'INN 0 FRONTIERS OF GERMANY
Commonwealth and Foreign
By MICHAEL SPENDER
IT is easy to run across the lowland frontiers of Germany without noticing them. Of course the boom is generally down on the German side ; then you have to stop the car and go back to look for the Dutch or the Danish customs house, whichever it may be. These toll-gates, for that is what they are [toll—Told (Danish)—Zoll (German)j, are each in their own territory. Somewhere in the terra nullius between the two a change in the road-surface marks the national boundary. But to right or to left the landscape bears no sign, no line to indicate whether you shall say " Goddag " or " Heil Hitler."
Invisible as the Dutch frontier may seem, there are several kinds of map which would show changes along or near it. Where Holland becomes Germany a swampy but light- soiled area gives way to the Westfalian heath. The Dutch have drained their land and cultivated it vigorously. But on the Westfalian sand little but pinetrees can grow, so that a map showing soil-types or density of population would indicate trends in rough correspondence with the political boundary. In this geographical sense the frontier to Denmark is very unreal.
Between Germany and Denmark there is nevertheless a discontinuity of peoples. Along the North Sea coast towards Holland there is a gradual change of occupation and language amongst the Frisians, but in Schleswig dialects meet derived in the one case from Low German and in the other from the Scandinavian group of languages. No political frontier can divide the two cultures, because Danes have migrated southwards and Germans northwards during the various phases of the history of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein. The pre-i94 boundary, the consequence of the 1864 invasion, brought into Germany territory which was Danish in culture and population : the plebiscite after the War made North Schleswig Danish. When the frontier changed some Germans went south to retain their nationality ; but there are still many whose homes are north of the boundary and whose sympathies are not Danish. About 15 per cent. of the entire province showed German loyalty in the last election, which would indicate that near the present frontier and in certain districts there are areas predominantly German. It is noticeable that even as far north as Haderslev German is spoken a great deal. Danish is understood in Flensburg, but hardly heard spoken.
During an earlier phase of foreign policy it seemed that Nazi Germany would attempt to recover the lost land. There was a period of great German activity north of the frontier ; schools were built for the German children and propaganda launched. Where children might live at some distance from a school they were supplied with bicycles ; and in general the exiled Germans were supported in kicking against Danish authority. The Danish reaction was wise and liberal ; indeed Denmark's official relations with Ger- Many are cautiously directed, and by no means correspond with the short-sighted views of the Danish Press. The Danish reply was to organise in the southern province a deliberate movement to broadcast knowledge of the Danish culture and tradition. This was an excellent happening, which strengthened the rather weak relationship between Denmark proper and South Jutland, as they call it ; it was also to the good that the Danes had to think out which components of their culture were specifically Danish and which acquired from Germany.
It was noticeable at the New Year, when in both countries policies were declared and the past year reviewed, that in neither case was reference made to the question, if there is a question, of this territory. There are, of course, incidents, but they seem to be local 11(.111 in origin and significance. Each side accuses the other of denying its nationals the right to work ; and no doubt the German community in Denmark occasionally makes a fuss for the sake of making a fuss. The local but presumably biassed Danish comment is that the reason that the Germans stay in Denmark is that they have a better time there than in their own country.
Amicable relations at the frontier are made very difficult by the attitude of both the Conservative and Liberal Press in Denmark. The two principal papers express not so much a conviction of disagreement with the principles of autonomous government as a kind of superior contempt for anything German. This is actually as much due to ignorance of the facts as lack of sympathy. On the other hand Denmark's Foreign Office has never forgotten that Germany is a powerful neighbour ; that the future of Scandinavia is at least in part conditioned by the future of Germany : and that there may be favourable opportunities of trade to a country which in turning to arable farming is redwing its output of meat and dairy produce.
The last few years in Denmark have seen a curious swing of public opinion. Much Danish culture is German. The educational system is essentially German, German folk-songs and carols have penetrated into Denmark, even the language shows German influence, though not to the extent as dces Swedish. In fact there has been the same kind of interchange between Denmark and the German States as between the States themselves during the period between the first two German Empires. The twentieth century, however, has brought an increasing dependence of Denmark economically on England. The effect of this has now reached the man in the street, who reacts by wishing to imitate English manners, reject those aspects of his culture which he recognises as German and assume as far as possible an English attitude to life. Goods or clothes made in England are valued at a premium, and when the young have any problems of behaviour they are settled by reference to English custom. .
This favourable situation for the importers of English goods has of course been offset by the continual reduction of the quantities of bacon which can be accepted by the English market : but some expression of this can be seen in the astonishing change (in favour of Britain) in the balance of trade figures between the two countries. The figures for the past year also show a great increase in trade with Germany, possibly the successful result or the caution shown by the Danish foreign office. This is largely a barter business, conditioned by a trade agreement and carried on without reference to the gold mark. The quantities of butter and bacon purchased in this way by Germany need not be very large referred to a population of 70 millions and can yet be adequate to affect Denmark's 5 millions materially.
If the study of the atlas, or the impact of statistics, is not enough, then to take a car to the Continent quickly provides one with a ruler to measure the site of the States of Europe. A day's run of zoo miles can hardly be laid out in Denmark without doubling back on one's tracks, crossing the frontier or going to sea. The vastness of Germany cannot be better realised than by motoring through her. One may travel far in Germany, until the Ausland seems to become a term without reality. What is to be the future of the toll-gates that let us in and out again ? Are the invisible lines between them to be marked on the ground with barbed wire and the footpaths of sentries ? Or will they go the way of the turn- pike, something only recalled by a narrowing of the roads and a clustering of inns ?
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