The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-08-29
IN THE FATHER[AND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING In OLD HOME
Summary of the Most Important Hap
penings in the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

I Readers.
Kaiser Franz Josef of Austria-Hun-
gary has just completed his eighty.
| third year He was the recipient of
| congratulations from all the imperial
and royal houses of Europe. The
worlds Oldest monarch has ruled over
| Austria for nearly SIS years and over
| Hungary for As years. His life has
been one long succession of tragedies
| and disappointments, and yet through
| 1t all he has remained a philosopher.
| Since the death Of King Oscar OF
Sweden and Norway, Franz Josef has
| been the most capable linguist among
| European rulers, as he speaks round
dozen languages: German, French.
Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Servian,
| Croatian, Italian, Ruthenian, Dalma'
! tian, Roumanian and Hebrew He has
a fair knowledge of English and
| goodly smattering Of Latin. At eigh-
ty.three, it is unlikely that Franz
| Josef has many more years TO live
and in the opinion Of many observers
his passing will be followed by con-
| fagration that may engulf all Europe.
! The Austrian empire made up OF Ger
mans, Italians, Hungarians, Slavs.
| MOslems, with little in common with
each other, is held together by the
affection-inspiring personality Of the
emperor AT least, that Is the COM
mon explanation, and it seems the
most logical one. The aged emperor
| is just a fraction under six feet in
! height, and of rather slight, but why
physique. His personality is such that
he has often been compared to Abra-
ham Lincoln. In the matter OF reli-
| gion he is a staunch Catholic. II Is
the great regret of the emperor's life
that he has no son to succeed him on
the dual throne. His nephew, Franz
Ferdinand, now in his fiftieth year. is
his heir, but there are many who be-
lieve that he will never rule, and that
| the moment Of the emperor's death
will be the signal for revolt that
will mark the end OF the empire.
! August Bebel, the Socialist leader,
! died at Granbunden. After the death
of Eugen Richter, Bebei was the lead
er of the Socialists in the reichstag.
| He joined the German labor move
ment In 1862 and continued the strug-
| gle for the working classes until his
death. He was a member Of the reich
stag almost continuously from its for
nation in 1871. Not long after the
first session he was sentenced to two
years Imprisonment for high treason
and to another nine months for lese
majestic The Socialists of Germany
| regarded him as brilliant leader and
! organizer and he was able to keep
the ranks OF the party united at near
}y all times. He lived to see it rep
resented In the rcichstag by over 100
deputies and the strongest party
there. Bebel was not a great ora
| tor. but his speeches were convinc-
ing and he was beloved by his fol-
lowers. Not many years ago Bebel
became rich by legacy. The funeral
ceremonies took place at Zurich
Twenty thousand Socialists followed
the body from the city hall, where il
had lain in state, to the cemetery
where it was cremated. The streets
through which the procession passed
were crowded. A majority Of the So
/ cialist members of the German reich
stag and representatives Of the So
cialist party from most OF the nations
of the world attended the funeral
Morris Hillquitt of New York repre-
sented the United States
The commercial circles or Germany
are rejoicing over little speech
made by Kaiser Wilhelm at a banquet
given by the merchants OF Lubbock
The keynote Of the speech was struck
by the following words: 81 protect
the merchant His foe is my foe. In
peace alone can the worlds trads
grow, in peace alone can it prosper
Therefore, peace is v hat we want
and peace we are going to have, for
the benefit of the empire and of com
MERGE"
French airships have been flying
over Germany so often during the
last few weeks that the German gov
eminent has found il necessary to
enforce much more severe rules than
before with regard to aerial naviga.
| ton.
As a rendezvous for American tour
| lists on the continent, ;erlin promises
to become ultimately dangerous
rival to Paris. Large numbers OF
tourists are passing 10 and fro from
the south German and Swiss resorts
by way of Berlin, which also serves
as the most convenient way station
between the German ports and the
Austrian bathing resorts
Gerhart Hauptmann, the poet, Will
soon complete a new drama The ii
tie of the work viii be THE White
Redeemer." and the lbject matter is
the introduction Of Christianity in
Mexico, under Cortez- One Of the
chief characters of he play is Kaiser
Montezuma. The diana will require
an elaborate and magnificent setting.
The newspapers of all parties admit
that the late August Bebel was a noble
| character, and that BE will have an
| =, IL q .,