It  was  with  some  misgivings  that  we  left  London.  For
months  past  we  had  been  led  to  believe  and  picture  Germany  as
a  place  of  "black  bread,  horseflesh,  and  hovels."  And  many
members  of  our  party  were  not  slow  to  emphasise  this  once
more.
But  when  we  did  actually  enter  the  land  of  the  Kaiser,
our  anticipations  were  not  realised.  On  the  contraiy,  all  that
we  had  pictured  was  simply  a  mirage,  and  a  distorted  one  at
that.
We  had  entered  a  land  where  extreme  poverty  and  slums
were  conspicuous  by  their  absence.  Where  were  the  unemployed
standing  at  street  corners?  Not  one  was  to  be  seen.  Thus  our
first  impression  was,  "  We  were  strangers  in  a  strange  land."

One  and  all  seemed  to  be  at  work,  but  not  in  this  bustling
English  way,  only  keeping  at  it  and  getting  it  done  The
German  has  to  work,  and  if  he  will  not — well,  there  is  the  prison.
There  are  few  drones  in  Germany.  The  German  takes  a  pride
in  working.  If  he  falls  out  of  employment  he  is  assisted  in
every  way  possible,  and  the  country  looks  after  his  family.
