The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-12-14
BRIEF SUMMARY OF HAPPENINGS
FROM LAND OF THE
KAISER.
NOTES FROM GERMAN EMPIRE
Items About People and Affairs From
Across the Sea That viii Prove Of
Great Interest to Many Of Our Read.
Ara


saries have been landed at Bulgarian
Danube ports for trans-shipment by
rail to Constantinople Included in
one shipment were two 42-centimeter
guns. No German statement has been
MADE concerning the condition in
which the Orient railroad was left by
tse Serbs, but the delay in reopening
ii suggests thlt it must have been
badly wrecked The Vossische lei
TING of Berlin announces the arrival
there of the first consignment of cere-
ais from the Balkans. Constantine
rle dispatch says regular shipments of
f5odstuffs, especially grain, to Ger
b rs begun.
Russian journalist who recently
returned from trip through the Bal
Ian states says: 1T is impossible for
the allies to win diplomatic victories
IN the Balkans. The Germans have
the upper hand everywhere and the
ambassadors of the entente powers
are surrounded by German employees,
many of whom undoubtedly are spies.
German is the diplomatic language
In all the Balkan capitals. Foreign
diplomats who call at the American
embassy at Bucharest are politely
asked by the private secretary of Min
lister Vopicka to address this gentle
man in German, as he does not speak
French. The minister of the United
States, like his confidential secretary,
Is Czech, but he uses the German
language in his conferences with the
representatives of other nations"
The text of the preliminary law
paving the way for taxing the war
profits of joint stock companies and
corporations has been printed official
ly. The project was drafted by the
federal council and is a bill compel
ling stock companies and other juridi-
cal persons to carry as reserve so per
cent of the additional profits made
during the period of the war, thus
holding them as a reserve for taxa
ton until the ultimate bill is passed.
Explanatory matter accompanying the
preliminary draft shows that the gov
eminent does not intend to collect this
tax during the war, but to levy it
after the close of the war in connec-
ton with an increment tax on prop
erty foreseen IN connection with the
famous war levy tax bill of 1913. I'm
der the plans then contemplated all
persons in the empire would be re-
quired to make return on property
and income as of January l, 1917, and
to pay taxes On the increase over
similar statement returned in Janu-
airy, 1914.
The German socialists are now de-
termined to fight to the end of long
war rather than agree to peace that
will bend Germany to her knees"
They are no longer praying for an
pressed by Philip Scheidemann, So
cialist member of the reichstag, and
the only socialist candidate for the
reichstag presidency who came near
being elected. He outlined the posi-
ton the socialists will take when the
Two million persons have been Or
eral of Poland to have photographs
taken, in order that passports may be
issued to all over fifteen years of age.
One million photographs already have
been made and this number is being
increased at the rate Of 10000 day.
The work is being done by so photog-
raphers with $50 assistants.
Capt. Walter Brunk is probably the
only one-legged German officer at the
front. The captain was severely
wounded during the early stages of
the war and his left leg had to be am
putated above the knee. After his
discharge from the hospital he petit
toned the war ministry for a commits
sion in the aviation corps. His wish
an appointment as president of the
military court of the district OF Ma
MFR. Since his return to France the
ca plain has proved that he is per-
fectly capable to serve as an aero
plane pilot. With the permission OF
the commander of the aviation corps
he undertook a number of long and
successful fights.
Isador Hershfield Of New York rep
resenting officially Jewish relief So
cieties of America has arrived in Ber-
lin on a mission of relief for the Jews
in the war areas of Poland and Gall
cha.
Germany's strongest arm is its wom-
en-. Germans are being born six times
as fast as they are being killed. Ger
manys supplies of soldiers cannot be
exhausted with such a birth rate
Hudson Maxim, inventor of rapid-hre
guns and gun silencers, made the
above statement.
The German embassy, according to
information from an authoritative
source. resents the accusations which
are understood to have been made
against Capt Karl Boyd, German
naval attache in Washington. in the
trial of officials of the Hamburg Amer
lean line, in New York. 1t was said