Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-08-22
GRAFT IN GERMANY
Claim Made That There Is but
Little of 1t There. ~
City Officials Are Exemplary-Reason
for commotion Caused by the
krupp Revelatlons-vIews of
WeIl-known Journalist.

Berlin, Germany.-The wave Of dis
pleasure among Germans which fol-
lowed the Krupp revelations In the
reichstag was due more to the innate
adherence of corruption than to the
importance Of the revelations them
selves. Long and singing editorials
have been written pointing to the in
eliminating fact that Krupp's Berlin
agent was paid a salary of $4,000 a
year, with an expense account OF
$3.50, and 1t has been considered suf-
ficient cause for very acrid denuncia-
tons to know that some subalterns
have received Christmas presents OF
SIS. To an American, these sums are
beneath notice and smack of a scan
dial beneath the county commissioners
OF some forgotten countryside.
"A German official would rather
commit murder or blow safes than to
hold out his hand In an official Ca
pacity." said a well-known German
journalist-who writes "agin the gov
ernment"-in explaining what seemed
a phenomenal disturbance over a very
small matter. There may be more
behind the Krupp affair than the pub
lie knows. Personally. l have little
doubt that II the whole truth were
known some would be implicated who
hold titles Of considerable more i'm
portance than subalterns. But that
there has been. as you call 1t, petty
graft is enough for the Germans. The
inside story of the Krupp affair will
never be known, but the general pub
lie does not even need to suspect 1t to
feel outraged"
But you have vice In Berlin, and II
Is more open than in Paris, If that is
possible" was suggested to him.
You think that is prima facie evil
dence of corruption?" he asked. "Ab-
solutely impossiblel Ausgeschlossen!
In Germany it is an honor to be an
official. City administrators are chos-
en- for their ability, and the man who
was convicted of dishonesty would
Ibe a pariah. The mayor of Berlin
believes in restricted vice. He says
the tourists want it, and so he salts
.fies the want. And he believes that
vt is easier to control II 1t runs open
V. Consequently one OF the most
immoral Of European amusement pal
aces is openly conducted on a princi-
pal downtown street, and advertises
in all theatrical journals and on the
pillars. But that there is money In
ii for the oficialsi You don't under
stand us.
"Of course, now and then a mem
Der Of the morals police will hold
out his hand. That is to be expected.
They have thousands of women un-
der control, and large force is need.
ed to watch them. But graft as you
understand the word." And he
laughed uproariously. Then he went
on to explain.
When large German city loses its
mayor 1t is as though some great
manufacturing enterprise had lost its
chief engineer. There is immediate
response. Municipal experts all over
the nation who have had experience
apply for the vacancy. 1t doesn't
matter II the applicant is resident of
the city or not He may have made a
good record as mayor of
some smaller city. or he may have
been assistant to the last mayor. And
when he is elected 1t is on his rec
ord and not for his party alliances.
Party hasn't anything to do with it.
That hits OF the ideal of officialdom |
In Germany.
The great crying need in Germany
now is self-government. and the great
est obstacle in the way of 1t is good
If II were NOT for the