Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-16
FOREIGN NEWS

Berlin, Aug. 16.-Emperor William
will not receive without fight his
inheritance of S750,O0O from Hermann
Knorr, the patriotic wood-dealer of
Kauschwitz, whose decease after be-
queath!ng to his majesty practically
his entire estate was reported last
week.
The widow, who asserts that much
of Knorr's wealth was due to success
full real estate speculations financed
by the money she brought him as her
dowry, will contest the will, which as
signs to her merely the amount of the
original dowry and an annuity of 5000.
All the rest of the estate goes to the
| emperor, ito be used in Strengthening
the army and navy"
First estimates gave the value of
the estate at only $250,O0O, the amount
at which Knorr had been assessed for
taxes, but later investigation showed
that far larger amount had been COW
cred up, to the incidental profit of his
royal residuary legatee. The widow,
who after 10 years of untroubled mar
ried life finds the provisions of the
will exceptionally hard, will be assist
ed in her fight by ten near and needy
relatives of her husband, who do not
seem filled with that enthusiasm for
| Germany's ornaments, of which rep
the patriotic parties made so much
in the recent debates in the riechstag
on the military bills.
1t will be interesting in this connec-
ton to note whether the authorities
will revise, in this case the decision
handed down a few months ago in
the case of a legacy to the city of
Charlottenburg There a testator
made the city his sole heir to a con-
siderable property. In the course of
the usual advertising for heirs pre-
scribed as condition precedent to
the settlement of a decedent's estate,
some distant cousins made their ex-
istence known. All were needy. The
provincial government refused to con-
sent to the city accepting the legacy,
on the ground that the testator's rela-
tives must be provided for
Emperor William has just presented
to the city of Emden two old rusted
cannon, which recall an almost for
gotten chapter of Germany's colonial
history and show that Germany was
as African colonies are concerned,
over two centuries before Agadir.
The cannon were found on the site
, of an old fort, Gross fredericksburg,
on the gold coast of Africa, which
was built for the defense of the col
ony established there by the great
elector in 1854 His ambition was to
make Brandenburg the nucleus of the
future kingdom of Prussia, a rival of
England and Spain as colonizing
power and he sent out an expedition
from Emden to establish settlement
IN the west coast of Africa. Emden
) had at that time one of the best har.
: bors on the North sea. and the eIector
decided to make it the home port OF
his colonial venture, as we'll as of his
I modest little navy.
| The undertaking, however, did not
prosper, and in 1717 Frederick William
l., the father of Frederick the Great
sold the colony to the Dutch East In
fell into the hands of England through
the Ashantee war, about 40 years ago
Although Emperor William is not
i now retiring so many officers in order
to put younger men in control of the
army, as he did some years ago, the
/ problem of finding suitable positions
for the retired men is still a pressing
S one
3. Retirements usually occur when the
+. officers are still in their best years ant
? still able to give 20 or 30 years Of
4 their lives to civil callings. The new
:. minister of war has sent out a circu
lar to the chambers of commerce o.
Germany, asking their cooperation il
\ getting positions for the retired Off
4 GERS. He claims for them special fit
I ness for positions of trust and persona
! responsibility, and wherever ability Il
manage men, rather than commercial
talent, is required
Expressions on the subject by com
= mercial authorities indicate consider
= able doubt. in a general way, as to th'
= fitness of the officers for positions il
= commercial and industrial undertak
- lASS. IL ID ielI IUdI most OF Iutm ar
= too old to adapt themselves to the un
: tried circumstances of business life
\ while the feeling of superiority, cher
ished so fondly by many army officers
will make it difficult for them to worl
on basis of fellowship with mel
: trained entirely along civil lines.
DR.. Frederick A. Cooks claim to tn
discovery Of the north pole is still O
, sufficient importance to enlist the cor
q siderat!on of scientific men in Gel
81 many. One of these is Professor OFT
Baschin, custodian of the Geographi
b institute of the Berlin university, wic
in an article headed rs Cook Swine
g ler? considers the Peary-Cook col
troversy al considerable length an
q concludes that the evidence for Cook
a truthfulness is very strong
"a The question Of observations base
q upon the suns altitude as a method c
q determining whether one has reache
s. the pole is summarily dismissed b
a Professor Baschin as quite unreliable
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