BAVARIAN HATRED OF THE PRUSSIANS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 174, 27 March 1915, Page 7

BAVARIAN HATRED OF THE PRUSSIANS.

■'.South Germany is not- Prussianised. South Germany will always hate Prussia.'' Such was the observation made to The Daily "Mirror by a South German of high rank, now resident in London, when ashed what had Prussianised South Germany. This South German has refused to servo in the Kaiser's army. "But why," he was ashed, •'■ ins South GermanJ becoma so vie- !y snli-British?" "The people are not anti-British." "Then what about the violent speecdies the Crown Prince of Bavaria has made?" INSOLENCE AND TYRANNY". "They are very surprising," replied the South German, "but let me try and explain. "There are two Germanys now as there have always been—South Germany and North Germany, and by North Germany I mean Prussia. "The South Germans have always hated the Prussians, anrl the alliance with Prussia. The whole of South Germany knows nothing but insolence and tyranny from the Prussians. "When we meet a Prussian officer we have to get out into the road and leave him the pavement. "It is from these men that all the State Embassy officials, all the taxcollectors, all the petty municipal officers are drawn. "So that when the average South German thinks of Prussia he thinks of the insolence of railway officials and the tyranny of tax-colectors, who are ex-Prussian sergeants, and he thinks of uncouth Prussian officers elbowing him out of his own streets. '.'Now, what does he know of the British? "Before the outbreak of war the British were the most popular people !n South Germany. "But the British never understood the political possibilities of this popularity. > • THE PRUSSIAN WAY. "If Britain had had any Prussian statesmen in her Cabinet she would have played upon this popularity, and she would have industriously fomented the disaffection in the south against the north with such effect that the Kaiser would have known from the first that he would have had to go to war with only half his army. "In other words, if Britain had spent sufficient money on political purposes 'in Germany she would have ueeeded in breaking Germany in half.

"If Britain had liked to spend just as much money as Prussia lias spent on Ireland and other parts of Great Britain she would have won her reward. Prussia counted on Ireland.but 2'rusaia miscalculated. "One of my cousins is attached !o the suite of Prince Lichnowsky, who was the German Ambassador here. SHOCK FOE PRINCE. "He tells me —and he 's a sober and truthful informant —that hte Prince suffered an absolute physical collapse after Mr. John RcdnunH 's speech ia the House of Commons in which the Irish leader said that every English soldier could be taken out of Ireland. "He knew then all his schemes had failed. "But if Britain had played the same game in Germany she would have succeeded. "As for the Crown Prince of Bavaria, he speaks for himself The people dislike him."