The Alaska citizen., 1912-03-04

some respects. more like a hustling
American city than any | have thus
far seen in Europe A marvellous
change has taken place in the
Fatherland in the past decade or $.
Germany has developed Wonderfully
along industrial and commercial
lines; her manufactures have grown
prodigiously; her wealth has in.
creased enormously. withstandin.
the tremendous drain imposed upon
the country by the maintenance of
all immense standing army AMI The
construction and up-keep f a moe
orn navy.
Germany 5 population numbers CO..
100000, while in area she is not
much greater than the safe Of
Washington And still her indus.
rial life is expanding. and her man
ufacturers are constantly reaching
out after new fields for their out.
pat. One of these is South Ameri.
ca. another is Central America and
MeXico-markets that geographical
ly, at least. belong to the United
States.
Prior to the Franco-Prussian war
of 1870 Berlin was slow and some
what unpretentious town. The uni
fication of Germany brought a mar
Velous change. Berlin leaped into
prominence as manufacturing and
progressive city. Its population is
now upwards of 3,500.O00. and it is
still growing. II is well-kept.
"elI-lghted city. It's business
blocks and public buildings are in
keeping with the German tempera-
ment. They are ponderous and sub
stantial, built for time. and most
of them are archtecturally artistic.
One sees no skyscrapers The stolid
Teutonic temperament will have none
OF these. No building is over six
stories in height. and it is only in
the more modern that lifts" or
elevators may be found.
The sights" Cf Berlin are cen
trail. and as compared with the size
and importance of the city are rela-
lively few. The visitor usually
makes at once for Inter der Lin
den, Berlins leafy street and prom
enade. The Linden cuts straight
as line through the heart of the
city. Enclosing its central avenue
and two sides are four rows of
lindens, which give the famous
street its name. To the west is
the celebrated Tiergarten. a magnif
icent natural forest improved by
artificial aid. and scattered along its
many beautiful driveways are white
marble monuments. heroic in size
and more modest busts, of many
kings, princes and pCtentates who
have had to do with Germany from
its genesis to the present time
When the sights of Berlin are ex-
hausted one may visit the pleasant
woods of Grunewald. and Potsdam,
interesting for its palace and its
curious relics of Frederick the
Great, the bicentenary of whose birth
was celebrated in Berlin this week.
with great pomp and circumstance.
On yesterday was also celebrated
the 53rd anniversary of Kaiser Will
helm |. 1t was noticeable for its
lack of enthusiasm, though there
We're present. as guests of the kaiser
most of the rulers of the German
states, and other distinguished WISH
tors. The streets, however. were
thronged with crowds of people,
and many of the buildings were dec
GRATED and Illuminated. The beau
tiful equestrian statue of Frederick
the Great, in Inter den Linden, was
artistically decorated, and at night
six searchlights served to illuminate
ii in a splendid way.
The political unrest and dissatis-
faction with the ruling order in
Germany are apparent even to the
Outlander. 1t is emphasized most
acutely in the result of the general
elections which were completed this
week. In Germany it takes two
weeks to complete an election to
the national parliament, or reich
stag, what is called second cleo
tons" being held in quite large
number of constituencies. The re-
suit has astounded the German gov
eminent, los Social-Democrats hav-
ing been elected out of a total mem
bership of the reichstag of 391
When the last general election was
held, in 1907, the Social-Democrats
captured 50 seats. Their gain has
thus been over 100 per cent.
The issue of the election in Ber-
lin is stupendous, portentous, amaz
ing, without parallel in political his
tory. 1t is one of those cases in
which whole vocabulary of superla
tive adjectives, weakened in their
force by misuse on lesser occasions
fail to express ones emotions. This
seat of the pseudo-aristocracy, this
center of puharpatOria1 madi ava lie m