SOLF THE “SUBTLE."

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1918, Page 4

SOLF THE “SUBTLE."

> ALAN WHO WANTED TO- GOVERN i AUSTRALIA. FURTHER ADJOURNMENT. I A PERSONAL SKETCH.

(By Helen Jerome in the “Sydney Sim.”) The other day the Swiss Charge d ! Affaires begged to be excused from the responsibility., of translating Ur Soil’s reply to President Wilson, owing to “the subtlety in which Self’s language was couched.” This is, of course, in accord with the accepted currency that passes from the psychologist’s diagnosis of the German mind. Subtlety! Dr golf is about as subtle as the rest of his countrymen! Deceit, and subterfuge can only be dressed up ill those terms by the Amateur of Life. I knew Dr golf, for some years prior to the outbreak of war, and on one occasion travelled with him and his suite for nearly two months from Fiji to Vancouver, met him again in Chicago and New York and subsequently in Berlin. As this was at the time he had just concluded the Governorship of 4 Samoa. ho was naturally full of the Pacific Coast, and his conversation turned very much upon the possibilities and future of Australia. Soli' certainly was, and 1 suppose, is, the most unsubtle-looking person one can imagine. We never expect those ponderously, monumental-looking people to possess.the delicate mental mechanism which indicates delicate mental process, es. Nevertheless one must not divorce his physical bigness from mental bigness because of the absence of subtlety. Fifteen stone be stood in bis shoes—and if you had not known his nation-

ality, you would not. have accused him of it. T have never, met a German who had a more sincere partiality for English people, and who admitted it so frankly. He particularly envied us, our instinct for, and proficiency at, sports—but this is a penchant that I have repeatedly observed among Teuton people

Their very heaviness and clumsiness — physique and their diplomacy—rendering them peculiarly susceptible to the possession of activity by other people. Strangely enoug. (in the light ol subsequent events), during some of our conversations on board, Dr Solf confided that he quite expected to meet trouble on his arrival in Germany owing to his too favourable .reports upon the administration of affairs in Australia and he admitted that lie materially disagreed with the report of the then German Consul-General resident in Sydney—who was responsible for the absurd story current in Germany that Australia was anxious to cut loose from England—another instance of the subtlety of the German mind!

EYES OK AUSTRALIA. Self’s words were surely prophetical No sooner bad ho arrived in Berlin where, preparatory to bigger things, he expected a minor Cabinet appointment, than there was quite a commotion in the Reichstag, when the leader of the Opposition made a violent; attack on golf’s administration of Samoa, and incidentally his friendliness with Aus tralian politicians—his particular friend here having boon the late Sir George Reid, and a particular object of his admiration being our present Premier,

who was then Attorney-General,

Holman’s subtle and ingenious mind happening to be the precise type to which they arc so deficient—in spite of the complaint of the Swiss Charge d Affaires.

The storm in the Reichstag spent itself, and the influence of his wife’s family soon- gained for Solf the post of Sce--I‘otary for the Colonies—wild oh has since translated itself into that of Minister of Foreign Affairs. He . missed the Chancellorship because of his reputation for friendliness towards the hated English. All this is pertinent to Australia because of Solf’s avowed interest in and enthusiasm for the possibilities of this country—and his report, concerning what he called its “unparalleled resources”—both facts that evidently helped on the war. Once lie hinted in his “ subtle ’’ German way that it was “ a pity that Australia did not belong to Germany, as Germany would do so much more with it than the British race seemed to have accomplished.” He further remarked that he would like “to have the good luck of being the administrator of affair's in Australia.” The “vastness” and “spaciousness” of this country were expressions of his —and his imagination was evidently very strongly appealed to. C)u another occasion, when speaking of Australia, he said: “1 am afraid that Australians do not know what to do with their big country.” These remarks"are a further example of the “subtlety” of bis language.

He delivered an address one day which did something towards atoning for the general standard of mental mediocrity on the ship. He spoke in culi tured English, without the slightest trace of an accent, and after thirty minutes of measured eloquence he concluded with a remark —that in the light of subsequent history—may help to explain the high hope with which the German nation entered into this war of theirs: “ What I really mean to sav,” concluded Solf, “is that the people on the Pacific c-oast have half a dozen empires—only they don’t know it—and if they did know it would not know what to do with it.”

He left a perfectly clear impression in my mind that Alsace-Lorraine was as nothing to Germany as a prize worth fighting for compared with Australia—if “ any envious nation were to cast appraising eyes at her.” “ Fifty years are not too much to sacrifice for such a prize,” he said in his “subtle” German way.