Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-19
BERLIN GAY FOR SINGLE DAY.
For First Time Since War Started
Officers Appear in Dress Uni
forms Of Gold and Braid.
Is BrsMARcK's CENTENNIAL


CCorrespondence Of the Associated Press)
BERLIN. April 26.-For the space Of
a day the Berlin that II known to 20
many thousands OF Americans-the Ber-
lin that is both say and gala-returned
on the first Of this month. on the occn-
sion Of the Tooth birthday Of Bismarck,
the iron Chancellor.
For the first time In many months
hundreds OF officers gathered who were
not IN the now familiar field gray, but
who wore instead all the gray trappings
OF parade uniforms. and who. under a
brilliant sunlit sky. made an imposing
spectacle a. they gathered about the
great statue OF Bismarck before the
Reichstag building.
/ No event In months has brought to-
gsther so many Of the inhabitants Of
Greater Berlin. In thousands they
crowded about the open space between
| the Relchstag and the gilded statue OF
victory that stands, psrched hundreds OF
i feet In the air. at the head OF the sieges
Alice
Berlin, like all the other cities Of Eur
ope. has, by comparison with It's former
self. been somewhat subdusd during the
past few months. This air vanished
completely. however. as thousands of
voices took up the refrain Of patriotic
songs sung In the old chancsllor's honor.
standing, bareheaded In the sunlight.
gazing upwards towards his heroic fig
urN
Deutschland. Deutschland. Ueber
AIles' and Hell dir i'm siegerlSrRnE"
rang out with little more than the
customary viGor as the singers thought
OF the present times, and the circum-
Vtanco that Bismarck's centennial should
fail In the midst Of war more strenu-
Gus than he ever conceived.
All Out on Parade.
within ten minutes after the ceremony
at the statue, Inter den Linden was
transformed into the Unter den Linden
OF old-tlms parade days, with every
guard house contingent out In front pre-
pared TO salute the almost numberless
generals who walked or rode past in
their GORGEOUS uniforms
Though Bismarck's birthday was cele-
brated almost everywhere In Germany,
the most important recognition Of the
centennial was In Berlin. where the cere-
monial was led by the imperial chancel-
lor. DR.. Won Bethmann-Hollweg, followed
by all tho generals and admlrals not on
duty at the front. the president, officers
and members OF the Reichstag and oi
the Prusslan Diet, city officials from
Greater Berlin, the grandson and name
sake Of the chancellor, Prince Otto vor
Bismarck. and. TO give q unique touch
to the affair. the grandson Of the kaiser
the e-yeAr-old son OF the crown prince
Within q few minutes after the arrivnl
OF the functionsries the great Bismarck
statue was surrounded by great wreaths
; the sifts OF individuals ranging from the
emperor TO minor officials. and from or.
gsniEations from the Reichstag to the
cvnmittee for the erection OF national
! statue to the chancellor
Flags Fly Overhead.
From every flag pole on the Reichstag
building the black. white and red flag:
fluttsred In the breeze. and the square
. In front was q blaze of color contributed
|. by banners OF every sort and by the gay
costumes. not only of the military, but q
students In fencing suits. who changed
their foils against each other In keeping
time TO The patriotic songs.
The only suggestion OF war allowed e
enter the scene were a few remarks Of
the speakers. the words OF some of the
songs and the field gray uniforms OF ar
honor company that faced the Bis
marck statue with presented arms dur.
ing the proeeedings. In all other re-
spects It was the gay and festive Be-lir
/ OF old
Ever since Germany has been winninr
victories In the present war it's peopl,
have been I'm the habit of hanging ou
, flags-the thrse-colored German banner
! and the state flags of all sorts and de
! scription. Not even the victories of tn,
Masurian lakes. however. brought ou
, ons-half Of tho banners that the Bis
, marck celebration did. The business par
OF the city was fairly ablAse with colo
: from them