GERMAN DOUBLE-THINK
Sus,—In most of her articles from Germany, Sarah Gainham reveals a superb insight into German politics as well as feelings. But a recent contribution (Spectator, February 14) strikes me as strongly over- estimating anti-British feeling and national egotism in Germany.
To start with, her criticism of the somewhat re- luctant attitude towards sending German troops to Cyprus seems to be less profound than sharp. It is neither from anti-British feeling that Dr. Erhard does not want German troops to take part in the joint police force, nor from national egotism, i.e., from fear of jeopardising good relations with Moslem countries.
Bundeswehr units in Cyprus, even if they proved to be more up to the task than Miss Gainham concedes in her article, would most certainly cause major trouble in the political field, or at least pro- vide a new basis for Communist propaganda in the politically shaky countries of the Near East.
As to the anti-British feeling your correspondent points out on the grounds of Germany's continuing aid to Indonesia or the really short 'shopping list,' would like to say that there is no proof at all for that feeling in the fulfilling of contracts, or in a certain, admittedly overdone, feeling of obligation towards the United States.
• Despite the anti-British tune some German papers; according to Miss Gainham, hit on, may I say this is as representative of the general attitude to Britain as the slightly anti-German bias in the Daily Express is of the public opinion in England. In fact, there is a widespread and positive respect over here for the way Britain released her numerous former colonies into independence, a strong wish for Britain to join the Common Market, and (surprisingly enough) little concern about the Leyland buses being shipped to Cuba on East Germany's freighters—no 'German Double-Think.' orro STEINS1EK 5 Fiorilloweg, Gottingen, Germany
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