The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-29


taskmaster who gets his moneys worth
out of everyone he employs. l have heard
1t said by more than one of his high Of
ficials inclined to be 'disgruntled at the
hard tasks imposed upon them that his
highness squeezes blood out of every cop
per he spends.
However when the Gaekwar finds that
he cannot escape paying out money, he
spends with grim humor. A story drifted
to me through his Indian barber who
attends upon him valet and con-
stantly travels about with him from con-
i tinent to continent, which Illustrates this
trait in his character
His highness grew tired of spending
large amounts of money in living in hotels
during his many trips in Bombay, or
Il upon hiring uncomfortable bungalows in
that Indian metropolis only a nights
journey from his capital He. therefore,
ordered that a site on the Nepean Sea
road, overlooking a glorious view of the
Bay of Bombay, should be bought, and
that a pure white structure should NJ
erected on 1t for his residence. The esti-
mates were carefully made and approved
but unforeseen difficulties cropped up,
and the cost greatly exceeded the esti-
mate. One day when the Maharajah was
fretting over the amount of money that
his palace on the Nepean Sea road had
cost him, a friend inquired what he
meant to call it. Quick as a shot came
the reply that White Elephant would do
justice to it's white exterior and also to
it's costliness."
Other examples of the Gaekwar's quick
witt are added!
Here is the latest Kitchener story.
, wi ich is deighting the various service
clubs. When Kitchener consented to fill
the post of war minister in the greatest
emergency this nation ever has known,
he was effusively welcomed in Whitehall
by an exceedingly important and dis
tlnguished minister.
5 I'VE shall be most grateful said this
2 minister, for any advice you can give
US on any matter
= Lord Kitchener shrugged his shoulders.
I'm afraid I'm not much at giving adj
vice." said the new war secretary. 'Tm
more used to giving orders
Then the thermometer dropped appre-
: Gladly.
Germany's Great Diplomats
,, Turkeys decision to enter the great
European struggle an ally of Germany
and Austria Is q feather in the cap of
one of the most astute diplomats in the
service of the Kaiser He Is Baron Won
Wangenheim the German ambassador at
the Sublime Porte, and one of the chief
advisers and mentors of Envers Bey, the
, lea Ger of the war party.
Won Wangenheim succeeded the late
Baron Marshall Won Bieberstcn at Con-
stantinople. That was a tall job for any
; man because Marshall was recognized as
the best diplomat then living Won Wan
: genheim, who was close friend of the
Kaiser, had been ambassador at Athens,
and had very intimate knowledge not
: only of Balkan politics, but of the pecu-
ltarly subtle mentality of the Balkan
. politician. In other words, Won Wangen-
u helm has what is known as 1.-The diplo-
ms Sn lob n lie
talents regarded that he was almost uni
= versally picked as the successor of Won
kfderlen- Waechter at the German foreign
office. 1t was felt, however. that Con-
stantinople, in view of the fact that Eng
land was doing all she could to re-estab-
! lish herself in the best sraces of the
Sultan, was the danger spot In the
. Kaiser's foreign relations.
How well Won Wangenheim succeeded
:, present events are proving Whatever
2 may be thought of the wisdom of Tur-
9 keys move from the Turkish viewpoint
to prove of great and perhaps vital i'm
portance to Germany. One has but to
4 fnow something Of conditions In Egypt
r India and Russia to realize its possibili-
\ ties.
Origin of the Iron Cross
Being slightly interested" In the war,
: like most other folks on this side of the
/ nave Deen reaQlu& LOT tne SEE
ond time Poultney Bigelow's sympathetic
volume on THE History of the German
Struggle for Liberty" At the end of the
first volume there is a particularly in
teresting chapter In view of the prodgal-
ity with which the Kaiser Is distributing
iron crosses among his brave troops. The
chapter deals with the origin of this now
famous Prussian decoration.
The iron cross was an idea of Gneise-
nau, the German soldier who assisted the
forces Of King George III in their efforts
to put dowU the American rebellion.
When Frederick William III of Prussia,
| chafing under the virtual dictatorship OF
Napoleon. looked about for a soldier to
relieve him of the yoke, he turned to
| Gneisenau, who, in secret, worked out q
plan. His scheme called for the organ
ization OF an elaborate system of insur-
rectionary warfare with which, to his
cost, he had had ample experience in
America. He declared that every man
of military age should be called upon to
serve and punished by several disabilities
II he refused. On the other hand, all
who showed themselves verify and brave
In action were to be decorated with
black and white insignia. The actual form
at first was cross Of black and white
ribbon sewed on the tunic of the soldier
but In time. for reasons of economy. It
took its present shape-a plain black cross
bearing a crown. the royal initials and
the date 1873
This decoration became the most prec
ious OF war medals in the eyes of the
Prussian soldiers and 1t was never de-
graded by being awarded for merely
courtly services. 1t was earned on.v on
the field OF battle and field marshal was
as happy and as proud to receive It as
was the humblest of soldiers.
Unfortunately for his reputation and
for Prussia, the King did not prove
himself worthy of his subjects and.
although apparently approving of Gnei-
tscnau's plans, he ultimately weakly
entered into a treaty with Napoleon
by which he became virtually pris-
oner and his army a tool against Rus
Ella and England. When he heard Of shis
treaty, Butcher wrote to Gnaisepau:
1 Frederick the Great. after . lost pat
lie. wrote. All II lost save honor Now