The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-12-30
MIGHTY FORTRESS
BEING DESTROYED
Heligoland Returning to Peaceful
Pursuits.
Heiigoland, Nov.

hearts
years ago by an island dignitary on
behalf of the people Of nehgoiand.
Sir Arthur Barkly had yielded up the
povernorship to the German minis,
ter of state; glasses had been raised
to the English queen and the German
emperor; the German national an
them had been played by the band;
and the Union Jack over the Resl-
dency and the little English cannon
at the southern point OF the ROCK
Island had been lowered and remov-
led.
That the island dignitary-the
Helipoland baths director = was
wrong in his estimate of Teuton toll
erance soon became evident. Inc
following day, August 10, 1891,
German men-o'-war in the roadstead
thundered out their salute to his I'M
perial majesty in person stepped
hrisklv ashore to take formal posses
sion of the island; and forthwith, says
the chronieler, began the most mel
sive alterations in all branches OF the
administration.
We know what that means, writes
a correspondent Of the London Times;
The war lord in landing pronounced
that Heligoland should become the
Fatherland's protection and defense
against enemies trespassing IN the
North sea. Everything became at
once Kaiserlich or Koniglich, down to
the names of streets and villas and
bungalows. A military governorshlp
was established. The towering rocks
were converted into bristllng forts.
A war harbor nearly as large as the
island itself was run out to tne
southwest at cost Of many millions.
Heligoland, transformed into the Eye
of Empire, guarding the river mouths,
ceased to exist save as part OF the
Prussian fighting machine.
Prussians Mar Island Beauty.
Tt still remained a summer resort,
but Prussian military engineers as
your first walk above the red ,cllffs
would prove did their level best to
rid it of all claims to beauty.
In due course came war. The Whole
population, some had lived there
their whole lives and had never set
foot on mainland soil were expelled
from their homes at six hours notice,
shipped to Altona and Hamburg, and
there put under fierce police super
vision. Strict orders had been issued
by the island lcommandant that all
KEYS. to houses, rooms and cupboards
were to be left in their locks, and only
such luggage was allowed as each
one could carry. And these were
German citizens! It is significant
that in the days of crisis they were
treated as semi-English. The only
kvo actual British subjects resident
the island, one a sailor with 23
s. service in the British navy,
flung into prison three days be-
wer was declared.
lTaint no catch being under
ian rule" says the sailor. re.
Eent over rum-grog, but still
rom his long bondage.)
people eventually returned to
heir houses occupied by Ger
hawai- officers, who had brought
families to share their rest cure,
lnsacked by the garrison Of artil-
IS who had spent the war in COM
Ative 'stupefed with
Bhtentment." For from start to
finish not "a salvo was fired by the
batteries, though their erection cost
Germany 2,250,000 pounds ,(nomi-
nally $11, ,500,000). They = found
too, their local government. Still fur
ther undermined by the six hundred
Prussian officials and employees re-
tanned on the island. Party political
conspiracy is fermenting even here,
and the autocracy stipulated by the
Anglo Germany treaty Of 1890 is
more mythical than ever.
Strong Separatist Movement.
Long experience of the German
conception of the sacredness Of
treaties has undoubtedly caused
strong separatist movement among
Heligolanders. If the right of self
determination were justly applied the
Union Jack would float in the breeze
again above the old Residency gar
den, where floats shredded German
naval ensign. Meantime the island
ers have reminded the supreme coun-
Gil of the years when, under the
long and blissful administration OF
the great British nation, all our rights
and customs were always most Loyalty
upheld and have begged that the
many injustices of the Prussian re-
gime may be examined and abolished.
The quaint concluding phrases Of
this petition to Versailles are worthy
of wider reading:
eve Heligolanders, on our little
island in the middle Of the sea, far
from all the worlds commotion, form
the very smallest nation which has for
centuries maintained its independ-
erce and it's local customs. We seek
/ neither wealth nor ostentation, but
desire and hope to live our lives in
our lonely home upon the rocks, in
peace and contentment, as our fore
fathers did before US
Their little town is an old-world
seaside place, hemmed in by fantas-
tic rock shapes, isolated from the
continent sometimes for weeks to-
gether, yet rich in memories: It's
reets are as clean as its kitchen
-