RELATIONS BETWEEN GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR
DALRYMPLE-HAY
(Sir John Charles, 3rd Baronet, 1821-1912, Admiral and Politician)
Extraordinary Long Letter Signed to Dr Maurice ERNST
(1872-1955, London correspondent of the Neues Wiener Tagblatt) replying to his letter which had asked him to give his opinion as to “the cause of the ‘strained relations’ that exist at present between Germany and Great Britain. I should consider that the causes are I. the imprudence of the newspapers - many of which have done all they can to make ‘bad blood’ between the nations. The violent and disgraceful articles published in the German newspapers against Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, whose noble life should have shielded Her from such virulent abuse... the faint echoes of the Boer War - not happily ended - still continue to awaken regret in many German minds at the complete success of Great Britain. II. The free importation of German manufactured goods into Great Britain is a great cause of ill feeling. No manufacturers are more worthy rivals nor have we better customers among foreigners than Germans. But German manufactured articles of inferior quality, and others in the various preliminary stages are ‘dumped down’ in Great Britain duty free... III. The preference shown here for ‘cheap’ in preference to good articles, dearer in money value is another Cause. ‘Made in Germany’ is a familiar description of this class of goods... This rage for ‘Cheapness’ is the complaint from which Great Britain suffers. Trade Unionism infests the Workman. The skilled artisan is not allowed to benefit by his superior skill or dexterity... Where work is not done by Contract good honest work still produces the best. Not long ago the Writer had the honour of spending a day at Messrs Harland and Wolff’s great shipbuilding yard at Belfast. They do not contract. The build the ship or produce the engine for the customer. The Customer pays the bill on delivery. There is no scamping of the work in any of its stages for there is no inducement to make things cheap... A tax on the importation of articles made abroad... might make Great Britain and her Colonies self supporting and self contained and might stop the friction due to Germany’s success in exporting to Great Britain inferior articles at a lower price than the same articles of a better quality home made. A judicious Tariff would help to restore the much to be desired good feeling between the two countries... The watch dog over Contract is the Eleventh Commandment ‘Thou shalt not be found out’. The rivalry between Germany and Great Britain is supported by Contract... The Sovereigns of both States are looked up to in both with reverence and affection. Their relations to each other are most friendly. The defensive forces of each are in a high state of efficiency. There is no general ill feeling in Great Britain or its people against Germany or the Germans. On the contrary in the words of Sir John Kennaway... ‘in the hearts of the people of this Country there exist feelings of cordial friendship and respect’...”, 4 sides folio, 108 St George’s Square, London, no date, circa
Item Date:
1905
Stock No:
43791
£275
Add to Wish List
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
DANKWORTH
(Sir John Philip William, 1927-1010, Jazz Composer, Saxophonist, Clarinettist and Writer of Film Scores)
Fine coloured photo signed and inscribed
“best wishes” showing him half length with his saxophone, 10” x 9”, no place, no date
Item Date:
0
Stock No:
43793
£50
Add to Wish List
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
DE BONO
(Emilio, 1866-1944, Italian Fascist Politician & General, one of the four founders of Fascism and commander of the invasion of Abyssinia in 1935, executed after voting against Mussolini in the Fascist Supreme Council)
Brief Autograph Postcard Signed to “Soldato Gilio Rubboli”
addressed to him in the “34th Infantry, 5th Company, Cherasco, Cuneo” (Piedemonte) inscribed in Italian with translation “With our thanks and affectionate greetings in return...”, the picture side of the card shows the 2nd Field Hospital Section during the war in Eritrea, and has a printed dedication “to the glory and the fallen of the 2nd Division, Eritrea”, 1 side postcard, postmarked Rome 13th April
Item Date:
1941
Stock No:
43788
£175
Add to Wish List
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
DENCH
(Dame Judith Olivia, born 1934, Actress)
Fine Coloured original Photograph Signed and inscribed
“For Nicholas” showing her head and shoulders as a young woman, 5¾” x 3¾”, no place, no date, circa
Item Date:
1965
Stock No:
43787
£35
Add to Wish List
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|
DEVONSHIRE
(7th Duke, Sir William Cavendish, 1808-1891, Chancellor of London University, Liberal benefactor of Scientific & Industrial enterprise)
Autograph Letter Signed ‘Devonshire’ to “His Worship the Mayor of Brighton”
replying to his letter that he will “be happy to have my name placed on the Committee for inviting the Social Science Congress to meet in Brighton next year...”, 1 side 8vo., Holker Hall, Carnforth headed paper 29th September
Item Date:
1874
Stock No:
43792
£55
Add to Wish List
Order/Enquire
Full Details
|
|