Evening star., 1915-11-27
DR.. F. c. HOWE DISCUSSES
"SOC|AL|zED GERMANY"
Delivers Lecture Before National
Geographic Society at New
Masonic Temple.

Dr. Frederick c. Howe. United States
commissioner of immigration at New
York, told about "Socialized Germany
In lecture before members of the
National Geographic Society at New
Masonic Temple last night. DR.. Howe
described the advantages of Germany
at peace and at work. as he knew
II before the war. He began his lee
ture by defining the words 'kultur'
and "vaterland. "Kultur" means to
the German, he explained. all that his
country has contributed in education.
science. art. statecraft and industrial
development. while "vaterland' means
not only my country" but all that the
country does toward taking care of
him. "Vaterland" means a kind of psy-
chology which embodies the nation, as
DIR. Howe summed it uD.
Land of the Schoo1master.
Germany is the land of the school
master" the lecturer said, and within
its borders illiteracy is all but un-
known While in Germany the per-
centage of illiteracy is but .03. in the
United States it is ~, and in some
of the countries around Germany 1T
runs to 40 and higher. The strength
of the German system is that it is
formed as unit and that it is planned
consciously
The great factor in the making OF
modern Germany, DR.. Howe continued,
Is what, for want of better term,
is called state socialism" This term,
he said, includes ownership by the
state of railways, telegraphs and tele.
phones; by the cities of electric light
and gas plants. street railways and
large land areas. provision for the
necessities of the working people by
the state through sick, accident and
old age insurance; state labor ex-
changes organized on scientific bases,
and the maintenance of labor courts.
where disagreements betWee:S employ
peditiously and free from costs There
were state undertakings with a COM
bined capital of seven thousand mil
lions of dollars in Germany before the
war. he said, and the net profits which
were received from them during a year
amounted to $2S0,000.000.
Thus" he pointed out, "one-quarter
Of the revenues of the state were derived
from state-owned undertakings. which eX-
plains the financial strength Of Germany"
Insurance Is Required.
Every one in Germany with annual in
comes of less than $500 must be insured
in the state organization, he said. and
the element of security which this has
bfOUSHl ilItc Tic ilseS vi tllo WI hti .
has done much to dignity and improve
the character of the German people
Spea king of the state-owned railways, he
said the German railways were among
the best in the world. and that they are
operated rather as an agency of service
than as means for making profit.
German cities are governed by ex-
perts." DIR. Howe continued, land these
experts rise to better positions only
through proving their ability. The Ger
man city Is among the most generous
cities in the world in providing for its
streets, parkirgs. public buildings and
public utilities. II has taken up the
housing problem of the poorer people, and
by its workingmans suburbs and model
tenernents, with their libraries, kinder
gartefs. Fairgrounds and restaurants 1t
has made great step toward conquer1ng
disease at it's source"