THE EMDEN'S VISIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 16 July 1929, Page 6

THE EMDEN'S VISIT

iTo the Editor) Sir.—After all, I think the great bulk of us in this land will be quite content to abide by the Maoris' dignified attitude regarding the visit of the German warship, especially those of us who lost friends in "the great war, and who amongst us did not? "The blood is not yet dry." We'll just be moderate in the warmth of our welcome, considering'calmly what would' be* our present position to-day out here had Oermany won the war. Christian love would, 1 fear, not be their guiding star as we understand it, in dealing with "the demned English, who have no conception of obedience." In all breaches of the peace, what you want to get at first of all is: Who is the man who was responsible "for this fight? Every magistrate wants to know that first. Germany caused the war. For years Germany had done little else but prepare for it down to the smallest detail. All other nations were palpably unprepared. Six years before the war I found out and was absolutely, convinced in my own mind that a war between Germany and England Was as certain as anything in this uncertain world could be. How did I know? Between Sydney and Southampton I spent' the best part of six weeks on a German steamer, and the Germans themselves told me, not only by their words but by their entire attitude from the captain down to the least important hand on that rather clumsy vessel. "The Day! The Day! The Day!" was constantly dinned into our ears. They took our money for the passage, it is true,' but their contempt for us was very' thinly veiled. Nothing was more absolutely sure in the minds of those Germans (and every official and servant on the ship was a German) that there was going to be a war, and furthermore that they were going to come out of that war on top, and "then they would show us." "You demned English—you who have no conception of obedience." I came back to this land and told some of my friends that there would be a war and they mostly thought it was merely a mad notion. We shall have our own "Jack Tars" back here soon. W can't afford to squander all our good feelings on, shall we say, outsiders. The fact that Germany is now a republic, whereas it was before a monarchy, hay not altered the character of the German people, nor have they forgotten that Germany lost the war. —1 am etc., READER. Nelson, 16th July.