The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-05-18
IN THE FA7HERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
Summary Of the Most important Hap
penlngs In tho Land of the Kaiser
Timely items for the German
Readers.

Work has been resumed in Belgium
under the protection of the German
government Various industries are
beginning active operations, the fields
are being planted, and a general re-
building and reconstructing campaign
is being vigorously pushed. PriVy
Councillor Bornhardt, member of the
imperial civil administration for Bel
GUM, recently described present day
conditions as follows:
Least of all damaged through the
present circumstances is the important
Belgium coal mining industry. Conse-
quently the Germans after having ia
ken possession of the country, were
able to revive first of all the coal min
ing. The revival of this industry has
gone SO far that of 145 900 miners en-
ployed in time of peace about 100000
are again pursuing their work.
Next in Importance ranks the Bel
gian steel industry. It's revival is
causing great difficulties.
Nevertheless number of plants
have resumed business on a reduced
scale. This was done to give the work
men employment, not in order to make
money. The engines are humming in
the Cockerill works. The noise of
work is heard above everything in
Liege. In peace the Cockerill works
manufactured war material; now this
is impossible, because contractors and
workmen refuse to manufacture war
material which would be used against
their countrymen.
OF great Importance is also the Bel
GUM zinc smelling industry. Belgium
produces annually 100000 tons of zinc
metal as compared with ESQ, 900 tons
produced by Germans and 1,000,000-ton
world production, but manufactures it
exclusively from imported ores. The
Belgian zinc smelters have resumed
operations on limited scale in order
to smelt the ore supply they have on
hand. To create new markets for the
lace industry has been our effort, and
we have succeeded in collecting many
orders in Germany and America Lace
manufacture is purely home indus
try.
THE standard gauge railways were
all owned by the Belgian government.
The narrow gauge railroads are mostly
owned by private corporations. While
it has been possible to resume traffic
on the latter, only the main lines of
the state railways were being operated
again under military management
The resumption of service of the stand
ard gauge secondary lines is being
gradually followed.
In order to guide the railway traf-
fic board of managers of the Bel
gian railways was appointed, composed
of different railway officials, some of
whom are also active in the German
railway service. Through trains are
now running through the country. Gen
eral freight may be carried without es-
sential restrictions.
For the time being an increased
tariff has been introduced, partly be-
cause the cost of operation is mate
rally higher than in times of peace
and partly in order to prevent excess
sive rush of application for transpor-
tation. Part of the traffic is absorbed
by the extensive Belgian canal net, on
which vessels are operated up to 5000
tons, while the canalized Meuse car
ries vessels up to 800 tons.
"The increased customs tariff ap-
plies to export to Germany as well as
to other services"
The imperial couples meals are of
the simplest The kaiser now rarely
eats anything but the war bread and
the kaiserin desires nothing better
than to follow his example, but she is
an invalid and as the doctors have
very plainly told her that war bread
would be fatal to her she has consent
ed to a special diet consisting of a
slice of white bread toasted, a boiled
egg and tea for breakfast, soup, meat
and fruit for lunch, and the same for
dinner
Count TisZa, the Hungarian premier
in speaking of his recent trip to Wien
ma, during which he had an audience
with Emperor Francis Joseph, said
that the emperor appeared to be sur
prisingly we'll and had gone through
the winter without the slightest cough
or cold. The aged ruler showed the
liveliest interest in all the affairs OF
state, said the premier
OF nearly 100000 organized work
ers in the German empire, million, or
"a per cent, have been called to the
colors. This is disclosed by the month
ly statistical statement of the German
trade union movement
Matthias Erseberger, leader of the
Clerical Center party in the German
reichstag, has arrived at Rome on
special mission to the Vatican Herr
Grseberger visited Cardinal Gasparri,
the papal secretary of state and re-
quested an audience of Pope Benedict.
Three-fourths of the latest war loan
already has been paid. The aggregate
amount of the payments made up to
date by the subscribers is $1.6S7, 750,-
600, more than twice the amount re-
Quired at this date under the stipulated
conditions of the issue.
The exodus of German families from