The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-30
ONCE POWERFUL CITY.
Facts About City Where Belgians arc
Being Starved to Death.

North-German city in whose camp
for deported Belgians 500 out Of 1000
unfortunates are reported to nave
starved to death within the last three
months, Is the subject Of the following
war geography bulletin of the Nat
ional Geographic Society:
"ProbabIy no other municipality of
middle Europe ever welded as much
power as did the city of Lubbock for a
period of one hundred years during
medieval times. Today it is a moder.
ately prosperous town Of 10000 in
habitants. not comparing, however, in
any respect, save in it's distinguished
past. with such thriving centers of
trade and population as Bremen
Hamburg. Berlin, and Stettin.
situated on the banks of the Trave
river, ten miles from the Bay of
Lubbock. an arm of the Baltic, Lubbock
was founded during the first half OF
the twelfth century a few miles above
an earlier city of the same name It's
prosperity began when it became o
part of the domain of Henry the Lion
of Saxony, who manifested an especial
partiality for it. Offering to remit all
tolls and customs usually exacted from
visiting traders of other seaports pro-
vided their cities would grant the
same privilege to Lubbock merchants.
In 1926 the city was declared a free
imperial city and in the following year
it's people won distinction on the field
of Bornkoved where in alliance with
the HOlsteiners, they utterly defeAe'
the Danes and freed their territory of
the Danish yoke.
Possessing an excellent harbor, safe
from the inroads of Baltic pirates,
Lubbock rapidly grew in commercial
power during the 18th century and
when the Hanseatic League (Hansa
meaning association) was formed it's
citizens were among the prime NOV
ers. eventually assuming the leader
ship of the more than eighty cities
which practically controlled the COM
merce of western and northern Eu-
rope from the middle Of the four
teenth to the end Of the fifteenth CEN
tury. The league virtually dictated the
affairs of Denmark. exercised vast in
fiuence throughout Scandinavia, was
instrumental in checking piracy and
in curbing the predatory operations
OF rObber knights. In fostering COM
merce factories were established in
Bergen. in Novgorod. in Bruges, and
in London. And in all these activities
Lubeck was the dominant factor.
With the rise to power of Russia.
of Poland and Of Burgundy during the
closing years of the 18th century, how
ever. and with the development of
commerce in the newly discovered
land Of America as we'll as the in
creased trade with India, controlled
by Holland and England, the power
Of the Hanseatic League began to
wane. and the association was finally
dissolved in the middle of the seven
teenth century.
Following the defeat Of the Prus-
slams at Jena, Blucher retired to Lu-
beck In 1906 where he was again de-
feated by Napoleon's marshals Ber-
nadotte, SOult, and Murat Four
years later Napoleon incorporated the
city in his empire, but it was declared
a free Hanseatic town Ly the act of
Vienna, in 1915. u
To-day Lubbock controls the state of
the same name having an area of 115
square miles and occupying the lower
valley Of the Trave. whose waters
empty into the Bay of Lubbock. The
river channel is kept we'll dredged SO
that ships having a draft Of 25 feet
can discharge their cargoes on the
quays of Lubbock. The recently COM
plcted Elbe-Trave canal, AZ miles
long, has served to give new impetus
to the city's trade which heretofore
had been confined in large measure for
a number Of years to Scandinavia and
Russia.
"Lubeck's chief imports are coal,
grain. timber. steel and copper. while
it's exports are largely manufactured
goods. The Industrial activities of the
community include shipbuilding. brew
cries. machinery, brick. resin, pre-
serves. tin goods, and furniture.
'"The city presents a highly pic
tureSQue apearanca with its many