The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-02-20
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING In OLD HOME
Summary of the Most Important Han.
penings in the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

Some German bankers fear that the
American crusade against 'interlock-
ing directorates' may fire the German
government with a similar purpose.
The directorships formerly held by
such men as Messrs. Morgan and Da-
vison are numerically insignificant
compared with those held by leading
bankers and financiers of Germany.
The Dresdner bank is represented on
the boards of 200 companies with an
aggregate capital of S650,000,000 The
Deutsche bank, whose relations with
provincial and foreign banks and vast
industrial undertakings at home and
abroad are much larger would be able
undoubtedly to make an even more re-
markable ''interlocking" showing if it
were accustomed to publish reports in
that respect. Banks in cities like Ber
lin, Hamburg, Koln and Frankfort, not
only dominate the financial institution
in those centers, but, by controlling
the shares and boards of many strong
provincial banks, are enabled by exer-
else financial pressure all over the
country. The system so far has work
ed well. The relation between the
banks and industry proves advantage
Gus for all concerned, and for the body
polite. 1t has attained, however, gi-
gantic proportions and it is by no
means beyond the range of possibility
that the policies inaugurated by Pres
ident Wilson may some day prove con-
tagious in Europe in general and in
Germany in particular.
Kaiser Wilhelm expects to open the
enlarged canal between the Baltic and
the North Sea in April. He points out
that American battleships now under
construction can barely squeeze
through the Gatun locks and that the
$4,000 superdreadnought which is al
ready in sight will have to follow the
path of the Oregon around Cape Horn
to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific
coast.
The German canal will have locks
eighty two feet longer, thirty seven
and one-half feet greater than those of
Panama and will accommodate a 60,
600 ton battleship, should naval de-
signers go as high as that in the fu-
ture. There is room and 200 feet to
spare in them for the newest and larg-
est ocean liners of the Imperator and
AQuitania class, so that ample pro-
vision has been made for possible de-
velopments of commercial navigation
as well.
The Panama canal Is so shallow that
great warships and ocean liners will
not be able to use it, according to an
article in a German publication by D.
w. Ewald, an engineer He says thir-
t. feet of water is not enough for big
ships and predicted that second-class
ships would be able to pass through
the canal only a part of each year. Ma
jor F. G. Boggs of the isthmian canal
commission Indignantly denied the re-
port that warships and ocean liners
could not pass through the Panama
canal THE statement that thirty feet
of water cannot be maintained is fool
ish,' Major Boggs declared. Except
under almost impossible conditions a
greater depth than forty feet can be
kept in the canal and the lowest to
which the water level can fall is SO
feet. To the best of my recollection
there is not single ship in exist
ence with draft of forty feet"
The Putiloff Arms Manufacturing
company in Russia failed to, borrow
$10,000,000 in France. So the company
managed to spread the false rumRr
that a German-English syndicate wa&
about to obtain control of the com
pany That worked like a charm.
The French government stepped in,
and the bankers of France furnished
the money. The joke was not discov-
cred until it was too late for the
French bankers to back out.
Prince and Princess Henry of Prus-
STA are about to follow the example
of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in Wis
iting Argentina. They are to sail from
On h1dl I'll 1O'
The German newspapers have COM
mented at great length on Colonel
Roosevelt's journey, urging that it was
intended to strengthen the influence
Of the United States in South Ameri-
ca and that Germany should take coun-
teracting steps.
Queen Sophie of Greece, a sister Of
Kaiser Wilhelm, has been at odds
with her brother because she became
a catholic. Now a reconciliation has
taken place. In token Of this happy
event the queen recently attended
service in the kaisers Lutheran
church in Berlin.
Leprosy, one of the few diseases
heretofore still considered incurabIe,
is keing healed at a government san
atorium near Memel, according to a
report of the institution Two wom-
en- patients have already been dis
charged as cured and one man was
discharged as improved. Since lep-
rosy is contagious, it is assumed that
the improvement in this case was very
great, else the patient would not have
beeL allowed his liberty. The method
used in treating the disease is not de-
scribed.
The reichstag recently, in order to
demonstrate It's indignation over the