OUR NEW FOE.
[TO THE EDITOR OP TUE "SPECTATOR:1 SIR,—Mr. Brodribb's letter in your issue of June 14th gives an excuse for asking a question which has long seemed to me obvious. He says :—" We are watching the German flag oust us in commerce, we are watching the augmentation of the German Navy, and we have just witnessed the endeavours of Germany to form an understanding with America, and yet we cannot put two and two together." As an habitual reader of the Spectator, I should like to be allowed to ask you, Sir, for something more definite. In the Press, in public speeches, and in conversation this terror of Germany —there is no other word—is continually expressed. We are reminded every day of the warning of the Prince of Wales that we must "wake up " : it may be that we are asleep ; but we are screaming in our sleep. Let us admit the danger
to the full: how are we to meet it when we do wake up ? To repeat that it is there helps nobody. Mr. Brodribb's only approach to a suggestion is Army reform ; but "A Berlin!"
is not a practical cry to raise. To my mind, one of the most disquieting signs of the times is not our "customary self.
complacency," but the vague and general pessimism which sets us all quaking in our shoes without an indication from anybody of the course which we should pursue in order to avoid the perils which lie in our path.—I am, Sir, &c.,
rWe have never taken the pessimist view as to German efficiency and energy and British industrial weakness, believing that we are quite well able to hold our own in trade, and are holding it. So far we entirely agree with Mr. Lucas as to the folly of screaming. What we object to, and what we would warn our countrymen against, is the folly of making ourselves the international drudge of the German Emperor, and doing everything to assist the rise of Germany and to keep down Germany's great rival, Russia. Though Germany is ad- mittedly doing her best—and small blame to her—to take from us the command of the sea and the hegemony in com- merce, and looks to forming a Colonial Empire carved out of ours, we diligently help all her schemes in the Far East, in Persia, and in Asia Minor, and at the same time do all we can to thwart Russia. We are perfectly clear as to what we should do to check Germany : Insist that Germany shall no longer use us as a catspaw in dealing with Russia, and employ our diplomacy on all occasions to wink for the isolation of Germany and for obtaining a good understanding with Russia. Neither object is beyond attainment, and when they were obtained we need have little fear of German envy and jealousy. Germany would be much too fully occupied to trouble about ousting us from "our place in the sun."—ED. Spectator.]
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