The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-05
M -Four Years In Germany
Ambassador Gerard's Experiences at German Court
Until Entrance of The United States Into
The Great War
ENJOY Pictures Fatherland as Ruled Through
a Glorfed Feudal System, That Reaches
From The An Highest" to The UHermost
Corners of The Empire

{
of receiving some SORT of order.
once year in Berlin a great fes.-
tiv8l Is held, called the "Ordensfesf,
when all who hold orders or decora
tons of any kind are invited 10 a great
banquet. The butler who has served
for twenty-five years there ruhs shout
ders with the diplomat who has re-
ceived a Black Eagle for adding a
colony to the German empire, and the
faithful cook may he seated near an
officer who has obtained Pour lie
Merite" for sinking an enemy warship
All this In one sense Is democratic
hut i'm it's effect II tends to induce
the plain people TO he satisfied with
piece of ribbon instead Of the right
10 vote, and to make them upholders
Of A system by which they are de-
prived NJ any opportunity BE- make a
real advance in life.
This system is the most complete
that has ever existed in any country
because 1t has drawn so many Of the
inhabitants Of the country into its net.
Virtually the industrial workers of the
great towns and the stupid peasants
in the country are the only persons
in Germany left out of its meshes
I had a shooting place very near
Berlin; in fact, could reach II In
from the embassy door. and there
had an opportunity of studying the
conditions of life OF the peasant class
Germany Is still a country of great
proprietors, Lands may he held there
hv a tenure which was abolished In
England hundreds Of years ago. In
England property may he only tied up
under fixed conditions during the lives
of certain chosen persons in being nj
. T., A. s h. . - 49, -
of New York property may be only
tied up during the lives of two per-
sons in being at the death Of the per
son making the will and for twenty
one years tthe minority of an infant
thereafter But In the central empires
property still may be tied up for an
indefinite 'eriod under the feudal sys-
tenn, SO that geat estates. no matter
how eXttavaEaut the life tenant may
he. are not sold and do not come into
the market for division among the
people
TOR instance. today there exist es-
tates In the central empires which
must pass from the oldest son to the
oldest son Indefinitely. and failing that
to TIE next in line, and SO on, and
conditions have even been annexed
by which children cannot inherit II
their father has married woman not
at stated number Of quarterinRs oi
nobility. There Is a prince holding
great estates in Hungary, He is a
bachelor, stnti If he desires his ch'I-
1ren to inherit IL ase estates. there
are only thirteen girls ia the world
whom he can marry, according 10 thr
terms OF the inatrupaont by which
some distant ancestor founded this
inheritance
This vicinua system has prevent ed
extensive peasant proprietorship. The
government however. to certain ex-
tent. has encouraged peasant proprie-
torship, but only with very small par
cells OF land and it would be an I'M
usual thing in Germany, especially In
Prussia TO find a peasant owning more
than twenty or thirty acres of land
most Of the land being held by the
peasants In such small quantities that
after working their own lands they
have time left to work the lands oil
The adjoining landed proprietor at a
Very small wage
THE pRESSrAN
SQUIRE. OR JUSKER
Much IN heard In Germany and out
OF Germany OF the Prussian squire, on
All the titles Of the nobility are not
confined 10 the oldest son. The peck
etbook OF counts published by the
same firm which publishes the AL
manae de Gotha contains the counts
OF Austria, Germany and Hungary
Jumped together, showing In this way
the intimate personal relation between
the noble families of these three couh-
tries. All the sons OF a count arc
counts, and SO on ad Inhnitum. Thus
in Hungary there are proba bly, seventy
Counts Sztcheny and about the sam .
number Of Itchy, etc, Some of he
German noble families are not far
behind. In fact, It may be said that
almost any person. In what is known
as society" in the central empires.
has title of some sort
The prefix Won shows that the
person is noble. and is often coupled
with names OF people who have no
title. by custom in Germany, a won 3"
when he goes abroad, is allowed to
call himself baron But In German ?
he could not do so.
These noble families In the central
empires. by the system OF majorats
which | have described. hold lal re
landed estates. and naturally exert a
great Influence upon their iaborers.
AS rule, the system OF tenant farm,
ing does not exist. that is. estates are
not leased to small farmers was
the custom in Ireland and is still in
Engiand-~but estates are worked as
great agricultural enterprises under
superntendents appointed by the pro-
prtetor, This system. impossible IN
America or even in England, is pos