The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-08-01
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
summary OF the Most important Hap
penings in the Land Of the k.;s.r
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

Scientific experiments with the di-
vining rod conducted by Germans over
a period Of months in the DESERT
wastes of Syria and eastern Egypt
approximately in the district of the
new railway line being built toward
the SueZ canal-not only have resulted
in the discovery of water, but have
proved that the scorned and tlouted
rod Is about 20 per cent infallible, ac-
cording to DR.. L. Preyer, formerly in
the German consular service, a practi-
cal scientists. He admits that he would
belong to that majority of intelligent
persons who deride the divining rod
as swindle if he had not been able
to see 1t work for four months. He
describes Major Won G., who used
the rod in Egypt, as a remarkably nerv-
GUS man who becomes tuned up" to
en- unusual tension when he takes the
rod into his hands and begins TO walk
across the desert. The major general
ly uses an iron rod, for, though it is
less sensible to the mysterious forces
which make it tremble, it works satis-
factorily because of his highly devel-
oped gifts" He has, however, and
occasionally uses, rods of wood, alumni
nun, and silver, which are increas-
ingly sensitive in the order named.
He found that a rod of aluminium and
bronze, held over spot at which the
iron rod had signaled water, would fly
upwards if the water was fresh and
drinkable, but remain unreSponSive or
drop downward if the water was salt.
This instrument, however, cannot al
ways be trusted, for there are cases
on record in which it signaled salt wa
ter, and was unaffected by the clear,
good water that was found under
stratum of salt. The majors latest
experiments have been made in a sec
ton of country where water has never
been known. The district is 4 by 20
kilometers in extent, and yet water is
said to have been found now at depths
of 80 and 80 meters in a number Of
places.
Wilhelm Heiterer, a sergeant of the
Seventh Wuerttemberg Reserve infan-
try regiment, has been decorated with
the iron cross of the first class for an
exploit of exceptional daring. With IA
men he recently volunteered to cap
ture Il French trench near Sapt in
upper Elsass. The captain of his com
pany at first objected to the enter
prise, but finally consented, because
the French from their position were
able to keep up a raking fire on the
German trench. In q dark night the
sergeant and his companions APP
preached the enemy trench with hand
grenades. They cut their way through
some wire entanglements and then be-
gan to throw their bombs. The
French, whose strength was about a
company, were taken completely by
surprise. They offered brave resist
ance, but had to give up the position
after losing about fifty men in less
than ten minutes. In Il quarter of
an hour Sergeant Heterer and his
squad were in complete possession
of the trench and % prisoners re-
manned in their hands.
A German photographer Of BreSlau
some time ago received an order to
photograph the entire population OF
Poland, as the photographs are neces-
sary for the passports granted to the
inhabitants of the occupied districts.
The gigantic work is now well under
way, and already more than 100000
negatives have been made. Several
hundred assistants of the photog-
rapher are travelling from town to
town and from village to village, mug
ging" everybody. In the main studio
at Kalish over 300 men and women are
busy developing the plates and films
and making prints. Orthodox Jews
and Polish peasants both have q great
aversion to being photographed, and
the camera men meet with great op-
position. They are accompanied by
soldiers and policemen. The contract
or hopes to complete his job by July l.
The German national committee,
which recently was organized under
the presidency of Prince Won Wedel
for the purpose Of preparing the minds
Of the German people for "an honor
able peace" will soon begin its labors
with a series of meetings in various
towns in Germany. According to Reu-
ters' correspondent at Amsterdam, the
committee is regarded with profound
distrust by the Pan-Germans. The
Berliner Tageblatt says 30 speakers,
including politicians and professors
of the most varied views, will deliver
addresses.
Transfer to new points of At Amer
lean consuls in Europe and elsewhere
have been announced by the state de-
partment, the changes being required
in number of instances because Of
conditions brought about by the war.
Edward Higgins, consul at Stuttgart,
against whom complaint has been
made by the German press because
of his alleged pro-English sentiment,
is transferred to Bahia, Brazil. George
n. lift, at st. Gall, Switzerland, sue
ceeds Mr.. Higgins. Three other con-
suls in Germany and three in Austria
were assigned TO new posts.