The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07

eyes fixed upon their prototype. America,
they stormed ahead; their aim to be
like those they were trying to copy; to
be 1.-THE biggest in the world, at least
in some things.
| Have they succeeded? Let us see.
And let us begin with a little fact,
| that at this moment is agitating the
mind of every German housewife-and,
of course. the minds of their husbands
as well, for the latter have to pay for
1.-THE tremendous prices that are being
paid for meat and vegetables. They, no
doubt, are the biggest in the world.
When reports reached us here about the
high prices in America, the riots of
housewives against butchers, etc, we
simply smiled. pound of beefsteak
high at % cents? We could not remem-
Der the time when we had paid such
low prices Decidedly, we had America
beaten there Although, truth 10 tell
we'd rather not
On the other hand, there are many
things in which Germany had succeed
ed being 1.-The biggest In the world
that are worth while.
There are the two shipping COM
panies, the Hamburg American line
and the North German Lloyd. They are
"the biggest in the world" And soon
we shall possess the biggest trade
| Drea drought on the oceans, for the
! .shapag' rs about to build a ship on
such colossal dimensions that even the
largest at present in existence will look
| like a dwarf beside this giant of tn e
seas. This reminds me of the Kaiser
criticism when the Deutschland" was
christened. The Emperor, who other
wise usually finds words to express
| his opinion, simply stood astonished
and finally voiced his impression with
/ the one enth usiastic word, "Tremer-
| dous." 1t is safe to say that at the
coming christening of the giant men
toned above he will repeat the words
coined by him, Germany ahead in the
world"
Just now Hamburg has concentrated
all her telephone branch offices into
one central office. That is to say, that
$4,000 subscribers are served from one
central office only, thus constituting
the biggest telephone central office in
| the world.
| The New Yorker has always been
very proud of his Coney Island. and In
this island especially of Luna park. We
have him beaten: we have a Luna
/ park, 100, TlBHI mere III DCAiiii' ~ LUNA
park as all inhabitants of Berlin liv-
| ing within a radius of several kfilc-
metres Of 1t are sorry to acknowledge
| n Luna park that is the largest In
| the world makes the most noise In
the world and in consequence thereof
drives more people to destruction than
anywhere else on earth.
| That we are ahead of the world in
the contamination of royal and i'm
| wit h0llt wing
| Also that we have the largest army
If not navy-as yet Apropos navy.
| Admiral Roster, we'll known In Amer
lea. is persona gratissima with ey-
erybody in the German marine service
| from cabin boy upward. Everybody
calls him by his pet name, "Hannes
One day lately he paid surprise visit
to one of the men war. inspectihs
the sailors and not liking their looks
he turned to the commander OF the
| vessel.
| "Tll be back within a week or so and
I hope the men will look stouter then!
Since that day there is, jubflation on
/ board the German warships. For when
/ ..Hannes" comes the men must look stout
They are at present being stuffed &C.
| cordingly.
Germany today claims the biggest and
most complete hospital in the world. the
much talked Of virchow hospital. while
the insane asylum, "Buch,' is nothing
more nor less than regular town OF
about 1000 inha bitants.
H But in Americas own special domains
the German is endeavoring to become
the biggest" and Is we'll on the way
to 1t. The large department store Of A
Wertheim. already almost the size OIL
Il Siegel & Coope. in New York, of Marshal
| Field in Chicago, is about to be extended
TO somewhat more than twice its existing
size. Being located on the Leipzigel
Strasse and Leipziger Platz, Berlins main
thoroughfares. the prices that have been
paid for the adjoining ground and build
i ings are tremendous, even for American
| ideas. When this store is completed
within year or soft will be the largest
on earth.
Krupp of Essen is by far the largest
cannon factory In existence, while the
largest snip builders are, no doubt, to be
| found In Germany.
| Then, we have the largest airships and
the most frequent and horrible accidents
in consequence. Berlin has the most the
aires of any city, even New York. and
heavens knows, the emptiest. Whether
Boldwin is larger than Borsig l could not
| positively find out, however. The Borsis
| factory has just turned out the 5000th
locomotive. That speaks for itself,
| In the field of sport, too, the German Is
ambitious to have the greatest" The
race track at Grunewald near Berlin ii
the largest known. SO. It is claimed. are
the prices at the restaurant there This
however, doubt. The Berliner, who
sets up this claim, has never been In New
York at Delmonicos or Sherry's.
We have the greatest export OF ex
pecially cheap and ready made clothing
We also have the greatest use for beer
espectallv at Munich. II Ia clnlmod thal