23 SEPTEMBER 1905, Page 16

the hands of Germans." He thinks my 'words may cause

some readers of the Spectator to believe "that fifty per cent. or over is the proportion." The words I used are : "In all the large English towns which are known to me a great proportion of the most prosperous businesses are carried on by Germans, or the descendants of Germans." It did not occur to me when writing to a newspaper which is chiefly read by English people of education that any reader would be led to believe that be lives in a land more than half of whose inhabitants are Germans I I wished only to recall a fact which is well known to most of us. "A. F." tries to account for the presence of Germans in England by saying that the flow of labour is always from a poor to a rich country. The fact he has to account for is the presence of Germans, not in England, but in good positions in England. The flow into positions of the kind is from countries whose people are not only poor, but also well trained and energetic. We have many poor people, and Germany has now many prosperous businesses, but our poor do not flow into them. Ireland is as poor as Scotland and Germany were once, but there are not as many Irishmen as Scotcbmen and Germans among our prosperous traders. "A. F." says that desire to free themselves and their families from the danger of con- scription has led some Germans to come to England. I do not believe that many, if any, of the Germans who have done well in this country were brought here by poltroonery. Those whom I know are proud of having served their country, and are convinced that they gained much from their period of service. One very able man, who reorganised the large chemical business of a friend of mine, told me that he owes his success in life to military service. He believes that, but for the fear of being regarded as a dolt if he failed to pass the examination which would entitle him to serve as a one- year Volunteer, he would have been ruined for life by love of games, as so many young Englishmen are.—I am, Sir, &c.,

T. C. IfORSYALL,