The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-12

~ ERLTN, October 11.-(Speeial)-A
IN small half comic, half tragic
~ drama is being enacted in pigmy
Anhalt The william is Prussia; the occas-
ion is a change of allegiance; and the
heroine is blue-eyed, flax-haired, round
bosomed, soft-hearted, fearless Dorothea
Just
Anhalt is one of those puzzling German
countries with puzzing frontiers. You
cannot tell where Anhalt begins and where
it ends. 1t is made up of numerous iso-
lated fragments of varying size, all of
which are surrounded by Prussian terri
tory S6me are mere specks which you
could walk over in half an hour. And
inside the biggest Anhalt fragment, scat
tered undigested on her stomach, are mi
croscopic bits of Prussia. Across four of
these bits you could walk in about ten
minutes. These bits of land are Prussian
sardines inside an Anhalt dogfish, which
.as been swallowed by a Prusslan shark
OF course that leads to endless trouble
in matters of school administration and
tax gathering. The Prussian sardine has
to bore through the Anhalt dogfish in
der to talk to the Prussian shark. Prussia
lately thought of remedying this by ced-
ing it's fragments to Anhalt in exchange
for Anhalt fragments which are scattered
on Prussias inside. And bill is before
the Prussian Diet authorizing this ex-
change
Since the bits in question are small, and
have taxable value of about $40 each, the
deal ought to be easy. Residents on the
Prussian bits have no objection to becom-
ing subjects of Anhalt; and most of the
Anhalters concerned are willing to be
Prussians But Anhalt has some anti
Prussians patriotic lcitizens who do not
want to be Prussians, and swear they will
resist. And chief of them is Dorothea
lust She VOWS that sooner than become a
Prussian she will scratch her blue eyes,
rend her flax hair, beat her round bosom,
and die
Dorothea dwells in place called Der
Lange Winkel-the Long cornel-of Soil
nf2. The Long Corner of Soinitz extends
over nine acres three rods; this and a
bigger patch of land called Mansfield are
to be given Prussia. In exchange for them
given to Prussia. In exchange for them
Prussia will surrender two patches called
Most and Schierau. Altogether Anhalt
viii give to Prussia 620 acres, and will get
in exchange 6l2. A deal in appearance
there is a fierce anti-Prussian prejudice
in every German state: and when blue
eyed, flax-haired. round-bosomed, fearless
Dorothea refused to become a Prussian
she found applause from many, and mate
rial support from some
Stoutest of all Dorothea's henchmen
was red haired Herr Ullrich Gruhlke.
Herr Gruhlke loved his Anhalt, but loved
his Dorothea more marriage to be
to be sanctified by both love and patriot
ism was arranged last April On the
night of the bethrothal red haired Ulrich
and blue-eyed Dorothea mounted on the
same stout horse. rode into Sollnitz and
Mansfield villages, and painted IN big let
ters "Anhalt property on the pump.
Duke F'riedruch ofAnhalt, sovereign and
father Of mis- people, loves his Anhalt but
loves his comfort too. He favored the deal
with Prussia. When he heard that blue
eyed Dorothea and red-haired Ulrich
were agitating he sent to Sollnitz and said
he would receive a deputation. At the
head of eish. villagers-five males, two
elderly grandmamas and Herr Ulrich-
Dorothea came to Desseau. Duke Fried
rich received them. He gave Ulrich a
cigar.
why do you object to being Prus-
sians?' asked Duke Friedrich.