The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-27

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When the American tourist Of for
mer summers. whose mind was
filled with preconceived notion of
Europe made up a wealth OF statistic
al and historical information, APP
preached the port Of Rotterdam on
his maiden voyage, he usually suf-
fered his first great European disap-
pointment. The most reliable OF
reference books had prepared him
for the fifth largest port in the world.
According to these works. New York
came first upon the list OF the
worlds greatest seaports. followed
by Antwerp, Hamburg. Hong Kong
and Rotterdam. Rotterdam led
London. The measure Of greatness.
Of course, was the grand total ot
tons Of freight, entered and cleared
by each port.
Hook Of Holland.
With this information about Rot
terdam in mind. many an American
has strained his eyesight from the
forward deck just OF the coast OF
Holland, va:nly trying to pick up a
skyline like that Of New York. All
that has rewarded his effort has been
a low, barren. desolate stretch OF
sandy shore, lonely to a point OF
sadness. This dreary outlook is the
Hook OF Holland, relieved on nearer
inspection by rambling shed. a
combination of baggage and custom
houses. There are few scraggy
bushes and dwarf tree: in the pic
ture. Probably. in nine cha1ces ont
of ten the tourist has reached tho
Hook after the turn Of the tide. in
which case he has had to land there
In July, an unmerciful sun beats
down on this tongue OF land, which.
together with the pigmy train wait-
ing upon the smoky sands to carry
the passengers to Rotterdam, makes
the traveller almost feel that he has
been landed in sleepy Africa by mis-
take. There is nothing aboiir tho
Hook OF Holland or the narrow, shall
low ribbon OF water. which la..R to
Rotterdam to aid him in realizing the
magnitude of the port but an hSur's
ride away.
Greatest Neutral Seaport.
Rotterdam is today Europe's great
est neutral seaport. The vast busi-
ness of Antwerp and Hamburg has
ceased. London is an object for the
enterprise of war. The shipping to
western Europe can alone rest COM
pletely secure in the harbor OF Rot
terdam. and this port city has be-
come one of the busiest of places, for
the purchase Of all central Europe.
will pour through its spiral streets
Ideally situated for handling the
oversee commerce of central Europe.
peopled by race OF skillful mer-
chants and traditional sailors, con-
nected with all the principal markets
of the hinterland by the wonderful
system of railways which branch out
from here and reach Germany.
France and Austria, Rotterdam has
always done remarkable shipping
despite keenest competition. This
city has earned a great part Of its
wealth during the last three score
years through the handling of Ger
every corner OF the world from the
Rhine manufacturing district. ThesN
goods have been mostly sent down
the Rhine to Rotterdam and by the
Dutch reshipped to their desxlna-
tons. 1t was in order to preserve
this business in German hands, that
the Empire undertook the construc-
ton of the Dortmund-Ems canal. at
$40 100000, connecting the indus
trial Rhine country with a German
port on the North sea.
Its wonderful shipping has made
Rotterdam the leading commercial
city of Holland. There are some in
dustrics scattered among It's straight
front, five and six stories, sharp-ga-
bled houses, such as rope and cigar
but they are unimport-
ant.
AS an excursionist from Hamburg,
one comes upon the solitary little
island of Heligoland, far ont in the
open North Sea, some 80 miles from
the nearest point of land, detiantly
isolated maroon Thrown crag, project
ing itself ruggedly against the horiz-
on. This tiny land is the vortex
which the ambitions OF two of
the proudest navies of the world are
swelling.
Dedicated to War.
Approached in the heat of late
July day. an overhead sun sharply
chiseling its outline, Heligoland
makes an impression never to be for