GERMANS PAY TRIBUTE TO BRITISH

Shannon News, 27 July 1926, Page 4

GERMANS PAY TRIBUTE TO BRITISH

SHOWED SELF-CONTROL DURING GREAT STRIKE.

The following translation of an articleV the British strike, appearing in the German paper “Die Woche” on May 22, is supplied by Constance Carrington: — J Pictures from the English strike are pictures of the English character, in their need the people showed their esprit de corps, discipline, initiative and optimism —and also their slackness, their humdrum ways and want of order. ■ They offered themselves willing ror any public service. If there is any disturbance in the streets the German citizen rushes into his house and puts his hopes on God, the police or organised helpers. He sits down doing nothing, not from fear, but in confidence in those above him, and rrom want of initiative. The soldier Wissmann crossed Africa twice, but the thought never came to him, without a commission or command, to plant the flag of his expedition in the unconquered earth, and so ,win a colony for Germany.' Peters, who was only a student and private teacher, but who had breathed the air of England during the years of his youth, had the initiative to cross the seas and conquer a colonial kingdom for Germany. We must recognise the weaknesses as well as the virtues of our nation. The English citizen left his home at the outbreak of the strike to serve the community as driver, waiter or constable. The manager of. an iron foundry went as driver of the night train to Scotland. Rich ladies, wno in war time had brought the wounded from the front in their own motors to the hospitals banded themselves together again to drive employees to their works and offices. The sellers in the shops put English commonsense first, and every morning placed a high placard in front of their door with the words "Must go into town” on it. The initiative of the private citizen treads organisations underfoot at the call of necessity. A discipline other than ours, which only works underorders, prevents bloodshed by anticipation

Self-control and fellow-feeling allow fair play to an adversary. An Englishman's sympathies are almost childlike., as also are the American’s. But England might be the scene or a civil war as cruel as tliait between Charles the First and Cromwell if in a strike of long duration this discipline and fellow-feeling were to vanish. The optimism, for which the nation has its prosperous past to thank, still laxighs on their faces. The work of a great queen still guards the land from invasion. A simple, open-hearted feudalism has for long warded off the envy of the masses and the hatred of class against class.

To conclude, according to British reckoning “der liebe Gott” (Ithe dear God) is himself an Englishman, wno always shelters England from the worst.