THE KAISER'S ALLEGED SPEECH.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECtTATOR.1
SIR,—I am hoping to see in your columns some protest against the undignified panic at, and mischievous misrepresentations of, the Kaiser's speech, of the latter of which we had a notable example last week. It now turns out that no ouch speech was ever delivered, and the uneasy feeling it caused gave us away to be the laughing-stock of those who do not wish us well. The process seems to be this. Invent a threat on the part of a neighbouring State, and then proceed to show how easily the said State could invade and conquer our country. It is not friendly to our neighbour; it is not complimentary to our- selves. On this, the anniversary of Waterloo, it is surely our duty to discourage the petulant and craven feeling I have described. We are still supposed to be a Constitutional country. Let those who think the safety of our homes to be in jeopardy represent their fears, not through the columns of a party newspaper, but through their representatives in Parlia- ment. But do not let us pose before the nations as too weak for war and too petulant for peace. For my own part, whilst desirous of seeing our sea and land forces strong enough to repel any or all invasion, I deprecate inventions of threats and groundless suspicions being cast upon a nation of our own race and religion with whom as allies side by side we have
stood in arms on many a field, and against whom we have never yet had occasion to take the field. Surely those who believe in the danger would do better to join the Territorial Forces than to tremble at the fabricated threats of a Sovereign with whom we are in amity, and whom we hope to see as our visitor in the course of a few weeks.—I am, Sir, &c., [We have great pleasure in publishing Mr. Foljambe's letter, which we gladly endorse. The cause of national defence and of ceaseless vigilance to meet all dangers by sea and land is not helped but hindered by panic, bad manners, or invention. We must never forget Burke's reminder, "Let us remember so to be patriots as not to forget we are gentlemen."—ED. Spectator.]
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