New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
Order Founded by Frederick Will
lam Ill Of Prussia to Reward
Heroism Counts Among Its
Sons Great Butcher and
the Obscure Peasant.

the Obscure Peasant.
Germany is preparing to celebrate this
,.s,r not only the silver jubilee of En-
,oror Williams accession 10 the throne.
lint also the centennial Of her world
,,,ned Order Of the Iron Cross. The one
hrndredth anniversary OF the foundation
- this distinction, which for just ten dec
ades has been the most highly priced of
on in Teuton estimation. takes place on
March 10 next. and will be observed in all
n.-ts Of the empire i'm truly popular
manner for there is nothing that appeals
more powerfully to German patriotism
,han this plain. simple cross. fashioned
,of of any precious metal or Jewelled
enanel. but Of unadorned. ordinary iron.
II is lust this circumstarce-that the in
SIGMA should be made Of the most COM
MON end probably the cheapes; of all
,,etals-that warns the heart OF the peo-
ME toward the Naterland and which
ovakens affec,ionate memories in the
tsarts OF those of its sons who, crossing
Tho se2s 10 better their fortunes. have
gr.u loyal allegiance TO the land of their
a8ontion without altogether forgetting
N, old country for when the Order OF
,h, Iron Cross was called into existence
hv King Frederick William jill of Prussia
~ March 10. 1873 the birthday of his
deepiy lamented Consort. Queen buise-to
This day the national heroine of Prussia
III Germany was in the grip of the
French invader. smarting under his hu-
mIiating oppression and financially eN-
bausted TO the very last gasp by his en-
ar,ops There was no money in the land.
DEsPolLED BY WAR.
Indeed there was very little az value
that had not been carried off or destroyed
by the armies of Napoleon. So universal
Was the perjury that when King Frederick
Issued his historic summons 10 his people
10 rise against foreign thraldom IN
great struggle for liberation and ap-
pealed to all those who could not bear
arms to contribute what they could tow
ard the sinews of war. many hundreds OF
thousands of men and women dispatched
taeir Golden wedding rings TO the treas
rry. declaring that il was the only thinS
Of intrinsic value which they had left
ana lfal lntUfFlOliH. anu hhNiA 'NNNN'
DAYS. they would content themselves with
Wedding rings made of iron. IL was that
which gave to Frederick William III the
idea of using iron--since there was no
gold left for ornament-for the Insignia o.
the order of knishthood by which he pro-
posed Ia reward heroism in the impending
Befreiuucs Kiicg Cwar Of Iteration and
10 incite his troops 10 deeds of daring.
When / was q boy. in the years around
the Prussian wars with Denmark ard
with Austria, J was wont TO spend the
summers at the chateau Of an old uncle.
Count L. Won T.. one OF the great terri
toj1al magnates OF the provinces OF
Brandenburg and Pomerania. Life there
was very patriarchal and not little
fcudal. On two occasions during every
summer there was a gathering of all the
surviving veterans of the war of liberia
ton In the district. when they were enter
tanned and feted by my uncle.
UNCLE'S HOSPITALITY.
one was on the anniversary of the great
battle Of Lepsic. which emancipated Ger
many from Napoleon's domination, and
the other was on the occasion of the an
Uudi illdlFuNIfcs NI'b ih' V''N''' - 49,
cavalry regiment and of the two infantry
battalions quartered in the village were
housed and entertained in the huge old
schloss and is dependencies. My uncle's
hospitality would invariably be acknowi-
edged by the commanding officers with
military display. and at these the veter-
ans Of 1S13-'15, several Of them decorat-
ed with the Iron Cross, were always
wonderfully interesting and popular feat
ure. There were only handful of them
for at the time fifty years had elapsed
since Waterloo. and during the period
that INTERVIEWED between that battle ana
1870 no Iron Crosses were bestowed, IL
being rightly held that 81 was an order
that could be conferred only In connec-
ZION with war resulting in the invasion
oil German territory and in which the
safety not merely OF the Kingdom Of
Prussia, but Of the entire Teuton Father
land was al stake. That is why II was
not Included among the distinctions ac-
corded for the campaigns OF 1864 ana
1885, but why ii was. revived In 1sfV'
Wnen the French once more invaded Ger
man territory with cries of "A Berlin"
under command Of Napoleon III. IL has
never been awarded since.
When the war broke out in 1870 there
we're but three officers of the German
army left who wore on their breasts the
iron Cross Of the era Of 1S1315, as hav-
ing taken part i'm the Befreiungs krieg-
namely, the late Emperor william, King
OF Prussia, General Won Steinmetz and
GENERAL Vogel Won Falkenstein.
NO SURVIVORS.
To-day there are. OF course, none re-
naming Of those who won the Iron Cross
VI the war Of liberation that commenced
hundred years ago, while now, at dis
'ahce OF little over four decades from
.ae war Of 1S70-'71. there are a few hun
"ed survivors Of the soldiers and officers
VINO were decorated with the revived Iron
N'oss for feats Of conspicuous gallantry
anu heroism In that sanguinary struggle
"hlch converted France into republic
1nu Germany into an>empire.
me Iron Cross Is i'm measure identi-
neo with the German Empire as now con-
s''uted, for ii was the first order created
~ "ermans irrespective Of the kingdom,
w duchy, principally or free city to
rneh they belonged. True. IL owes its ex-
.eehee 10 ruler Of Prussia, and has