The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-12-27
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
summary OF the Most important Hap
penngs in the Land of the Kaiser
timely items for the German
Readers.

The decision of the Teutonic powers
in regard to the future king of Poland
is awaited with great interest in Ba-
varia, because the conviction grows
that Prince Leopold, the brother of
King Ludwig III, and conQueror of
Warsaw, will be the first ruler of the
reSurrected kingdom. The aged prince
and famous army leader is practically
the only available candidate for The re-
established Polish throne, because he
is Catholic and possesses all quail
ticatiOns necessary for the difficult
post. Several Austrian archdukeS
have been mentioned as possible can
didates, but the selection of one of
them appears highly improbable, be-
cause the deciding word will be Spok-
en- by the German kaiser. To Austria
the selection of the prince should he
entirely satisfactory. as he is closely
related TO the house of Hapsburg. His
wife, the archducheSS GiSela, is the
oldest daughter of the late Kaiser
Franz Joseph.
Creation of a provisional state coun-
ell in the Polish kingdom, to prepare
the Polish national administration in
both parts of the kingdom occupied by
TeutOnic troops until election of a
definite state council, was announced
December 8. To this council % addi-
tiOnal members will be appointed, Is
from the district of German governors
general and ten from the district Of
Austro-Hungarian governors general.
The council will meet in Warsaw, elect
q crown marshal as presiding officer
give advice on legislative matters and
generally cooperate in the creation of
state institutions.
Permission has been granted by
Kaiser Wilhelm for members of the
German embassy staff in Washington
TO appear as witnesses against Karl
Armgaard Graves, self-styled spy, at
the hearing on the charge of attempt
ing to eXtort $4,000 from Countess Won
BernstOrff, wife of the German am
bassador. The permission was CON
tanned in wireless message received
at the embassy from the German for
eign Office in Berlin.
Kaiser Wilhelm has conferred upon
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg the
grand cross of the iron cross, with an
autograph letter in which he said:
"Iy dear Field Marshal: The Rou-
manian campaign which, with Gods
assistance already has led to such bril-
liant success, will be valued in the
war history Of all times as a bright
example of the strategic art of genius.
Your grateful and always very affec-
tionate king.-WiIhelm."
Figures of sickness and death in
German prison camps show that on
August l there were in German prison
camps 1908, 794 prisoners. During the
two years of the war, 90, 297 died. OF
these 6,032 succumbed to tuberculosis
and 270 to wounds. The fact that the
condition of prisoners is good morally
and intellectually as well as physically
is proved by the fact that the suicide
rate is only 10 per 1000 against 10 per
1000, the normal rate in the French
army.
Chancellor Won Hollweg
said with regard to the future peace:
"When at, and after the end of the
war, the world will become fully CON
scious of its borrifying destruction of
life and property, then through the
whole of mankind will ring a cry for
peaceful arrangements and understand
ingS which, as far as lies in human
power shall avoid the return of such
q mOnStrOus catastrophe. This cry
will be SO powerful and so justified
that it must lead to some result"
The German hundred mark bill.
equivalent of $3.50, has dropped an
other point and a quarter on the Ge-
neva bourse and point and three
quarters on the Zurich bourse. It is
now quoted at 70 francs, or $1525, and
78 francs % centimeS, about S1J1O, re-
spectively. The fall is attributed TO
the establishment of the mass levy in
bSh "hiIiiJ II 10 IedGeu, VIII
cause part suspension of the economic
life of the country.
The report of the German steel syn
dictate regarding shipments of steel for
the fiscal year 1915-16, states that Of
the total shipments, 81 per cent were
for home consumption as against 81
per cent the preceding year. The to-
tai steel production of Germany for
the same period is given as 100000
tons, as compared with 100000 tons
the preceding year.
Germany, in q note to the state de-
partment in Washington, contends that
the steamer Arabia, sunk in the Medi-
terranean on November 6, was in re-
atty "a transport ship for troops in
the service of the British government
which is to be considered as an auxs
iliary warship, according to interna-
tional law and can therefore be treat
ed like a warship." The German gov
ernment's attitude Is expressed to he
one of readiness to make amends If
it be shown that the submarine COM
mander violated Germany's pledges to
the United States.
Berlin is rejoicing over the ar
nouncement of the kaiser's physicians
hot hn hne