MR BLATCHFORD ON GERMAN HATE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 8 January 1915, Page 3

MR BLATCHFORD ON GERMAN HATE.

OPEN LETT EI! TO ANGRY BANKER. Mr Blatchford, who lias actively assisted the recruiting movement in England, dealt recently with Britain's position in the war by means of a scathing "open letter'' addressed to Privy\(Jouncillor Witting, president of the National Bank of Germany, Hcrr Witting stated to an American newspaper correspondent that England brought on tlie war, and exclaimed, ''God, how we hate England and the English!" WHAT ENGLAND HAS NOT DONE. Mr Blatchford's reply is as follows:--To Hcrr Witting.—Sir,—Having read your angry statement to the correspondent of the New York Sun, I am tempted to .point out to you, for your own benefit, that your violent outbreak of hatred and rage, besides being extremely bad for your health, is based upon a misconception of the facts as between Germany and England. That you hate us we are well aware; your countrymen have made it plain to, US in many ways. In this morning's Times I read the statement of a Belgian lady just escaped from Bruges. This lady had a little dog which had been named Kitchener. Your gallant soldiers seized this littlo animal and cut it up in to pieces. Sucli a malignancy of hatred and sueli an inhuman expression of that un-Christian fury ought to satisfy the quietest business men in Germany. Yes. you hate us, there is no room for doubt about that.

But when you give your reasons for the murderous malevolence with which the bulk of your people seem at present to be seething almost to the point of insanity, I find myself unable to agree with you. You say, Herr Witting, that "England, and England alone, brought on this criminal war, out of greed and out 01 envy, to crush Germany." If tod ar« not too excited to listen, I will beg leave to point out to you that it was not an Englishman who murdered the, Austrian Archduke. It was not the British who dictated the (Austrian Note to Servia. When Russia, Austria, and Servia seem- - ed to be at a deadlock, and Sir Edward Grey proposed a conference of the Powers, it was not Britain which held back; it was Germany which refused. Then, again, the British did not ask Germany to declare war with Russia or with ' France. At the time when Austria had 1

declared war upon Servia, and when Germany had declared war upon Russia, and was mobilising to attack France, tbe British Government was still urging peace upon all the powers. These are facts, Herr Witting, and, although to be frank, we would rather have your hatred than your friendship, preferring the genuine to the spurious article, still these facts do not justify the hatred which you have expressed with so much rhetoric and eo little dignity.

PEOPLE'S DISTASTE FOR WAR. Again it wag Germany, and not Britain who Yiolated the neutrality of Belgium_ You do not explain, iferr Witting, why the Germans invaded Belgium, nor why, having forced a passage, and secured their advance, they turned to destroy the Belgian villages and cities and so exterminate the Belgian people. Britain did not wish for this war, and tried to prevent it. I know my countrymen very well (I hare reason), and I know that they did not want war with Germany, and were very hard to convince that the German intentions were not equally pacific. Neither had our people any motives of greed or envy in the matter. The British people envied 110 nation, and wished for nothing Geriiv.iiy possessed—not even her culture, Tile British people were content to jog along in their own easy way. They were i what you call 'dec:- 'nit..'' 'They had no love for the ho itzer or for th# [ goosestep, and no desire to domiueer [ over anyone; just a decadent people, . hating swank and bloodshed and loving ! best their football and their music-halls f anil their races and their creature eomj. forts. Envy! The country was full of , Germans. There were. German n;er-

chants and fifrmnn inaimf:i<tur<*r« and German clerks ami managers, ami artisans and waiters all over the. place, anil though most of those Germans wers the meanest kind of spies, our people never suspected and, in fact, would not liclic-." it. Talk of forced! We allowed all ;> our goods to come into Britain duty froo, although you put up tariffs against ours. We did not- envy you or coret your possessions. We have great colonies, gr. at Dependencies, a great Empire. W« only asked to he let alone. Yon had no colonies, 110 Empire worth mentioning. Why should we envy you! Is it not more reasonable to suppose that you envied us? You assured the world that you needed room for expansion. You said you must have colonies, and tllilt the only means of obtaining colonies was, the sword. And then you thought it was mean of us to form alliauces. You said we wanted to straugla you.. And yet you had a Triple Alliance before we formed our Triple Kntcnte. Do you hate us for defending ouruelves, you who speak so passionately of your determination to defend your owa country?

PITY FOR FIUXCE. You told the American gentleman that you only feci pity for France. You iiiiist have a low estimate of American intelligence. Do you think the world lias forgotten your rush to I'aris, your de.-ire to sci/.e the French colonies, your often,' avowed intention to to "-crush France that she could never again cross your path';" Do you suppose the French have, forgotten how you bullied ami insulted thwu since !S7U, how you shelled their cities and burned their villages, and looted their houses, and outraged their women and murdered their priests? You call the British hypocrites. You imply that we did not go to war in defence of Belgium, but in defence of our own interests. Suppose that is true, what right have you to complain* imi >ay that, colonies must be won by the sword and held by the. sword. You are out to capture what you may, but when we defend what we have wou you call us criminals and 'Hypocrites, acl vim say you hate us.

Vmi make a- point of our j-oin;,' to tile help of the French. I'ut did not tiermany f,'o to the !iel|> 01 the Austrian'-? What is an alliance worth if one may help ones' allies? On tlie whole, I submit to you. !'err 'AiHiiif.'. lliui, tin* re.i - .''Hi ;.'ive 'or hating us are inadequate, and I sii"gest that there is another reason. We have spoiled your ;. r aine. W'e have spoded \our deep.ia id plan lor deieatiin: I'.'irope in detail. You meant' to conq'i"and dismember France and then yrn meant to punish ns and plunder onr Empire. Like the i.'eut!einan in "1 lie Mikado," we "objected/ 1 and. T sn;'pest that "we were rijflit to so s I," and I understand urn! so does rlt Kll- - that the validity of our objection has to he proved !>y the sword. Your boa-tin'.;-, which, like your fulniinations of hate, are somewhat theatrical, leave us cold. W'e know that in order to plut your rapte you will shrink from no baseness or savagery in your rabid haste to do u3 harm. But we do not ha,tg