The mirror., 1915-02-18
THE WAR MAKERS
OF GERMANY
GRAND ADMIRAL Won TIRPITz FATHER
OF THE GERMAN NAVY.
A viriIe Exposition OF Germany's Wonder
full Cohesive, Commercial, Naval and
and Military Organization and the Great
Men who Designed Their Strength.
Chautauqua Paper By G. C. d.

In heading this paper as have,
wish to state that l have only carried
out suggestion made by one fal
more familiar with the history ol
Germany than what l am. Fred
eric William Vile. who as resident
of Berlin and keen student Of
politics and social life has won re-
nown as an authority on these per-
sonalities, and to whose writing,
am to a great extent indebted fol
the facts that shall try to put forth
will give brief sketch of the most
prominent of these men who as co.
workers with the Kaiser have fairly
won the name, War Makers Of
Germany"
Foremost among these men stands
undoubtedly the father of the Ger
man Navy-Grand Admiral Won
Tirpitz sailor statesman of the old
school, he is known in Germany as
"Tirpitz the Eternal" and is the
worlds only Minister of Marine
who incorporated the rare combina-
tion of seamanship, executive talent
and craftsmanship, he conceived the
naval program, and raised :he fa-
therland's fleet expenditures by
stages from 30,000,O0O in 1898 to
100000 in 1918.
In 1907 he launched the first big
battleship and later raised the dis
placements of battleships and battle
cruisers to dreadnaught proportions
at the rate of four to six launchings
a year. Another important fact, he
founded a Torpedo school, and
taught men how to use these ex-
plosiyes. 1t is said, that his work
at the admiralty is finished, because
he not only founded the Navy, but
bred a school of able subordinates,
who make the masters hand no long
er indispensable.
Now what Won Tirptz has done
for the German fleet, Albert Ballin
Director General of the Hamberg
American line, has done for the
German Mercantile Marine. He
made it, no man in the country,
King or commoner, has a stronger
claim to membership of the i'm
mortals of Emperor Williams day.
He is one of the real makers of
modern Germany.
The Kaiser rendered him many
positions of honor, but he rejected
them and said that he would be out
of place in bureaucratic environ
ment. Ballin is a self made man,
he was born into the trade, in which
he was one day to be world figure,
he is son of an immigrant agent,
who did not belong to the aristro-
cratic class. He received his edu-
cation in England. and learned the
navigation business thoroughly; later
he returned to Germany and accept
ed a position offered him Ivy COM
pany known as the Carr Line, which
conducted immigrant cargoes from
Galicia, Poland and Hungary to
Hamburg, while in their employ, he
discharged his duties, as one who
had years of experience. Finally
he was chosen general manager OF
the Carr immigrant Line.
During this time. the Hamberg-
American Line was losing bu siness,
and the blame was laid to young
Ballin's good management of the
Carr Line. After directors meet
ing of the Hambere American Line,
they decided to buy the Carr Line,
which they did and young Balm
was thrown into the bargiD.
In 1886 when Ballin joined the
Hapag, it's capital was 3.750,000 and
at present it is 3750O,O0O. In 1886
the company had twenty-six ocean
going steamers; today it has one
hundred and eighty that fiutters the
blue and white pennant. When
young Ballin worked as shipping
clerk in England at nothing week,
he worked overtime so that he could
become familiar with even the
smallest detail. 1t was said that the
secret of Ballin's greatness was his
card index mind, nothing escap-
ed him." Of late years he has
supervised the building of larger
ocean steamers. and today, he oper.
ates the best transatlantic line
afioat. The Kaiser seldom comes
TO Hamberg without visiting Ballin't
unpretentions suburn Villa and al.
ways shows some fresh mark. of hil
esteem.