TEUTONIC ANGLOPHOBIA.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] must ask you to allow me space to correct some remarks made in the Spectator of November 15th by a corre- spondent of yours who signs himself "An Englishman," and dates his letter from Shanghai. " An Englishman " tells us that he too is a Socialist, in order apparently to create an impression that he writes as an authority on the question, and to gain credence for his previous statements regarding the Social Democratic party in Germany. He there tells us that the German Socialists support the national policy of the German Government. At least that is the only intelligent meaning I can attach to his somewhat vague phrases. Now I can safely say that from a close acquaintance with the prominent German Socialists, having resided in and travelled through Germany, having attended four Congresses now as the representative of the English Social Democrats, and having closely followed their Press—Yortsiirts, Neue Zeit, Leipziger Volkszeitung, Sozialistische Monatshefte, etc.—and their litera- ture, that there is not a word of truth in this ; and I am not exaggerating when I say that the attitude of the German socialists could not have been more hostile to the Govern- nent than it has been. Nowhere could this have been better ex- pressed than it was in the unanimity with which the entire party Press threw themselves into opposition to the China Expedition at a time when Germany was supposed to be ringing with en- thusiasm for the war of revenge against the Chinese, and no one who was present could forget the thunders of applause with which at that very time the Congress at Mainz received the scathing remarks on the Chinese policy of the German Emperor and German Government made by the late Dr. Schoenlank, or the subsequent unanimous acceptance of the resolution condemning that policy. And I may say that the policy of the.party hai throughout its entire history been one of unswerving hostility to the entire policy of capitalist expansion and aggression,—a hostility which called forth the brutal attempt of Bismarck to crush them by the aid of the police, perhaps the most conspicuous failure on the part of that statesman. And this hostility is to-day as lively as ever, despite all the attempts which have been made by the National Social party, or the so-called " Fleet " Professors—Brentano, Schmoller, Sombart, Wenckstern, &c.—to win the support of the workers for a so-called "national policy."—I am, Sir, &c., JOAN B. ASKEW.
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