The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-24
GERMANS T|CKLED
OVER PROMISE
Of Monument to tSeuben From
Americans
HAVE MANY MONUMENTS
vengeful Fun out of Cranky Old
Statues That Tave Been
Erected In Berlin

Berlin, July 23.--(Special.) $50 we are to
have a Steuben monument.
When the most honorable representa-
tive from Missouri, Mr.. Bartholdi, asked
Congress to present Germany with
statue of Steuben, it caused quite a lit
tie stir in this country. And now that
Congress has voted in the affirmative
that stir repeats itself on a larger scale.
On all sides one hears discussion as to
where in Berlin the monument would
best be placed And everywhere one
hears words of appreciation.
The progressive German of today has
no greater desire than to become as
much like the American as possible. In
business and in sport America to him is
svnonomous with perfection. And every
thing tending toward bringing the peo-
pie together will. always be honestly ana
warmly welcomed by the GerTan people
generally, by the people of Berlin in par
ticular.
wonder does the average American
realize the full meaning of this last
sentence? The people of Berlin will hon
estly and warmly welcome the Steuben
monument It's true enough. But how
much must the Berlner like his Ameri-
can cousin to enable him to welcome his
present So
Only the BerlIner knows. The very
word monument acts upon him like
the crimson sheet upon the bull. 1t
makes him wild; makes him see blood.
For they have monuments in Berlin. Yes,
heaven knows. they have monuments.
They count them by the hundreds. This
is to be taken verbally. And as to the
rest of Germany, we'll, We have what
we call "Bismarckswarte" = National
G Cd n n
the founders of the empire, Bismarck.
Tt is a splendid thing, is national piety.
The question Is, musN 1t always and alb
solutely be expressed by the erection of
tremendous pile of rock, looking some
thing like a huge stove. with nothing
on top? And always In such parts of
the country, where the sight of that
pile is bound to spoil the whole beauti-
ful scenery for miles around?
Not to mention the thousands of Kali
ser Wilhelms l monuments. Again I re-
peat, the piety Of 1t Is splendid. Almost
every little country town throughout the
empire has such a monument Unfor-
tunately the so honored usually sits upon
what invariably appears to be a circus
horse going through his thigh school, or
he is standing upon what appears to be
some sort of stove. The provincial
does not notice that, of course. The
Berliner. however. as l said-he sees
blood. For as Paris is France and Lon
don Is England, so Berlin, with the ex-
'ception of Munich and Hamburg. is Ger
many, and the Berliner always feels him
self responsible for 1t all.
To seek revenge is trait of human
nature; to speak with Bismarck. The
stronger the wish for revenge, the bet
ter the man. II that is true then the
Berliners are pretty good fellows all
around. For they certainly have their
revenge on the different monuments
forced upon them. In fact, they are
having their revenge every day-a re-
venge of wit. Ta'7
Not monument in all Berlin that has
not Dynamo. Hardly one that has not
been satyrized. Here are a few instances
OF Berlin monument humor:
In the neighborhood of the opera,
stands upon an ugly high pedestal a
monument of Bleucher. He has drawn
his sabre. With which he seems to
threaten the onlooker. And he says: 81
dare you to climb on top of my stove"
meaning the pedestal on which he reigns
supreme. At least, so the Berliner claims.
One of the ornaments of the Leipziger
Piatz, one of Berlin's main thorough
fares. is ornamented by statue of the
old German hero, Wrangel. One hand is
outstretche6 grasping the ensign of a
field marshal, looking for all the world
lips seem to shout at the crowds: Cant
You keep to the right. please?"
Opposite to him stands the Count of
Rrnndenburg, natural son of Frederick
William IT,, called the stout William"
the man who threw down the Berlin
rebellion In the memorable year of 1S4S.
He wears top boots going high up over
his knees, while his hand is stretched
away from him about knee high, look
ing for all the world as IL indicating a
certain height And he says: And be
the dirt as high as this, with my boots
wade through anything"
Then at the Withdrawals. not far
away from the palace of the chancellor,
there stands old Zeiten. His right hand
seems to be stroking his chin. He Is
supposed to be thinking. But the Ber-
liner claims that he Is making up his
mind whether or not he ought to get
shaved.
In front of the National Art gallery
: Frederick William ". 10 sitting on
horseback. His right hand Ia stretched
In front of him in the way one instinct
lively stretches out ones hand, to see
whether 1t is raining. and although on
horseback. he is bareheaded And every
Berlin boy will tell you that this bare
headed rider says: by Jove. here It's
starting to rain and have LETT my hat
at home
And no Berliner will, when passing the
statue of Frederick the Great in the
siogesallee forget to ask you this Ques-
ton:
f,'Why is Roosevelt like Frederick the
Great?'
Answer:
''He. too. has a big stick"
frederick the Great is, as everyone
knows, always pictured or sculptured
with big stick.
I'm front of the royal palace William 1.
may be seen sitting on horseback and
surrounded by four lions. This mopu-
rnent is called shortly Daniel In the
lions den,' while OF the schiller monu-