THEN AND NOW.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 12, 15 January 1915, Page 4

THEN AND NOW.

After pointing out the tricks of German merchants in preparation for war with England a writer in an English trade paper goes on to say; As in war so in business with the German, and in order to meet his own ends no action seems too despicable to resort to in order to guarantee that everything comes his way. Of course, because it suited official Germany, their newspapers bad to shut their eyes to the fact of their loud acclamations when war was mooted in 1870 against the French. Under the idea of a long and stern war and not altogether sure of their ground, they left no stone unturned in order to let the German people know that the French could not attack them by coining through Belgium, as this would mean the taking of the lield by England on the side of Germany. Here at once we have a most striking illustration of the remark that comparisons

become odious. Furthermore, it wai their statesman of blood and iron, win on the eve of war in 1870, caused t( he published, in order to secure Fug lish sympathy and inilame our mind,' against the French, a secret document received some months previously from Napoleon 111. us to Ids raising no objection to Germany becoming a united nation if she would agree to France annexing Belgium. Bismarck was quite right in his prediction as to a great wave of indignation run.ning throughout the length and breadth of England, and our Government deemed it necessary to drop a hint to both Germany and France what would be the result of Belgian neutrality being broken by either. The military conclusions to be drawn from such a conflict in German eyes are obvious and ready.