MR BLATCHFORD ON GERMAN HATE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 6, 22 January 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

MR BLATCHFORD ON GERMAN HATE.

OPEN LETTER TO ANGRY BANKER. Mr. Blatchfcrd says the London •''Daily Mail." deals with our petition in tha war by means v.£ a scathing "open letter" addressed to Privy Coaneillor Witting, president of the National Bank of Germany. Herr Witting stated to an American newspaper corrtspondent that, Fngland brought on this war and exclaimed, in an outbursi ol malevolence. "God. how wt bate England and the 10. glieh." WHAT ENGLAND HAS NOT DONE. Mr. 11! ate!) to id's- reply is as follows: To Herr Witting. Sir. —[laving read your angry statement to the correspondent of the "New York Sun." 1 am tempted to point oar. to you, for your cum fien 'fit, that your violent outbreak of hatred and rage bc^ ; de s being extremely bad f<ir your health", is bas'-d upon a sr.isconception of tho facts as be two in Germany and Britain. That you Irate ul we are w\ 11 aware, your countrymen have made it plain to us in manv nnw. I i this morning',-. ••Times" I r-'ad the statement "f a llclgian ladv. just es-aped from Bruges. This lady had a little dog which had 1) en named Kitchener. Vour gallant soldiers ceizrd the little f animal and cut it ui) into p : e.es Such a. malignancy of haure.l and siudi a.i inhuman exprcss:on (-1 that un-Chri -'ian fury ought Ui satf fv the qui ttst busintvs man m Germanv. \< .. you hato us. there is i;o rooni for doubt about that. B it when von guv yo;:r r asons for the murd( i'oi:s matevoleJifc with which the bulk of .- -'ir pcv/)le ceom at present t ) be se-hing aloe -i to the point cf r sanity I heal my-e'f anible to ngree \-i ith you. Ye, sav. H rr Witt'.ng. t!r..t "England aa;.:'l Ensrlaixl nb.ne. bn.ught. <n tb'« crimiual wrr. out of gr* wl and nut, of euw. to -a-u-.b Grrn >'• !l . V ' M ;,,•«• not l«o. ::-iU'd i'» T will l>eg leave to :>oi:.< out to you that it wys ~,, ~,, |.',,..-!, j :i :; >ii uiio murdered tne \„ i".--.n „,:,;;, wllI) (! Vf,;.d the Aiwdr.nn Nolo I-, s r .,; ; , \vii n Ru'sia. Aus'na. an, S rvifl s.vn>d n I'e-'l « AvxlUx-';. n-.-.l Sir Kd.vad Orev pror.o.el a conf ivmo ri" ;!■• I'oweis. a was m>t. Rritam w)«:en It 'd lvk ■ -t v.:-. G- rmanv wbi li vf., ..1 Tl'o-i t'"ain. ''" I'ntWi did ,„» r'k G neanv t> d ela.v war wit'i it;■••-::, --or with Franco. \t lie- 'in ; e An Ac,tria h"d de-hnvd w.-r Hn„n Svrvia. and when Cermany had d<v-l.ir, d ,-.ar upon Russia a-id was w»'ml» »vi to attack !'ranee. ,V ]\xr.i*U Government was stili v.r,r- n . „eace ui«ui nil th«. Pow'rs. Tli ' are fa-N. If: rr uut;n!r n-,,\ -illboii'di to b,. fra' k. v.e w'«mi<l rather have your liatr«l M-nn voer friendslur. pref rring the gen ui no

