nd
he mentioned it as a matter of pride that these fellows asked for
"Deutschland uber alles" to be sung one night, and they stood
reverently to attention through the performance. This was followed by
"God save the King," which the Germans honoured in the same way. It
was explained to me that "Deutschland uber alles" does not mean
"Germany over everybody else," but "Germany first of all!" as one says
"My country, right or wrong." The prisoners must, if they were genuine
Englishmen, have felt rather low-spirited. W----, however, saw in it
evidence of what a happy family party Germans and English could be, if
they liked. He was undoubtedly pro-English, had been to Oxford, had
perhaps a quiver of an Oxford accent in his English; he had studied
England, as Germans do, and made considerable research among us. His
wife was openly and unreservedly friendly. He, however, was cautious,
and corrected his wife when she said too much or went too far. It had
been a great blow to them when England came in to the war, a personal
and a national blow. They could not have believed it possible. And
they imagined throughout the war that their friends in England did not
share in the wild anti-German feeling and must at least passively be
pro-German. Of course, it was not so. They deplored the extraordinary
lapse in tone in the "Morning Post" and "The Times." "'The Times'
actually refers to us as 'Huns.' At least, it can be said of our
Press, high or low, it never nicknamed its enemies. French were always
French, English--English, Russians--Russians. It was beneath the
dignity of the war to call our enemies names." He was amazed at the
ignorance concerning the Germans, and the credulity of such as those
who believed they boiled their dead to make lard. I told him of the
German Ambassador's reception in London, Dr. Sthamer, how he was
received by certain people in Society and many were well disposed
towards him, though at first he had difficulty in getting things done
for him by the British working class.

"And you, you'll go anywhere in Germany, and every one will be only too
ready to help you, to do your washing and clean our boots and the
rest," said W---- reproachfully. "We are so good-natured."

He had forgotten that the Germans failed to ingratiate themselves with
the London working class by dropping so many bombs in the East-end and
terrorizing whole districts. He forgot the children who had been
killed. He did n