The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-10-18
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHATS DOING IN OLD HOME
Summary Of the Most important Hap
penings in the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers

headers.
Increased agitation in Germany for
complete resumption Of submarine
warfare. Chancellor Won Bethmann-
HOllWeg's declaration before the reichS-
tag that any statesman failing to use
Germany'S every weapon to shorten
the war deserves to be hanged" and
the apparently inspired simultaneous
publication in German papers Of at
tacks on American neutrality, brought
forth an authoritative. though informal,
statement from the state department
OF the American governments attitude
toward the situation. Any action which
endangers American lives through the
sinking of ships without warning or by
failing to provide proper safeguards,
it was emphatically asserted, will i'm
mediately reopen the submarine QueS-
ton with all its possibilities. But so
far, in sympathy with what is going on
in Germany there has been absolutely
no indication in the official adviceS to
the department that Germany has viO-
lated the agreement arrived at in the
Sussex case. Reports of the sinking
of nearly 300 merchant ships since
June l have been received officially,
but in no case has it been proved that
American lives were endangered. I'm
til such proof is at hand, the situation
viii remain Just as it has been since
May 8, when the American reply was
sent accepting Germany's reputation,
offer of reparatiOn and assurance for
the future in the Sussex case. EN-
phatic denials that Germany has any
intention of opening a relentless cam
paign of submarine warfare are con-
tanned in advices from Berlin to diplo-
matte headquarters in Washington.
The large harvest of this year has
not only enabled the authorities to
maintain the increased bread rations
granted several months ago, but TO con-
tinue them for the entire year to come,
says an Overseas News agency state :
ment. Only persons engaged in hard
manual labor benefited by the first
grant. The authorities declare that
these increases are based on cOnserva-
tive reports regarding the size of this
years crops. The price for rye flour
has been reduced, the announcement
adds, and it is expected that grits, oats
and other cereal products for soup
making will be produced on a larger
scale within a short time, cOnStitut-
ing considerable Improvement in the
provisioning situation. Important in
creases in the fodder crop is pointed
to, it being noted that the yields in
oats and barley are far superior to
those Of last year.
Immediately on the heels of the ut
terances of the imperial chancellor in
the reichstag concerning the submarine
situation, the newspapers generally
printed strong criticisms of the neu-
trality of the United States, based on
the death of the American aviator, Kif-
fen Rockwell, and the presence of 9TH
er American aviatOrS on the western
front They connect this evidence of
American sympathy for the allies, and
the supplying of war materials by firms
of the futility of concessions to the
American standpoint with regard to
submarines. They declare that these
facts show how American respect for
neutrality is vanishing and how Amer
lea is misusng the present form of
submarine warfare to cover the: active
participation Of American firms in the
war on the side of the allies.
Conveyed by the United States bat
tleshipS Minnesota and Vermont the
informed German cruisers KrOnprinz
Wilhelm and Prinz Eitel Friedrich ar
rived at the Philadelphia navy yard
October l from Norfolk. A convoy of
i warships escorted the informed
cruisers up the coast because it was
necessary to go outside the three-mile
limit. Ten of them came only as far
as the Delaware capeS. The cruisers
were sent to the Philadelphia navy
yard because the space at the Norfolk
ward was limited. Although the Ger
mans will be kept in close confinement
navy officials said facilities at the Phil
adelphia navy yard would give them
more freedom than they enjoyed at
Norfolk
Alfred Bailin, director general of the
Hamburg American line, recently said ::
II believe this insane war could have
been avoided if English statesmen had
been wiser Here in Hamburg every
one wishes to see England defeated
as soon as possible, but the means
must be decided by responsible men,
to which class, thank God, Hindenburg
and Ludendorff belong.
Chancellor Won BethmannT Hollweg
said in the reichstag: "A German
| statesman who would hesitate to use
against Great Britain every available
| instrument of battle that would really
| shorten this war-such a statesman
| should be hanged
Count Ferdinand Won Zeppelin,
| whose illness has been accentuated by
his opponents claims that dirigible
! raids accomplish little or nothing, and
| cost dearly, is determined to send a
! fleet OF 30 or so air monsters over Lon
! don in the near future.