originate
in England, and England cannot be held responsible for it. The period
of aggressive Imperialism has passed away. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and
Mr. Rudyard Kipling, in so far as they once represented the old
bellicose Imperialism, to-day are exploded forces. The English people
were never more peacefully inclined, and Liberals and Tories are
united in their desire for a pacific solution of the present
difficulties.

It is Germany and not England which is the storm-centre, the volcanic
zone, in international politics. From there have come, ever since
1860, the tension and friction, the suspicion and distrust. It is
there that the pagan gods of the Nibelungen are forging their deadly
weapons."

II.--THE STRENGTH OF ANTI-BRITISH FEELING IN GERMANY.

"German and English publicists, whilst admitting the existence of a
feeling of hostility, point out the many unmistakable signs of
goodwill heralding a better understanding in the future. They point to
the frequent exchange of international courtesies, to the periodical
visits of Members of Parliament and of representative men of the
Churches; they point to the visit of Viscount Haldane; and last, but
not least, they point to the many pacific assurances of the German
Kaiser. With regard to the utterances of the Kaiser, I can only say
that if the Kaiser has made many pacific speeches, his aggressive
speeches have been even more numerous. I have no doubt that the Kaiser
is perfectly sincere, and I believe him to be animated with the most
cordial feelings for this country. If I am asked to explain the
contradiction, I can only see one explanation, and it is not one which
I am very willing to admit. And the explanation is this: when he is
expressing words of peace and goodwill he is speaking in his own
private capacity and as the grandson of an English queen. On the
contrary, whenever he utters words of ill-will and menace, whenever he
waves the flag, when he shows the mailed fist, he is acting as the
representative and speaking as the spokesman of a considerable
fraction amongst his subjects.

That there has existed in Germany a very widespread feeling of
hostility against the English people we have uncontrovertible proof.
And the evidence we have on no less an authority than the Kaiser
himself. In the famous interview published by the _Daily Telegraph_,
William II. emphatically testified to the existence and to the
persistence of the feeling which he had systematical