Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-20
Business Men of Germany
Talk on Advancing Commerce.
MAY ELECTRIFY RAILWAY
Circular and Suburban Roads of Ber-
lin Are 0vercrowded.
SCHOOLB0YS END THEIR LIVES
German Educational Efficiency Sys-
tenn Proves to Have
Dark Side.
Special CabIesram TO The Star.

Special CsbleEran to The Star.
BERLIN, April 2o-Some interesting
replies were received to the question
How can the economic relations of
Germany with the rest of the world be
best advanced?" put recently to men
In German commercial and scientific
circles by Berlin paper
Director Balm of the Hamburg
America line insists on three factors
"a strong and comprehensive imperial
political attitude, a clever commercial
policy and capital: in other words, dip
iomat, merchant and banker must work
III close association.
In politics as in business" adds Herr
Ballin. I'VE stand or fall with the happy
or unfortunate choice OF the business
manager"
Speaking of the electrical industry
in which Germany has made such
enormous progress, Director Rattle
nau. head of the famous A. E. G..
tAllgemeine Elektricitaets Gesell-
shafD, holds that Germanys care must
now be to perfect her manufactures
and above all to render them so cheap
as to obtain command of the foreign
market. From this point of view no
sacrifices for experimental purposes
should be spared. he says and he cites
electric railroads and for the construc-
tion of aeroplane and balloon motors
s cases in point.
Advocate Of Free Trade.
The chief champion of German free
traders. Prof. Brentano. Is convinced that
while it is true that Germany's foreign
commerce has doubled since 1890. 1t
would have increased far more III an in
elastic policy of protection did not hinder
the cheapenirg of her produce and keep
her in economic letters
Another famous economist Prof. Schu-
macher of Bonn, sees a danger in the
growing want of continuity between Ger
manys coonists and the founders OF
colonial enterprise living in the father
land. He recommends the creation Of So
cietes like the English Straits Associa-
ton or the China Association to keep
tho old men at home in close touch with
the younger and more energetic element
abroad.
Director Eckert of the Commercial
High School in Cologne warmly advo-
Gates sending the German youth to for
eign industries and foreign markets to
see for himself and study on the spot.
The long discussed identification Of
Beriin's circular and suburban railroads Is
the subject of a parliamentary paper de-
scribing the present situation and the ap-
proximate cost of a change from steam to
electrical traction. The trains are now
seriously overcrowded Sundays to such
an extent as to endanger life. On week
days the average number of passengers
..arried is 341 OOO while Sundays it rises
10 nearly 10000. With steam the utmost
that can be managed is twenty-four
trains an hour each way, with seating
accommodation in each train for $50 pas
scnGerS.
Trains Can Be Increased.
When the systems are electrified 1t is
estimated that the number of trains can
be increased to forty an hour in each
direction, carrying altogether 4S.sOO pas
sengers. A motor will be placed at each
end OF the trains during the heavy traffic
hours of the day. The work or electr1n-
cation is to take four and half years. ana
TO cost in all about SSOOOO,oW. The fares,
now the cheapest in the world. Will be
raised
In this connection an experiment Is
being made by the municipality of Steg-
litz a Berlin suburb. with the supply
ing of cheap electric light to the m
habitants occupying flats of two or three
rooms As rule in Berlin electric
light fixtures are only installed In mats
of four rooms and upward, since 1t is
found that tenants who pay from SlO 10
$3.50 year rent usually cannot afford
an unlimited supply Of electricity. The
experiment in Stegltz consists in Install
ing in certain small flats what is known
as a current limiter," which only permits
the simultaneous lighting of a limited
number of lamps and gives a sign If the
limit is exceeded. The tenant is at liber-
ty to pay rent for certain number of
lamps only; If he exceeds the number
the limiter protests by causing all lamps
lighted to flicker. The annual rent for
every ten watts Is So cents: S12.15 for
80 watts: therefore watt is about the
equivalent of one candlelight.
a6Yl oil off
dark side The annual school reports and
the publications of the list of class pro-
motions have produced terrible crop OF
schooIboy suicides. Four We're reported
last week all due 10 disappointment at
uon-promotion." One. a mere child at
Grieshem- on Main. threw himself before
p train and was killed instantly. An
other sixteen-year-o schoolboy, Paul
DrcssIer. hanged himself at Jena owing
To his parents displeasure at his non
promotion.
Three Cases in Berlin.
Three more cases of supposed suicide
are reported in Berlin. An eighteen-year.
old lad. Walter Arnhold. who expected Il
he promoted TO the head Of his class al
the gymnasium, failed In the examina
tion. and has disappeared, only sending
a card announcing his intention to com
nit suicide. Another is sixteen-and-a
lad report. and has since disappeared
without leaving any word of his inten
tons. third missing schoolbOy wa:
seen but refused to return home. Ht
wrote: Il have failed to obtain promo
ton, and therefore cannot return home.
Schoolboy suicides in Germany average
one per week throughout the year. In 9
few cases love affairs are responsible bu
in most cases failure at school is thu
determining cause.
], non-commissioned officer of the It'll
RUssar Regiment appeared before
court-martial at Brunswick on "a charg,
al having maltreated a subordinate. II,
struck the man SO violently on the heat
TO break the ear drum. II was in thu
ght. he told the judge. This man ha
d!sobeyed. Besides / only gave him al
average blow
What do you mean by averag
blow" asked the president of the court.
Why. blow which is not applied witt
the full force of the arm. In view o
this explanation the court was indulgent
and sentenced the non-commissioned Off
s.e.' to only eleven days Improvement.
The movement for securing aeroplane
for the German army is growing. TIL
appeal made by the sporting paper. Flu
Sport. Frankfort on-the-Main, has pro
duced satisfac Glory results. Several citizen
have subscribed sums of money. Minde
has just voted sum for the purchas
OF an aeroplane. An association to fun
Their the development of the German flee
h.~ tal ri