The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-19
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Germany and everyone is wondering
 what peace terms will be evolved out
 of the congress which will determine it's future status, it may be well to con- slider the physical features of the great
 central empire which has gone to l smash.
 Bear in mind that the area of the
 German empire is very small compare1 with that of some of the other first
 class powers. It is not more than 20S,-- { 7S0 square miles. being 50 or moro
 thousand square miles smaller than
 Texas, our great empire state. ! But let's size it up with some of the other countries. The United States. as a whole, is IT times larger; the British empire about 47, and Russia 41 times. As a European power, Ger ! many takes the third place as to size Before the war it also had third place as colonial power, but will probably be shorn of them. She had a colonial fatherland.
 
 It might also be we'll to get some idea of the relative size of the Ger man territory in Europe. Prussia has 65 per cent; Bavaria, II per cent; Sax ony, 2.s per cent; the other four states of South Germany, Wurttemburg, Ba- den. Hesse, Alsace-Lorraine, 10 per cent. (And the latter two fair prov | inces which it filched from France in the seventies will be restored to the rightful owner.) It will be seen that even in size Prussia dominates Ger l many.
 1 This then, was the physical status as to area before Germany plunged into world war for territory and to carve out for itself a great empire in miG- dle Europe, where she could find her 1 place in the sum Now just how much the allies will carve out of the pre-war Germany in Europe is at pres l ent only a guess, but it is safe to say l that she will lose not only the two T her Polish territory.
 |
 | In passing, it is worth while to be- l gin to think out the question of per
 hitting the German speaking part Of 1 Austria to come under the wing CT Germany. As popular song in Germany from 1915 to 184S put this pointed ] query, Was ist der Deutschen Valar- land?" which answered the question ia
 the refrain:
 "Wher'er the German tongue dotn I sound
 There must the Fatherland be found" 1 If this dream comes true. then, in my
 opinion Germany will not be shorn
 of her strength
 I know it's joke to ask about the weather, but it's mighty fruitful l topic for conversation, and there is 2 l temperaments and the change of the | seasons certainly affect ones feelings, l and therefore, at this juncture it is
 pertinent to inquire into the climate of the great central empire which
 dreamed of finding softer atmosphere l farther south.
 Now. I know something about the
 German climate from reading about it, and also from having lived in Ger
 many. Get this fixed in your mind.
 The German empire lies between the
 fifty-fifth and forty-eighth degrees
 of north latitude. But it is colder than it's latitude would indicate, since
 it is closed by the Alps against the mild winds of the south, and open to
 the cold northern and eastern regions of Europe; but the Atlantic ocean makes the weather of the northwes. l milder.. s.
 I can sit here in warm room by good fire and shiver more than quar- ter of century just in recalling the dreaded winds which ate into my very kmarrow as I used to trudge back and
 forth to the University of Berlin. Ger
 many. as a whole, is a damp country. All seasons bring humidity, especially
 the spring and late summer. the south ern mountainous territory receiving
 heavier precipitation than the nortl.- ern plain but on the whole. it can
 be said that the climate of Germany
 is refreshing, rather than mild. Tho
 four seasons are distinctly different,
 giving thf people a very desirable change w
 l have always loved the study of geography and have had a passion for
 maps. At the outbreak of this war I began to cut out the various maps
 in the papers. magazines and books
 but soon found that it was an inter-
 minable job, SO gave 1t up. I would
 advise those who wish to refresh thenl-
 selves to get map of Germany and
 study it while the peace conference is
 in session, as it will add zest to what
 comes flashing to the papers over the. cables
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