The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-26
WAR PROSPECTS WORRY ENGLAND
  Is Not the Usual Peaceful
 Christmas JEWS CANNOT AGREE Successor to Rabbi Dr. Adler Still Unchosen--Postmaster Samuel Has Not Reduced the
 Cabel Rates

London, December Especial )-Almost on the eve of Christmas the people of England are ordinarily thinking only of turkeys and plum pudding, especially when no general election is in sight, but although we are outwardly very calm to- day there are, however, quite few of us who are worried and who will live in state of fear until the holidays have passed without a German invasion some where on our long exposed coast line. The danger is, of course, purely imaginary, but ever since the alleged German spy, Captain Grant, was caught at Portsmouth a couple of weeks ago and it was revealed in court that Germany had been anxious to find out how many men and how large supplies of coal there would be in our naval ports, during Christmas week, any number of people, scared by the sensa- tional press, have become quite convinced that the Kaiser intends to pay us an un- welcome viist during the holidays and the government is being roundly denounced because it has granted furloughs to a very large percentage of officers and men from the various home defence squadrons scat tered along our coasts.
 These fears are, of course absurd, foi not only would it be impossible for Ger many to mobolize her army and navy without the knowledge of England, which maintains a host of spies in Every Ger man seaport, but from a very reliable source at the imperial court in Berlin l know that the Kaiser has been very much upset at the manner in which the majority of the German newspapers com mented on Sir Edward Greys speech on Anglo-German relations. Personally the Kaiser is exceedingly anxious to be at peace with England, not only on humani- tartan, but diplomatic grounds
 People forget" he is reported to have said to an intimate friend on one occa- sion, that my friendship for England is a personal one. My relationship to the British royal family would alone suffice to make me wish that my people and the English people should be friends with one another"
 It is the extreme nervousness of the masses, both here and in Germany, due to the machinations of the politicians and q certain part of the press, that endanger the friendship of England and Germany, for the governments of both countries take a very hopeful view of the situation and Sir Edward Grey was right when he said few days ago in speech:
 There are some friends of mine who are always tapping the barometer every five minutes to see if it is rising-a very natural impulse. We have all felt that impulse when after a period of indifferent weather we have a longing for an im- provement, but what I believe to be really desirable now is that we should have a few weeks of diplomatic repose
 If we can devote ourselves during the next few weeks to our usual Christmas enjoyments, and our internal political political questions and not tap the barom- eter too often, I think there is every hope that when we next begin to evamine it Se may find the sky is clearing and the ba- rometer is rising
 In the meantime the conservatives who had nothing but praise for the secretary of foreign affairs at the time of his speech, are beginning to change the tune. In a recent political article MT. Philip Snowden writes.
 The only possible way of averting a great European war is to bring about a better understanding with Germany. This is clearly impossible so long as Sir Ed ward Grey is at the head of the foreign office.
 His own increasing suspicion of Ger many disqualifies him from undertaking the work of bringing about better rela- Iions between her and ourselves No un- prejudced person can read the narrative of what happened between Germany and our foreign office in regard to Morocco without being impressed by the candor of the German government, and by the unfounded suspicion that fills the mind of Sir Edward Grey and influences all his actions.''