Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-23
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society

The Rhine-First among the com
 mercial rivers of civilization, the most
 important geographical feature of
 Central Europe, a hotly- contested
 boundary for more than two thousand
 years, one of the richest among the
 streams of the world in legend and
 folklore, and incomparable for the
 beauties of it's cou1se when one calls to mind the Rhine of Germany, he thinks upon one of the most important of his race, whether he be of it's Latin
 or it's Teutonic branch. The Rhine
 and the Germans came upon the stage
 Of history together, and their fates
 have been indissolubly bound together
 ever since. His kindred with this
 the more conscious elements of each
 Germans life, and to this his folklore,
 his literature, his war-songs, his opera,
 and his blood-offerings have testified.
 Few geographical features have af-
 fected the conscious life of race so
 deeply as has the German Rhine.
 Rising in the highest Alps in
 Central Europe, the Rhine reaches the
 North Sea after a journey of $50 miles.
 and the last part of its course is
 through a lowland whose surface is below the tides crest. The river
 gathers its water at the base of melt ing glaciers, plunges over great rock n1esses toward it's lower levels, cuts through the widest mountain valleys, traverses a wonderful high, broad plain and, then, entering its famous gorge, wanders through exquisite panoramas, through a lane everywhere mantled with ruins of historic castles, abbeys, churches, and every foot of it's way emerging from it's gorge, it flows through plain where powerful steel, textile and chemical industries center. Through Germany and Holland, the Rhine forms the principal water avenue of Central and Western Europe, and through its ports.
 "The Rhine is international. It is divided between Switzerland, Germany
 and Holland. That part of the river
 which lies in Germany, 450 miles in
 French have laid claim to its left bank on the grounds that the Rhine
 formed the boundary line of Roman Gau1. Though Roman Empire reached out beyond the broad Rhine, the river
 barrier against the north barbarians. However, when the realm of Charl- emagne was divided and the bounda- ries of Verdun established, the Rhine became wholly the property of Ger many, and France early began her centuries-long policy of winning the fstream back again. Complete success crowned this policy under the Napole- onic Empire, the Rhine became once | more the boundary of Gaul. The Ger I mans reassumed sovereignty of their | beloved Father Rhine after 1871, and | in the present war the possession of the historic river is one of the most critical questions.
 "The Rhine, like a mighty tree in form, receives its waters from count l less tributaries and gives them up to the sea through innumerable offshoots. It's principal source issues from gla- i cial ice 7.271 feet above the sea with l in the confines of the most independent ! canton in Switzerland. On its way, ! the Rhine is fed, directly and indi-
 rectly, by 12,0o0 tributaries. and it 1 drains more than 75,000 square miles. l Where the Rhine enters Germany, at | Basic, it Is about 500 feet broad, and for the smallest river boats. naviga- to make the Rhine navigable from 1 Basic to it's source for larger lighters and small steamboats. Since 1868,
 Rhine navigation has been free, and its river ports do commerce with all parts of the civilized world.
 1 Lovers of natural beauty mention the German Rhine and the American l Hudson in the same breath. The
 Rhine, however. has many traits in common with the American Missis-
 sippi. It is Europe's most important river, it drains one of the greatest in- dustrial regions on earth. and it is one of the main factors in German com-
 mercial development. Moreover, the great timber rafts upon the Missis- l sippi, as Mark Twain describes them can be seen in season floating down 1 the Rhine. Some of these rafts are l 800 feet in length, and are guided down 1 the river by more than 200 men, who live upon them in little huts. a whole l village adrift. They closely resemble l the rafts which Huck Finn met in his ] travels down the American river"