To the Editor of the "Norti-Cimwa Dany News"
Sm,—In the last few months your journal has served as a convenien: medium for airing the views of various factions in Asiatic and European disputes. We have had Japanese, Spanish, Czech German—altogether an display of passionate v. But what purpose hav these outbursts served? They have been, in the main, so obviously biased, so intolerant of any party, that, although they may afforded the writers themselves relief and pride, they can have produced no other effect than to strength-n the animosity of the other side.
Your contributor's eulogy of Ger many's present policy is a case in point. In one respect, it was welcome. Individual Germans have recently been so reticent that one has wondered what they could possibly'be thinking. When an expression of opinion was given, it generally reflected one of the better-known pages of "Mein Kampf" and could therefore not be taken as a completely genuine conviction of a free intellect. Now. however, we have an opportunity of gauging the state of mind of at least one of the German community; and. frankly, it would appear that it is a state of mind in which violence and a frequent resort to abuse are in evidence than courtesy and calm reason. It is this attitude v appeal least to For instance see what had to say concerning the Ther would have been no pro it ux Austria to G eloped nature deeply civilize thought necessary to r cess by applvin; te force of a bully and by est other hopeful dev ward ble peace In the same spirit furiously through more t by charging an a column of your paper. Fr Reiber has smashed down the very arguments which make the German case intelligible. Many English people would quite agree that Talleyrand's advice to Napoleon to spare a conquered foe s fatally ignored in 1919; that certain treaties must not last for ever and that Germany is a great and cultured nation of which Austria might justifiably be called a part. But why cannot Fr. Reiber say politely without vehemently bellowi and levelling such amazing accusations against people who are by now only too anxious to ce-operate?. And did Fr. Reiber pause to think whether France would have been justified in tearing up the treaty of 1871—had been able to do hether Schuschnigg could fave rightfully abrogated the Berchtesgaden agree. ment: whether Germany would have been very merciful to France and Britain if the result of the Great War had been diferent; whether Lloyd George and Clemenceau would not have been howled down as traitors, had they attempted, in the still smouldering frenzy of that awful struggle, to treat Germany as Fr. Reiber now thinks she should have been treated?
Might it not be better if the next political protagonist, to mark that "soberer mood" to which we are said to have returned, should either critically examine his own prejudices, or try to fathom the stupidity of the people he presumes to judge.
R LP
Shanghai, Apr. 11.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.