RUSSIA versus GERMANY. [To TEE EDITOR ON TRH EPROTATOE..1 travel
much in Germany several mouths in the year, and in various parts of the Empire, and I often wonder what can have been the origin of that delusion which so exercises the- English journalist,—that there exists a "race-hatred" between German and Russian. What it may be in Russia I cannot say ; but in Germany there is no more " race-hatred " towards the Russians than there is in England.
My queries on the subject are replied to as follows :-1. By- the governing and professional classes,—We quite understand that it may some day snit the Russian Government, for reasons of its own, to declare war against us, and our policy is to be pre- pared for that eventuality ; but as to the Russian people, we pity them, we do not hate them. 2. By the middle classes,—Hato the Russians ? Nonsense. We only ask to be let alone by the Russians, or any other foreign country. Leave us to our peaceful industry. 3. By the lower classes,—Generally the question seems to suggest to the listener some doubts as to my own sanity ; but if I obtain any answer at all, it is to the effect that the existence of Russia does not trouble my informant as much as the state of the weather ; or sometimes I am informed that the war was with France, not with Russia.—I am, Sir, do,.
[If our correspondent is right, German journalists and German writers misrepresent German feeling. We suspect that East Germany and West Germany differ as regards Slays.—
En. Spectator.]
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