GERMANY AS "AGENT-PROVOCATEUR."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR." J
you kindly permit me, the son of a German, to de- precate your severe criticisms of German policy in the Spectator of May 24th? You say that Germany plays the odious part of mischief-maker between England and Russia, and that she is a principal and considerable gainer by her malign intervention. That German policy is adroit I do not deny; but whose are the sluggish habits of mind and feebleness of political conduct that, on the one hand, compel German diplomatists to be so very energetic, and, on the other, make that energy so profitable ? If you have a wealthy but idle, happy-go-lucky, { and improvident cousin who is incapable of managing his business ; who is too ignorant to understand, and too idle or careless to defend, his own proper interests; whose mind is like a Kantian Antinomy; whose only notion of managing his affairs is a perma- nent civil war between his agents and representatives; who cannot enter upon any kind of " a deal " without coming out a loser; whose mind is so burthened, especially in the education of his children, with a sense of his duties to religion and athleticism that he is himself as a child in mundane affairs, is it surprising if you endeavour to pick up something for yourself out of those properties, which he either neglects as regards income, or is sure to throw away P The Germans have obtained a footing in the Persian Gulf only just in time before John Bull hands over the whole situation to Russia simply because he is mentally wearied by Russian importunity. It is well also that Germany has acquired some holding ground in the Pacific! before England by the formation of a Commonwealth has converted her Australian Colonies into an independent Republic. England has carefully trained Australians to "cut the painter" that binds them to herself. Is it probable that a Commonwealth will long remain subject to a Monarchy ? In an American phrase, I think it may be said " not much." Has Germany played the mischief-maker between England and Ireland ? On the olintrary, none rallied more loyally to the Unionist, not party, but repudiation of party, than did the Germans resident in England in 1886. What has been their reward? Ever since 1886 the policy of the Government (Unionist) has been one continuous orgie of debacle and surrender to Irish disruption. Was it the Germans who paved the way to the independence of Ireland by the disfranchisement (through a ridicu- lously low suffrage) of all that is decent and respect-
able and well affected towards the English Government in the management of Irish local affairs, and who are endeavouring to decivilise and de-Protestantise Ireland by the expropriation and extirpation of the most intelligent and public-spirited class in the country which supplies England with generals, a class that the Germans are spending millions to create in the province of Posen ? It is well that a German squadron should visit Ireland. It will show to the elements of civilisation of that island that the British Fleet is not their only reserve to fall back upon, and that a Dutch William may again be found useful when a Romish and corrupt England has been found both faithless
[Our correspondent supplies us with an amusingly complete vindication of our article. He evidently thinks that England is a decrepit, semi-imbecile Power, possessed of a vast Empire which she has not the force and energy to hold. That Empire must fall to some one, and the German Emperor is just the man to get it from her by a system of alternate bullying and bamboozling. We do not admit the decrepitude, but we clearly recognise the German plan, and hold that the first step towards frustrating it is to understand it clearly. In truth, what our correspondent deprecates is not Germany's action, but our exposure. " All which, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down," in effect, says our correspondent, with Hamlet.—ED. Spectator.]
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