The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-31
HAMBURG IS new
YORK Of GERMANY
INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF
GREAT GERMAN PORT AND
ITS UARnORs.

Washington. u. C. Jan. ao,-A pic
ture of Hamburg, which fs described
as the New York OF Europe" Is drawn
by tho National Geographic Society in
a statement prepared today. II fol-
lows;
Hamburg. the great German city
on the North Sea. mentioned so often In
press dispatches these days. Is the New
York of Germany; in fact, the New
York OF Europe II has the same
proud confidence of vast riches and
great commerce. the same careless in
souciance about things and people, the
same restless wealth hunger. and same
Unconditional aioofness from stranger
Much a. American boys 1ock from all
over the country to try fortune In New
York. German boys turn toward HAM
burg. the city State which Is the trad
ing heart OF Germany. Then. too,
Hamburg and New York are the great
est of all seaports. Hamburg prior to
the present war did more business
than any other port In the world ex-
cept New York.
Both Hamburg and New York are
islands OF foreign soil In their native
lands Before the war, Hamburg was
English and French In tone. In Ham
burg alone, Of all the German cities.
the people earnestly drank tea between
-four and Ave O'Clock in the afternoons,
Everywhere else In the Fatherland.
coffee, sweet breads and rich cakes are
served punctuatiy at four O'Clock. Both
the worlds first ports are cosmopolitan
20 q point of wild confusion. every
tongue and custom being native to
their manner, the common denomina-
tor for the reduction Of n world of Pc
eularities being found In their counting
houses and EXCHANGES
4 Great Eommission House.
he 4ty.State.- Hamburg. has an
area of 100 square miles. and is exceed
inEly rich In agricultural. meat. dairy
and fruit produce. while the city pro-
per covers barely 20 square miles. The
city is a great commission house for
Germany and for the world. an enor
nous part of the Empires import and
export passing through its warehouses
only one habor on earth rivals that
of Hamburg for nervous. continuous
commotion, and that harbor Ia New
York.
There Is little Old World piquancy
about Hamburg II Is strictly a growth
Of bushes and oversee trade as Is
the city Of New York. Such buildings
Of historic interest as there are In the
city. such art and bohemian life as II
possesses. are so effectually crowded
into the background by high once
buildings, COMPOSITIONS Of cumbersome
freight drays. the sirens and smoke at
the harbor front, and the peculiar ex-
pressions on every hand speaking of
deals. OF profit and loss and Of cent
per cent that they remain unsupported
by visiting Americans, who feel them
selves more thoroughly a proper part
of Hamburg than of any other German
city. not exceeting Berlin. There are
few statues few museums, few mar
wells Of architecture few things OF any
genre whose being is derived less from
practical advantage than from senti-
ment.
Great Commerce.
Residential and business Hamburg
lies upon the north hank OF the Elbe,
while along the south bank and indent-
ing IL for thousands of yards are hun
dreds of channels, harbors. canals and
slips. worked out in great, weird
tangle of wharves, warehouses;, passen-
ger piers, elevators. bridges. railways
and all manner OF description of ships
and porducts for shipping. Many mill
lions of dollars have been spent in de-
velopment OF this marvellous harbor
Nearly 10000 vessels. both river and