New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-09
THE KAISER IN ENGLAND


There is a striking contrast between the Of
fetal and the popular attitude in England
toward the imperial visitor who yesterday
landed at Port Victoria. Officially the Kaiser
is received with the utmost cordiality and
splendOr. But on the part of the public he is
undeniably regarded with some distrust if not
with actual aversion. BY the public we do not
mean the mob OF London, nor even the pro-
verbal IMAM in the street. Their lack of
cordially toward the Kaiser is obvious, but it
is not of prime significance. because il may
have no better basis than the IongshOreman's
desire to cave a 'alf brick at every man
whom he suspected of being foreigner What
is incOmparably more significant and we fear
OminOus. is that such aversion to the German
Emperor is shared and expressed by ArnOlds
saving remnant" of men OF light and leading
Men who are cOnspicuOusly well informed
thoughtful, discreet, and, above all. temperate
in their expressions of sentiment. are largely
antagOnistic to Germany. and are not only un-
sympathetic but actually antipathetic toward
the Emperor 1t was only the other day for
example, that The Spectator" of London.
journal distinguished for clarity Of thought and
reasonableness Of temper. pictured the German
Emperor as patting the British bulldog on the
head and feeding him sweet biscuits while his
retainers in the background are preparing sticks
and chains with which to subdue and fetter
the same bulldog when the proper time comes
TO wit, the time when they are strong enough
TO do it, That metaphor. we are afraid ex-
presses pretty general British view so that
Englishmen are largely regarding the Kaiser's
present visit as merely another move in the
head patting and biscuit offering game.
For the existence of this view there is beyond
doubt some reason. We need not go back TO
the EmperOr's early talk about Pickelhaube and
Red Breaches and the Modern Carthage. In
the last year or two the popular and official
not imperial-tone- in Germany has been dis
tinctly menacing toward Great Britain. A Ger
man Minister has not hesitated to inveigh in
temporarily against the British army and one
of the foremost Parliamentary leaders of the
National Liberal party recently intimated in
the most direct manner that the chief object of
German naval expansion was TO place the en-
pre in a condition in which ii might safely
adopt hostile policy toward Great Britain.
Ministry and Reichstag have echoed with such
sentiments, while as for the press. its animosity
toward Great Britain has long been notorious
1T is possible that Englishmen take these things
too seriously. They are inclined TO take most
things seriously. But then Germany is a prac-
teal nation, whose sayings and doings are
generally TO be taken seriously The feeling of
distrust toward Germany, therefore whether
well or Ill founded. is not unnatural nor un-
reasonable. IL is not TO be disposed of either
by pooh-poohing 1t or by denouncing IL. Neither
viii IL be obliterated by any ceremonial en-
thusiasm which may. be aroused by the pomp
and circumstance of an imperial visit II is to
be dealt with only by means Of arguments and
concrete facts.
From removed and impartial point of view
II scarcely seems possible that Germany's aims
are as intensely and Indignantly anti-B British
as some Englishmen have supposed That is
because there seems TO be no good reason why
they should be- Germans are practical peo-
pie. and they do not adopt policies upon the
OASIS or mere whims or sentiments They are
moved at present by two major motives One
IS 10 safeguard the empire against militant
Toes. The other is to extend the foreign mar
kets for the products of German industry Now
neither of these logically demands hostility
toward Great Britain. The latter will Ger
ulihiy never attack nor challenge the integrity
Oh the German Empire nor even oppose the
territorial extension thereOf-as witness British
hequiescence in German expansion i'm Asia in
africa ana IN the Islands of the sea. Germany
"as no heea 10 guard against British attacks
ana it would be folly for her IA uncover her
hanks to potential foes in order TO guard against