The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-19
GERMANY s GIBRALTAR
GREAT NAVAL BASE
HEL'eoLANo WAS. EXCHANGED
BY BRITAIN FOR ZANZIBAR
rs YEARS AGO.

| London. Aug. 19.--Germany great
naval base In the North Sea and her
chief reliance for the protection of her
coasts in the present war Is the little
island of Heligoland, which she OBJ
tanned from England quarter of a
century ago in exchange for Zanzibar.
When the exchange was made He'll.
goland was mere fishing island.
| Since then IL has been transformed in
to veritable Gibraltar. with home
for all small war craft including dirig-
ibles and waterplanes.
In a speech which he delivered to
his sailor escort on August 10, 1890,
Emperor William said: This island
Is destined to be to us bulwark on
the sea. a protection for the German
, fisherman, base for my warships,
and stronghold and defense for Ger
man waters against any enemy who
may take II into his head to show
himself upon them" At the time the
words were received in England with
good deal Of incredulity. A jibe
repeated, II not invented, by Bis.
/ marck, that Germany had given away
a pair of trousers and secured but.
ton in exchange passed from mouth
to mouth.
Time has, however, brought the En-.
peror his revenge, and the doubters
of score of years ago now admit,
with some reservations. It Is true, that
his prophecy is in a fair way of full
filment and that Heligoland is likely
to prove a valuable mainstay in the
defense of the German empire in the
present titanic struggle.
Millions Spent on Island.
For a number of years past Ger.
many has followed policy of dis
couraging the visits of any foreign
ers to Heligoland. But enough has
been learned of the operations carried
on there to show that the little island
is one of the most formidable naval
fortresses in the entire world and that
It is probable as unsuitable as Gibral.
tar itself
Heligoland protects the mouths of
four rivers, including the Elbe and the
Weser. A protecting sea wall has
been built half round the island, and
from the high Overland, the biggest
and best Krupp guns, on disappearing
platforms. command all approaches
from the sea. A tunnel pierces the
island from west to north. through
which ammunition and other material
may be safely taken. Huge search.
lights discover every distant vessel at
night and there is a powerful wire
less station.
The crumbling cliffs of the island
have been protected against the raw.
ages of the waves with long buttress-
eh of granite, 90 feet high, and 16 feet
thick. lnnumerable riffs and crevices
have been filled with concrete. The
plateau has been studded with ar.
mored classmates and sunlSen batter.
les, from which the huge guns can
sweep the sea for radius of ten
miles. Stately barracks and official
buildings have taken the place of the
humble cottages which formerly were
the only habitadons on the island.
To the south of the lower part of
the island a new island has arisen
from the waters. 1t is half as big as
Heligoland itself and was built of
material brought from Germany. This
new island provides shelter for tor.
pedo boats, destroyers, submarines,
and cruisers. On this island are also
magazines and sheds for airships of
all sorts.
Millions of dollars have been ex. |
pended by Germany in the building up
of this North Sea Gibraltar. A few
years ago the garrison was only 100
strong, but last year the number was
increased to 1900. In the light OF de.
velopments of the present war mill.
tary experts believe that Germany
will have no cause to regret the ex.
change of ZANZIBAR for Heligoland with
Great Britain In 1890.