to the rpui-'xus article, still these facts (!o not justify tlv Jiatied which foa have exj»rtssed with uo much rhetorio and '.o utile dignity. PEOPLED DISTASTE FOR WAR. Again it was Germany and not Britain which violated Mm* neutrality of Belgium. You do, not explain, Herr Witting, why the Germans invaded Belgium, nor why. having forced a passage and secured their advance, they turnrd to destroy the Belgian villages and cities and to exterminate the Belgian people. Britain did not wish for this war. and tried to prevent it. I know my countrymen viry well (I have reason), and 1 know that they did not want war with Germany, and were very bird to convinc: that the German i '.tentior.s were not equally pacific. Neither had our people liny motives ot greed or envy in the matter. Tho British people envied no nation and wished for nothing G r rmany porfiep.sod—not even her culture. The Brit? h people were content to jog along in their own easy way. They were what you call ''decadent." Tliev had no love for the howitzer or for the goose-step, and no desire to domineer over anyone; just a decadent people, hating swank and bloodshed .and loving be-.t their football a.'d their music-halls and their racers and their creature comforts. Envy? The country was full of Germans. There were German merchants and German [manufacturers and Gcrinai clerks and managers and nrtfean* p~d waiters all over the place. pthl thouch most of Germans were the meanest kind of epics, our people never suspect-ifl and. in fact, would not believe it. Talk of greed! We allowed all your goods to come l into Britain

duty free, although you put up tariffs against ours. We did not envy you or covet your possessions. We have g.eat Colonies, great Dependencies, a great Empire. \\c only asked to be let alone. Vo'.i had no Colonies and no Empire worth mentioning. Why should we envy you? Is it not more reasonable to suppose that you envied us tf You assured tjie world that you needed room for expansion. You said you must have Coloni's and that the only means for obtaining Colonies was the sword. And then you thought it was mean of us to form alliances. You said «c wanted to strangle you. And yet. you had a Triple Alliance before we formed our Triple Entente. Do you hate us for defending ourselves you who speak so pa-ssionale-iy of your determination to defend your owu country? PITY FOR FRANCE. You told tl\ ; American gentleman that von only feel pity for France. You mui-t have a" low estimate of American int.Jligence. Do you think the world has forgotten you! Tush for Paris, your desire to seize the Frenah Colonic-', your eUen avowed intention to so ''crush France that tdte could never again cro-s your path" ? Do you sup]>oso tho French have forgotten how you bullied and insult:d thorn sin e h-70. bow yon siielbd tho'r cities ami burned their villages, and looted their b.-)U-e.;. and outraged tlteir woui<n and murdered their priests? You call the Mritis'h hypocrite's. Yo:i imply that we did not go to war in delenee of liolgiuin, but in defence of our own interests. Suppose that is true, what right have you to complain? You .-ay that Colonies must be won by the sword and held by tin- sword. You are (■at capture what yen may. but when we d fend what we have won you call us criminals and h\j>o<rite... and you hat- us.

Von make a point of oar going to the help of the French. IJut did not Germanv go to ilie help of the Austrians? V. bat i-i an aliian.-e worth if one may not, help oho',; allie ? On t'ae who! e 1 . üban't to you. Herr WiMing. that the r iimuis you give for hating us a.re inr.<lequate. and I sugges. that tin re is another reason. We h-ve spail tl your game. We havo ..- oiled vour deap-lai,| plan for <lefeat- ;■■:: I'iurope ia d tail. You meant to conquer ,:'.n.J dhiieii 's r Fraiw : end iheii vou moan: to puni.-h us ami idund.r i.'ur Ivniiire. L ; ke tlie gentleman in ••'!! Aiik-do" we "obierted," end 1 .sum :■■■{ thai "we wee.' right to io obj ,•',,'• ..,::d I ir d, !-■: and. and m> do' i ail t'iiin.; a, tha Ihe validity of our o'l-j.-i-lion ha s 'o be proied by the i-word. Your bonytiugs. which. li!«> your fuliiiin.aiions of hate. : re ■•-omcwhai then-irir-al. leave us cold. W,- know that ill ordrr to glut your rage vou will shrink from mi baseness or savarrv in your rabid liasto to do u.s harm. But we do not hate you an you hate us. Tt is net in our nature to nurflp so black and voiionveus a milk'e. We do not bate rou, but wo do not t-rw t you, and we.

cannot respect you. You have earned the scorn and condemnation of all decent people. Centuries of atonement will not wash clean the name of Germany.

4vj.11, I offer you sound advice. Do not talk so union: you will need your wind when it coims to the in-fighting. Curb your vile temper, consider your liv;r. Herr Witting; these emotional blizzards, besides being rather contemptible, are bound ,to shorten your valuable life. What a less would that be to civilisation, to Christianity, to culture.