Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-16
MEDALS EMPLOYED
TO EXPRESS HATE
Collection of Tokens "Made in
Germany" Includes Satire
on Lusitania Horror.
SOME COME FROM AUSTRIA

SUME CUME fkUM AUSIh
| Two hundrede and more medals, coins
and tokens lie on a large desk in the
room of the director of the mint, Ray
! T. Baker. They are mostly of the
made in Germany" variety, although
there are some from Austria, France
England, Belgium. Switzerland and
ether nations. They are the product of
T! the present world war, and were col
| Iected in Amsterdam for the American
government, whose property they are.
The collection Is not complete, for Ger
many alone has produced such medals,
coins and tokens at a rate hard to
keep up with, but the most noteworthy
are there.
| OF greatest interest are the German
output. Here one finds the satire, the
sinister mood characteristic of kultur,
the vainglory of autocratic domination.
Many of the medals are just cartoons in
metal. concentrating some military
incident or throwing ridicule upon the
enemies of the Teutonic entente. The
German medals are mostly of iron; the
coins and tokens are of aluminium, iron
and other metals.
Includes "Lusitania Medals"
The Lusitania medal is among this
display. This Is perhaps the most
famous of all. AS has been told, the
medal bears the date of May 5, 1915,
preceding that calamity by two days.
The reason for this error in date is not
disclosed This iron medal is the work
of Karl Goetz, and shows the vessel
sinking. with her stern under water.
Another Lusitania medal, not so well
known. is by W. Eberbach. The figure
of death. astride the sinking vessel,
gloats over the disaster. This legend
appears on the diverse side: Spite and
leedlesS frivolity on board the LuSi-
tania."
Pay Respects to Allied Nations.
The greater number of the German
medals. however. pay their respects to
Great Britain. as the arch-foe. France
is not forgotten; nor is Italy, as the
traitor" to the triple alliance. other
medals are struck in honor of royal
personages. of statesmen, of great COM
manders Of the German forces on land
and sea-Mackensen and Tirpitz-and
there are a great number comment
Grating alleged victories. German "kul-
tur" Is mentioned a number of times
in the legends borne by the medals.
In one of the pieces aimed at Eng
land Tommy Atkins is shown boosting
in the branches of which reposes
magnificent specimen Of the German
eagle. Colt Strafe England is a fire.
quent motto.
Of Kaiser William. Emperor Franz
Josef and the Sultan of Turkey. the
latter in the middle place of honor.
It marks the time that Turkey threw
in her lot with the Teuton allies.
Aviators Boelcke and Immelmann
are honored. The title of Eagle Of
Lille is conferred upon the latter by
one medal. The exploits Of the raider
chant submarine Deutschland are com
memorated.
Honor to British Discoverer.
The medal struck to the British dis
coverer. Francis Drake, seems in
strange company. But the inscription
explains the reason: Francis Drake
was the name of the gallant man who,
three centuries ago, sailed from Eng
land to America in command of ship,
and who. when he returned from his
distant travels. brought with him the
useful vegetable we owe to the very
same state that is today-1916-en-
deavoring to starve US out. Such Is the
irony of world history and world poll
tics"
The butcher and the baker of Ger
many are pilloried in several medals.
Those who indulge in profiteering in
foodstuffs are threatened with hand
cuffs and the knout. A baker is rep
resented as saving block of wood to
make substitute for bread. There is
also a war baby" medal It shows an
infant in an inverted helmet and bears
the inscription. Born during the
world war" Another medal, inscribed:
welded in war time" is for the war
brides. There is the same inverted,
spiked helmet. and the reverse bears
the claSped hands of an armed man and
woman. between them supporting a
sword.
Almost all the German medals are
characterized by hurried workmanship,
and none too carefully thought out de-
signs. While they may not be regard
ed as official issues. they could hardly
have appeared without the knowledge
and consent of the government,
Pieces Of Money in Collection.
Interesting also are the pieces of
money issued for the use of the prison.
ers In the German and Austrian camps
Presumably a certain value of these
was distributed to each prisoner. per-
haps weekly. giving him limited
amount of liberty in their expendi-
ture.
The artistic value of many of the
French war pieces is in marked con-
trast. One plaque shows an AIsation
girl with her attractive headdress,
while on the reverse is a view of the
roofs Of one of the towns of the lost
province" with a stork's nest in a
chimney.
The battles of the Marine and of Yer
dun and other French victories are
+, commemorated. Joffre and other
French generals, as we'll as President
Poincare, also are honored.
The Belgians honor their king and
in several medals Of brip