The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-12-12
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHATS DOING I'M OLD HOME
Summary of the Most important Hap
penings In the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

SeaNeTE.
The American commission appoint
ed by the president 10 study the farm
credit system of Germany has come
back loaded with information. Much
attention was paid to the land mort
gage association OF Saxony- Anyone
may be a member who is land owner
OF the province and pays land tax Of
about $40 year. II farmer wishes
TO borrow, say 81 900 or any sum not
10 exceed two-thirds of the value OF
his farm, he may give a mortgage to
the association, which looks after the
security. Then the association issues
its bonds, called a "Pfandbrief" The
usual rate Of interest on mortgage
in Sax0ny is four per cent. to the
farmer The "Pfandbrief' bears three
and one-half per cent. The loan assO-
citation may not sell more bonds than
al holds mortgages. The condition OF
the society is inspected from time TO
time by a government inspector and
these bonds are considered the high
est form of Investment In Germany
They bring even a lower rate than
the government bonds. The govern
ments credit may be impaired by
war: the land will always bring its
return The association makes no
profit for individual members. All
profit goes into a reserve fund TO be
used to loan again and pay losses, IL
any. The farmer must pay some OF
his loan each year, and the smallest
amount that he is allowed to pay is
one-haf OF one per cent. of it. He re-
serves the right to pay in whole or
in part any time he wishes TO, and the
association reserves the same right
The holder Of the bond cannot get his
money any faster than the bond pro
vides When money is cheap, the
farmers frequently refund their loans
by taking out new "Pfandfriefen.
These societies of Saxony were start
ed in 1864 and at the present have
outstanding, bonds In the amount OF
about s25,000,000. There are several
other forms of the association, diff
fering little in detail, but with the
same general plan. They now have
outstanding bonds in the amount OF
over S700,000,000
Dr. Alvin C. Kraenzlein the old
American hurdler and broad jumper,
now in charge Of The development OF
German athletics for the Olympic
games in Berlin in 1916, is very busy
making preparations for that great
event. He is devoting himself with
energy to the building up of a system
TO make the most of the admittedly
good German raw athletic material In
the short two and a half years before
the games. At a meeting of the Ger
man committee on athletics he de-
clared that German efforts must be
directed first toward bringing out and
developing latent talent, and second
ly toward inducing promising attn
letes to specialize instead of scatter,
ing their energies over dozen events
IN as many different sports. Next
year will he devoted to finding and
assembling as many candidates for
the team as possible, who will be
brought to Berlin during the summer
at the expense of the committee, lodg-
ed at the stadium, fed at a regulation
American training table" and put
through a regular course of training
similar to that of an American col
ege athlete. The program for the
year starts with cross-country club
runs April 5, held in every city in
which there are two or more athletic
clubs. followed on May 3 by similar
simultaneous competitions for nov
ices. Olympic elimination meets will
be held May "a, the athletes thus Sc
1ected will compete at provincial or
sectional meets during June, which
DR. kraenzlein will attend to pick his
candidates for the course of training
at the stadium.
Germany, above all other nations,
expects to profit by the opening of tbs