The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-23
PRINCE HENRY Is
 PRAISED AS HERO Kills Bear With Knife and
 Saves Life of Friend RUSH AT PASSION PLAY Over 10000 Americans Have Already Secured Tickets for the Perform
 ance-Germans Discuss Re-
 form In Custom.
By STEVEN BURNETT.

Berlin, January 22-(Special )-Because he killed an immense bear with an or dinary hunting knife, saved the life of a friend at the risk of his own, Prince Henry of Prussia, whom many Amer jeans will remember as the most modest and democratic of princes, is being praised as hero all over his native country.
 The incident took place shortly before Christmas but as the prince did not want 1t mentioned 1t has only leaked out a few days ago.
 Prince Henry, who Is as passionate hunter of big game as ex-President Roosevelt, as the guest of the Hungarian Count Adrassy, took part in some hunt ing in the wilds of Pennsylvania, where big bears are plentiful
 For this shooting small platforms are erected among the branches of the trees just large enough to afford sitting room for one person.
 On the fourth day of the shooting the prince and the count happened to have their places close together. Just at the moment when the count had fired at and wounded a bear his seat gave way and he fell to the ground. Instantly the infuriated beast rushed at him, with one blow of it's paw knocked his gun out of
 
 his shoulder so severely that the blood streamed down, and the count was too weak to draw his hunting knife.
 No one was near but the prince who, however, did not dare to fire for fear of wounding4 his friends. Regardless of danger the prince sprang from the tree. ran up and dug his large hunting knife into the beasts back with such force as to kill it on the spot. Then Prince crxo, h,I tainted from loss of blood, and carried him some distance before other hunts men came up on hearing cries for as- sistance.
 The rush of American applications for tickets to the Passion Play at Oberamor- gau continues. Over 10000 Americans have already secured places.
 Anton Lang, the Christus of the play, has personally undertaken to shelter 1000 visitors during the months of June and July Places at Anton Langs villa may still be secured for June and Septem- ber but July and August are full up.
 To Colonel wilkins of Detroit is attrib- uted the credit of calling the attention of Americans to the unparalleled merits of the Bavarian religious tragedy. Prior to 1850 the Passion Play was practically un- known to the outside world. In that year it was virtually discovered as a wonderful old relic of medievalism by Herr Devrient, a member of the famous German actor family.
 In 1870 Dean Stanley. and 10 years later Canon Mccall of London, made the Pas sion Play known to the English speaking world, Colonel Wilkins carrying the knowledge to his country.
 The Germans are discussing an interest ing question of parliamentary reform. Ever since the reichstag came together for the first time under the old Emperor William it has been the practice for the Kaiser to open 1t by delivering the speech from the throne at the royal palace, the deputies assembling later in the reichstag building In Tiergarten for the further transaction of business A deputy named sohrader has immortalized himself by suggesting that In future the reichstag should be opened in the rcichstag. build ing. not at the palace. and the sugges- tion has called forth a variety of opin- ions.
 The conservatives, who, are identified with everything that Is reactionary, angri- ly repudiate the suggestion, asserting that on the day which sees the Kaiser, even though with full military pomp, com ing to the reichstaS to open parliament, the glory of the Prussian monarchy will pass away; while those who are liberal in politics maintain that as in all other par liaments save those of the United States and France, where the chiefs of the gov ernment are purposely kept in the back ground, the appearance of the monarch in parliament would add to, not diminish, the glory of the crown.
 Under the present system by which the |, x-o;o ,ot, 1-te palace, after a church service and the reading out of the speech from the throne in the presence of the reichstag deputies, what ought to be an imposing national ceremony Is reduced to a mere matter of court etiquette, and the result is that none save perhaps the deputies take the slight est Interest in 1t.
 with all the comfort of the day"