs for a Beige prisonner, liut five days' prison for an English prisonnor. I have not given any pardon to an Englishman, and I should not have taken any from them.

English Dislike For "Fair Play."

You ask me why? 'Let me tell a scene which has happened. A camerad was killed. I ask. is he married? Yes. he is owner of a big mail and father of five chitftren. Who had killed him? An animal, one of those Indian. A human? No. a kind of human that lives a life of animal, of a dangerous"animal at home, and which is employed at present to fight for civilization, to kill our man, and every one of us has a position at home—teachers, university professors, rich farmers all iind of men, rich high . ,

and common. Do you understand that , we treat those creatures like dangerous ; animals? And those who let them ' iigiit for themselves? That -is . the woisc! I'liey are ignorant; they don't know what they do—like auimals. But I your Government a highly 7 civilized land Germany istiiey know I what iv;e have done in arts and science i —and in trade! ... ' I

Your English soldiers are very bravo and fight very well, but they have no feeling for "fair play." .Attaquo them, they throw tlieir rifles, and when you have passed, tney.shoot you .>front ■ the back. They let you come in a distance of three or four yards, shoot like fools, and when you stand by them they throw their rifles and expect' you to give pardon. Friendship and weapon . brothership, that are in our eyes the highest things a man can give to another. And England's brothers of weapons: Yellows, niggers, redskins, Russians—weapon brothers inthe fight for civilization. v\e have the proofs that this war was tpreparedagainst us a long time before. King Edward's was it is; The Fronch-Eng-i ■ ( lish Alliance, the French-English Navy threeties, the entrevus in Kronst.a.dt and Karlsbod are the proofs. It is' 1 only in our eyes—if right or wrong is not the place-to discuss—an ihan war. France and Russia and the other lot do not fight lor themselves. ( they fight fpr England. < I told you J that to explain you our feelings against I England. And because- our feeling* ! are so sharp, 1 do not want. —-t-Cokw, . over. J am 6ure that the war will , come over to your island and I want j to be far from it. "WHEN THE WIAR REACHES ENG " LAND." You do not hear the truth about things on the Continent. The. whole last French official report from November 10-January 15 is a lie. Since this j time I have "been in two places, where | Joffre pretends to have made progress. I Not a word it true. Those poor, poor , French soldiers, they have fought with • wonderful courage—but they could not succeed,they had terrible losses. . Do you know that we have more than 800,000 prisoners? And our own on deads, wounded and prisoners, proved name by name and date and place in official lists, are not yet 750.000. . . J. f will you only say by that our ]vi■sition is excellent, that it is far more possible that France and England and Russia are fought down than that fhe.v succeed to th/own us out of Belgium and France. The war when it will reach England will be terrible. There is a hate in our soldiers that I do not want to have anyone of my people hear to this catastrophe. Instead of saying "Guten Tag" to each other, they say : God may j punish England (God strnaf England). Again, please do not ask again - • to go home. You may-agree with my ideas or not. For yourself I wish you tho best and hope you> will go safe tlirough this terrible war. If I come homo after our victory I hope to seo you again, and you have my bes* . wishes, if we don't succeed, and I never come home again. — truly, —.