GERMANY AND BRITAIN [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I
hope those who, like myself, have a sincere affection for the German people as individuals, will not allow themselves to be estranged by Baron von Rheinbaben's article in your lr.st issue. It leaves one despondent and wondering. Despondent at the remoteness of the prospect of two peoples with such opposed ways of thinking ever agreeing, and wondering if Germany would not be well advised to leave her case in the hands of her friends and apologists in this country, who generally make a far better showing for her than her own representatives.
Baron von Rheinbaben seems quite incapable of under- standing that in English opinion, the only people who need fear criticism, provocative or otherwise, are those who have a bad case. That what really matters is not the provocativeness of• the criticism but its truth. Criticism can be answered, and if false or unjust refuted. Germany, with the entire Press sub:- servient to the will of its Government, is in a far stronger position to stand up to criticism than any of the free demo- cracies. Criticism is the very soul of the British national philosophy, because we believe that in the end the truth comes out of it. And as a logical sequence we are forced to believe that a country that will not stand criticism does not want the truth to come out.
What Baron von Rheinbaben seems to want is that Germany should have a freoehand to do as she wishes. If the world approves it may praise her, bin if it happens to disapprove it must keep silent. And, furthermore, German representatives shall be at liberty to criticise provocatively anyone they choose.'" "In view of the . . . obvious menace to European peace represented by the destructive forces of Bolshevism. . . ."
Germany has apparently yet to learn that the best way —indeed, the only way—to meet criticism, is not to try to stifle it, for criticism, being after all only a striving towards truth, never can be stifled, but to act in Such a way that it has
no terrors.—Yours faithfully, A. J. HAWES.
Upwell, Wisbech.
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