South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-19
HATRED
ONLY SKIN DEEP
SAYS ONE WRITER
In Intervals With High-CIaSS
Germans, Finds That Deeper
Feeling Against England Is
Confined to Lower Glasses.

LONDON, May 19.-How deep is
Germany's hatred for England? II
one answered that question from al
perusal of the newspaper reports.
from conversations with the man in
the street from general outward
signs, Lissauers Hymn of Hate, and
the Colt strafe England" greeting,
then one would be inclined TO say that
ii is "a very, very deep-rooted feeling,
and that IL will take several genera
lions TO die out. But is 1t really so?
Ii is again a matter of staying long
enough in Germany-to get, IL j may
use that expression. under their
skin" If you stayed only a week or
two yes you would receive the i'm
preston that, from the baby in the
cradle to the highest official Of the
government, there is but one senti-
ment. that of hatred and despise of
England.
During my visit To Munich 1 met
Maj. Count Won Lerchenfeld, of the
Bavarian army, in peace time COVER
nor of one of the counties near
Munich. 1 noticed during the con-
versatiOn ] chad with him an entire
absence of the much-advertised strong
sentiment of hatred towards the Eng
lish, and l stated this to Count Lerch-
enleAQ. Here Is MS answer.
Lower Class Sentiment.
Hatred is a sentiment of our
lower classes. a sentiment which has
been cultivated by part of our press.
But with the educated classes in Ger
many the main sentiment is not that
of hatred but of disappointment. We
are panied by England's attitude at
the outbreak of the war"
That was early on in my visit to
\ l. -
lowed, / was often reminded of those
words of Count Lerchenfeld. At the
Bavarian foreign office l had the
pleasure of meeting Secy of State Won
Loessel and Minister for Agriculture
Won Meinel. Both expressed them
selves in the same manner as regards
German feeling against England.
Won Meinel, in the course Of our
meeting, said:
ut will be a disastrous war for
both the conqueror and the con-
quered, but L strongly disapprove of
encouraging the spirit of hatred. At
ter all, this war will end some day,
and then we Will have TO live together
again"
If you want TO have the straight.
unadulterated, spontaneous first-hand
quality of hatred towards England you
must visit the restaurants and cafes,
the "Rathskellers" of the Vaterland.
There at almost every table you can
hear il, and if the place happens 10
have a cabaret, and some wild-eyed,
kaiser moustached, patriotic actor
singer gets up and sings and acts Lis
sauer's Hymn Of Hate. you will wit
ness a demonstration that will go
deep. that will make a strong impress
sion; but stronger, / believe, with the
stranger than with the people them
selves.
Is Only Skin Deep.
I think much of this "Gott strafe
England" business is only skin deep
with them. In many cases, 1 believe.
it is fostered by those higher up" to
keep the people excited.
AS Herr Won Meinel put it:
When this terrible war is over we
will all have TO live together again;
we all need one another"
An officer, a naval commander one
night in Hamburg said TO me: 1T
is such a pity, because after all. we
were beginning to understand each
other better every year. Those among
us especially who have visited Lon
don felt drawn towards England and
the English. And the interest grew
year after year After ALL one must
admire the power of a small country
in being able TO rule half of the globe.
Any one of us who spent any time in
England came back with quite differ
ent sentiments"
Praise EngliSlmen.
| remember another officer, with
whom 1 spent an evening in Berlin,
who also knew England fairly we'll
Said the officer:
Yes. after all. we must admit that
they (the English) know how to live
! over there. Take a London season:
what have we got in Berlin that can
compare with it? Take our races,
and then go and spend a day at AS
cot. Why. it's the most beautiful So
cial and sporting event you can find
anywhere in the world"
Then my hostess chimed in, Eyes,
and, after ALL an Englishman. when
] he is a gentleman. is the greatest
| gentleman in the world"
| / would like to state, in conclusion
/ that in the above | have merely given
some of my personal experiences. and
/ do not wish IL to be considered as
an argument Of any description. OF
course. ! have met as we'll numbers of
men and officers who were perfect
cranks on the subject of hatred Of the
! English.