The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-01-24
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 Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

Kaiser Wilhelm'S answer to the lat
est peace proposition of the entente
allies: Our enemies have dropped the
mask. After refusing peace with scorn
and hypocritical words of love for
peace and humanity, they now, in re-
plying TO the United States, have gone
beyond that and admitted their lust of
conquest, the baseneSs of which is en-
HANGED by calumnious assertions Their
aim is the crushing of Germany, dis
memberment of the allied powers and
enslavement OF the freedom of Europe
and the seas under the same yoke that
| Greece, with crashing teeth, is now en-
during. But what in thirty months of
bloodieSt fighting and INSCRIPTIONS
economic war they could not achieve,
they will also fail to accomplish in the
future. Our glorious victories and the
iron strength of will with which our
lighters at the front and at home have
borne all hardShipS and distress is a
guaranty for the future that our be-
loved fatherland has nothing TO fear.
Burning Indignation and holy wrath
will redouble the strength of every
German, man or woman, whether de-
voted to fighting, to work or to suf-
fering. We are ready for all sacri-
fees. The God who planted his glori-
Gus spirit Of freedom in our brave peo-
pies hearts will also give us and our
noble allies tested in battle, full vic
tory over all the enemy's lust for pow
er and rage for destruction"
The English blockade interfered
with almost the entire oversee trade
of Germany. Of the 2O,000,000 900
marks reached by it in the year before
the war, only the trad1 with Ger
many's allies and neighbOrs remained.
AS grave as this loss appeared during
the first weeks of the war, as great
has now proved its blessing. All the
industries which were working for the
oversee trade, all the great financial
means which were necessary for the
importation, were suddenly available.
1t was possible to free them for the
domestic needs within q comparative
ly short time. Without the blockade
things would have gone as they have
in England; merchants and manufac-
turerS would have insisted upon the
continuation of their concerns. The
blockade protected the Germans. 1t
would not have served any purpose to
raise billions in foreign countries at
high rates of interest as long as they
were not able to bring back any COM
modities for them. AS a consequence
the Germans have learned to arrange
their affairs with their own resources
only, even if at great sacrifices.
The importance Of Poland as a part
of the Russian industrial system is
evident from some statistics that have
been published by Doctor Daszynska-
Golinska, a Polish authority. In 1910
Poland was credited with % per cent
OF all the textile goods produced in
Russia, u per cent of the coal, and IL
per cent of the iron. The most impor-
tant group of Poland's industries Is
that of textiles. 1t employed before
the war more than half of all the in
dustrial workers in Poland, and it pro-
duced in 1910 goods to a total value
of $175,0 100000. By far the most inn
portant section of this group is cotton
manufacturing, with its center at
LODI.
Pope Benedict has firmly decided
that not to participate now in any &C
ton tending toward peace that might
appear to favor the central powers
rather than any other nation. 1t is
pointed out that there is a great diff
ference between the religious mani
festations and prayers for peace and
the purely diplomatic action of the
neutralS.
"Hold the line" is the slogan today
in Germany, and ''to hold the line" in
the West, while Hindenburg's big fist
is keeping up the mauling in the East.
Germany is bending every nerve and
sinew. Every man and woman, the
former up to sixty years, incapable of
bearing arms, is being modified into
the vast home army" to REINFORCE
the armed millions in the field-men
between nineteen and forty-five.
The Arbeiter Zeitung of Vienna pub
fishes a letter to the burgonaster from
the wives Of city tramway employees
who have been called to the colors ap-
pealing for full pay. The letter as
quoted in an Amsterdam dispatch
says: 1--WE are in a deplorable con-
dition, our distress is frightful and
our children are pining away"
Neukoeln, a suburb of Berlin, has
been the victim Of clever food swim
die and is mourning the loss of $50
600 which it paid three crooks for nom
existing carloads of sausage and ba-
con. The swindlers informed the
suburban officials tliat the food, sup
posedly military property, was at
Aachen, but could be procured quietly
for the mentioned sum. The crooks
collected the money and disappeared.
The officials waited week before eau
tiously inquiring as 30 the whereabouts
of the food only to discover that it did
not exist.
The names of the members of the