New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-09
EUROPEAN OPINION.
GERMAN COMMENTS OK SOUTH AFRICA
-RECONCHATIoN WITH FRANCE
PROSPERITY AND POVERTY.
Bale. September Z.

bv which holiday travellers return to Paris,
London and New-York- 1t is a convenient point
FOR dating letter which will contain some
general impressions OF the trend of opinion on
various matters in the countries where have
been travelling Restful may be the German
cathedral towns the villages Of the Tyrol. the
fragrant Engadine. the beautiful Italian lakes
and the high Alps a journalist holt
dav journey cannot succeed in getting out Of
touch with the world. Even If he ceases TO read
newspapers for season, he is driving one day
on 2 post road with a German manufacturer
and the next day he is climbing a mountain
with q Frenchman; and foreign countries are
his books with fellow travellers as their inter
r-eters. Travel in a country like Switzerland in
August is q free conduit for communicating to
him the currents and forces Of foreign opin-
ion. It is almost an essential safeguard against
The narrowness Of insular ideas for a London
journalist accustomed 70 the corner Of a COM
Portable club and imagining that he commands
from the front window complete perspective
view Of the wide world.
one Of the strangest impressions which 1
have received relates 10 Continental opinion Of
the war in South Africa. do not take into &C
count any French expressions for there have
not been any illusions IN England respecting the
jealousy and dislike inspired by the occupation
OF Egypt and the Fashoda affair. What sur
rrised me was the tone taken by every educated
German whom I met respecting the loss Of Brit
Ssh prestige in the protracted struggle with
the Beers. I heard no expressions Of sympathy
with the Dutch burghers: the questions of NOR
ais involved in the negotiations Of the Colonial
ONCE with Presidents KRUGER and Steyn were
not discussed. the only point which seemed 10
have impressed every practical German was the
rnisranagernent Of the British military cam
paign Lord Roberts was always mentioned
al -l,or ,Iar-z cd
the business OF war but the British military
system as a whole was invariably described as
antiqua1ed and deficient in fiexibiIity and eff
cheney There was good fighting material in
the rank and file. but the officers were unframed
and incapable OF thinking quickly and acting
upon their own initiative: and consequently
campaign which had opened with surprises,
traps surrenders and defeats had dragged on
from month 10 month in spite Of the overwhelm-
ing numerical superiority OF the British forces
Every German, by virtue Of universal service
in the army. considers himself military expert.
and his opinion respecting the campaign IN
South Africa is expressed without equivocation.
He considers that 1t has lowered the prestige
OF England as a fighting Power. and laughs
derisively at the idea that the German army
would have required twelve months for the con
quest Of two feeble Dutch republics
This opinion Of the weakness OF the British
military system as q fighting machine strangely
colors German ideas Of foreign and Industrial
policy. There is no criticism Of the German
Emperor for having thrown his influence in IA
vor OF England and for having carefully alb
Stained from troublesome activity IN South
African affairs. What wideawake Germans say
without reserve IS that an English alliance is
not worth so much # before the war in
South Africa, and that the Fatherland must
take the initiative in China, cultivate good rela-
fions with Russia and France. strengthen the
bonds Of the Triple Alliance and depend TO
large extent upon its own military and COM
. nercial resources. AS the German Emperor is
credited with sagacty and energy in following
these lines Of policy, his authority and influence
over his own subjects are greater than ever be-
fore. AS the German looks out into the world
his own country looms up as the greatest mill
tary Power with industrial and commercial re
sources which are steadily increasing; and he
regards with complacency the complications in
South Africa which have paralyzed British di-
pIomacy in China. The thought which is upper
most in his mind is that the German Emperor
has become the arbiter Of the destinies Of the
Far East.
The ruling passion in Germany is compet-
ton one cannot drive or dine with German
merchant or manufacturer in the course Of holi-
day travel without learning this secret. The
first thing that he talks about is the triumph OF
German shiubuilders in taking away the trans
atlantic record from the British lines. we did
not think that II could be done for many dec
ades" said a manufacturer from Cologne in the
Engadine, for the shipbuilders Of Belfast the
Clyde and the Tyne had held the supremacy so
long. II has been done, and we are filled with
pride and exultation. The Deutschland and the
Kaiser Wilhelm prove that Germany can com
pete with England in any modern industry and
surpass her IN trade. We are no longer afraid
Of British competition anywhere, for can
adopt new processes and keep up with It The
Americans have become our most formidable
rivals. II is their sheer inventiveness that
battles US" The manufacturer from Cologne
went on with fine glow Of enthusiasm to de-
scribe the tremendous strides Of German com
merce in every quarter Of the world and TO laud
the wisdom Of the Emperor in strengthening the
navy. promoting the interests OF the commercial
marine and opening new foreign markets. In
The same spirit one German after another dis
cussed the coming industrial triumphs Of the
Fatherland. and anticipated the establishment
Of a worldwide commercial and colonial empire
I now pass abruptly TO a French impression
Il cannot be doubted that French feeling tow
ard Germany has been softened and that much
OF the old time bitterness has disappeared The
German display at the Paris Exposition was
probably intended as a stroke Of business but
II has had the effect Of promoting good relations
between the two countries. All Frenchmen
whom I met in Switzerland had pleasant things
% say about Germany. and when they referred
10 the China complications ii was plain that
they were anticipating a settlement between the
Car and the German Emperor which the Paris
Government would readily sanction. Three in
frrer+ja1 men with whom I journeyed from