Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-05-17
Charles Of Espionage.

ana 36,OUU tons OF oats. These flS-
ures do not include the considerable
exports to Finland.
Charles Of Espionage.
The long detention of Perm of Hans
crliner and his two companions, who
landed there after record flight in
their ballons, and the determination
of Russian authorities to bring them to
trial on charges Of espionage are gen.
orally considered in ermany as repris-
ais for number Of recent unfortun-
ate incidents, one of which also was
responsible for German industry los
ing an important contract. This was
the case of man named Popow, an
engineer of the Russian ministry of
railways, who came to Germany to buy
a number of river steamers for his
ministry. He was arrested on suspic-
ion of being a spy. He left for London
Immediately upon his release, saying
he would give the contracts to English
firms. As a result of his experience,
the Russian railway ministry is con-
templating placing no further orders
in Germany unless the German firms
or persons with whom the dealings are
had are willing to furnish cash
bond to assure the Russian agents
against being arrested. Naturally no
one will risk the loss of consider
able sum through the dundcrhcaded-
ness of any minor official, and sucn a
regulation would mean the practical
exclusion of German industry from the
Russian field.
Arrest Of PoIjakow.
Another of these unfortunate incl
dents was the arrest in Cologne of
Captain Poljakow of the Russian mar
inc ministry. He was charged with
picking pockets. He was released
shortly afterward and the policeman
who made the error has been punished,
but the incident was further trial for
Mssia's patience. 1t is not likely that
there will be an out-and-out trade war
or boycott, but it is felt by many Ger
mans in high places that Russia is
carrying OH what is called, in German
idiom, "a policy of pin pricks," and
that it is doing nothing to check the
growth of anti-German sentiment.
oSCN oVRSol " law
Charlottenburg, largest of the cities
Joined to Berlin to form Greater Ber-
lin, has Joined the ranks Of municipali-
ties seeking the repeal of an old law
requiring at least twO-thirds of the
aldermen to be house owners. Danzig
made a similar appeal to the Prussian
Diet five years ago, but the appeal
was killed in committee without dis
cussion. 1t is doubtful whether Char
lottenburg will fare better.
Conditions have changed so greatly
since the law complained of was en-
acted-during the days of Baron ~tcin,
one of the great figures of the strug-
giles of 1813-that the municipalities
are greatly handicapped in finding rep
resentative men for aldermen. A hun
dred years ago the great majority of
all houses in the cities were occupied
by their owners, who held them for
lon gterms of years and generally dur
ing theinr whole life. Today quar-
ter of al houses in Berlin have been
in the same hands for only two years,
and half of them for less than six. In
Charlottenburg itself 7 per cent Of all
houses have changed hands in the last
ten years.
Two other elements enter into the
situation. One is the fact that that
many houses are owned by corpora
tons; the other, that great proper
ton of them are held by non-rcsidents.
One third of the buildings in Chariot
tenburg are owned by persons who do
not live in the city. In existing con-
ditions in the real estate world, by
far the greater part of housewares
have only a trifling interest in the
houses nominally owned by them, mort
cages encumbering the places for all
they would .ring at a forced sale.
To Combat Alcohol.
An important step in combating the
excessive use of alcohol by soldiers has
been taken by commanders of four ar
my corps, the fourteenth, fifteenth, six
tccnth and twenty-firs t,who have is
sued orders doing away with what was
in effect a compulsiOn to drink beer
or nothing on holidays, or other special
occasions. At such times the soldiers
are permitted to draw a portion of their
earnings. Instead, however, of receiv-
ing money, they get beer checks, good
at the military canteens. The new Or
dcrs provide that these checks shall
hereafter be accepted also for coffee
and other non-alcoholic drinks.
simultaneously comes an order from
the commandant of the Strassburg
carlson, General Won Deimling, that the
price of non-alcoholic drinks in the
canteens shall be exceed the price of
beer. At maneuters, wine and beer are
IN he diSnenSo1 at tho oyt,,oct l,;,n,,oosl