CHAPTER XII 



AN IMPRESSION OF GERMAN FARMING— 



1938 



AT the invitation of Count von Metternich, who 

 is himself farming about 2,000 acres, I spent a 

 very pleasant and agreeable week on this gentleman's 

 estate in Westphalia. To quote his own language to 

 a friend who was the medium of the invitation, " I 

 could easily give him the opportunity to look round 

 our organization . . . and I am sure that such 

 visits may tighten the mutual relations between our 

 two countries." In an invitation embodying such 

 friendly relations, one could well look forward to an 

 interesting time, and so it proved. 



On my arrival by air liner at Hanover, the Count, 

 true to his appointment, met me with his motor-car. 

 Shall I ever forget that drive, and the day following, 

 to a Horse Show at Cologne ! What a driver and 

 what a pace ! I have never travelled so fast in a 

 car before ; but nothing happened, a few near 

 shaves of course, and one would expect to get them 

 when travelling at well over 100 kilometres an hour. 

 All I know is that I sat in the car and worked it out 

 to be between 80 and 90 miles an hour. However, 

 let me hasten to say that cars are not so numerous in 



98 



