Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-19
History of Towns
in the War Zone


EAST PRUSSIA is one Of the stern
est regions of civilized Europe. From
the shores of the Baltic southwark
there is a great sweep or even sands,
flat and dreary, much of it uncheered
even by the relieving green of the for
est. Finally the sand wastes end and
the lake country, covering the south
ern half of the province, begins.
East Prussia lies beyond the beaten
path of the army of tourists who here
tofore annually nave invaded Ger
many. a few irregulars, among them
conscientious students of things Ger
man, American buyers of such ware
as amber, and some who went to rest,
filtered through to the curt hospitality
of the Prussian plain. If they remain
ed long enough to catch something of
it's spirit, they learn TO love its
sternness. For nature is coldly frugal
in East Prussia, producing bounteous
grain and potato yields from her dun
colored sandy soils only in repayment
of intense, unremittant labor; and she
seems jealous of even the meagre va
riety of her pine and fir forests, few
and always the same in the north,
save where. at rare intervals, they are
frightened up by the glistening bark
of the silver birch.
Amid such uncompromising sur
roundings. it is but natural that firm
jawed men and women, earnest, Ia
borious. unbending, and. above all, be-
levers in duty, should be found. And,
as rule, the people of East Prussia,
peasant and junker gentleman farm
err, are as unyielding and simple as
the land in which they live.
Somewhere around this area, GER
tain scholars hold, the Indo-Germanic
race began its conquest of a world,
and its task of accommodating an Indian
and a western culture. No filter coun-
try could be imagined for the disci-
plining of a people to sacrifice effort
and determination.
Koenigsburg is the capital of this
province. II is the central market for
the grains, potatoes and commercial
alcohol produced in East Prussia, and,
TO an increasing extent, ii has served
as a commission market for the pro-
duce of neighboring Russian govern
ments. This city is most widely
known through it's university, and
most of that institutions fame cen
tiers around a brilliant teacher of
about a century ago, Emmanuel Kant,
author of profound criticisms of rea-
son and conscience.
The tireless energy of the German
peasant free-holders and the scientific
effort of the great estate owners have
brought it about that the bleak steppes
of northeasternmost Germany pro-
duce rich harvests of grain and pota-
toes. 1t is mostly the harder grains
that are raised there-rye and oats
The potato yield of the province is
largely worked for alcohol. for use
in the arts; and for domestic use.
such as cooking, lighting and heating;
and for power engines. Potato distil-
leries are numerous throughout the
country adjacent to Koenigsberg and
along the sea.
East Prussia borders on West Rus
STA. Over its whole extent and through
out the Russian Baltic provinces, Slav
and Teuton have mingled pretty thor
oughly. The East Prussian has in his
veins considerable Slavic blood: while
the Baltic Russian, on the other hand, ,
possesses q strong strain of Teutonic /
blood. Slavic names are heard on ev-
cry hand in East Prussia, both folk |
names and place-names-all place |
names ending in "it:" and cow" being /
Of Slavic origin. About 30 per cent of I
East Prussia's two million people |
speak u Slavic tongue.