The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1920-07-14
wv THEN EUROPES best ad-
, NM rertised health resort
" v awoke one morning to find
its,x

NM vertiSed health resort
" " awoke one morning to find
its postofiice changed from
Carlsbad, Austria, to Karlovy Vary,
tCzecho- Slovokia, the mental shock to
the German inhabitants must have
,Deen somewhat like the occasional ex-
.plosions Of its hidden wells, from
which Its famous mineral waters come,
says bulletin of the National Geo.
graphic society.
Though it is located In Bohemia, the
Englishman had introduced afternoon
tea, and the American had made ten
mis- popular, but the 1900 permanent
residents, who remained in Carlsbad
after the annual influx of some 10000
visitors. were essentially German. and
harlovy Vary remains so, according
TO the press reports.
Hence 1t is easy to understand how
this island of Germans, under Czech
rule, approached political boiling
point. Dispatches told Of open dis
play of Emperor Franz Joseph's por-
trait, and Of the refusal Of the native
sons, who live by means of the saline
waters and salt derivatives, to call
Carlsbad by anT Ether name.
Discovered by Charles ~.
Traditions I'D it, and the inhabit-
ants preferred to believe, that EN-
peror Charles w. discovered the heal
ing power Of the waters that gush
through the vents Of the mammoth lid
that nature clapped down over a
seething caldron far beneath the sur
face.
Atop this vast subterranean lake of
molten mineral and kissing steam a
river, the Tepel, flows lazily down q
narrow valley whose slopes are soft
ened by beautiful trees and traversed
by winding trails and paths Among
these. some physicians intimate, the
health hunters gained the rosy cheeks
and buoyant spirits for which the
springs receive overmuch credit.
1t is just before the Tepel enters the
Eyer that the underground streams
pierce the crust at numerous points,
and furnish the waters used for bath
ing and drinking by those who could
afford to go there; and either bottled
or boiled down by the millions of gal
shipped to all quarters of the globe.
During the season at pre-war Carls-
bad the guest at any Of the numerous
hotels would be awakened ut 6 o'clock,
or even earlier, and would arise TO
join the procession toward the springs.
At popular one, such as the Sprudel,
from which flow 40 gallons of water
a minute, at a temperature Of 163
degrees. Fahr., he might have to wait
Is or 20 minutes until whitecapped
maid served him. For his protection,
large glass covers were erected over
many Of the springs, and from an air
plane Carlsbad might resemble n field
Of cOnservatOries.
But to linger too long among the
springs Of Carlsbad is to miss its his
tory. Here there IS grim sort of
symbolism. For it was here. just 100
years ago last August, that Metternich
plotted to clamp down the lid upon
free speech, free press. and untrum-
meled teaching in the German states.
Origin of the carlsbad Decrees"
There were signs that liberal agita-
tlOn among Germans was reaching
the boiling point. Autocracy was
threatened. Prince Metternich Of Aus
tria arranged to have sympathetic rep
rcSentatiOn from Austria. Prussia. and
seven other states of the German con-
federation at Carlsbad, and then call
cd them together in hurry. Inder
pretcXt of need for summary action.
Out OF the conference came the fa-
can be little doubt but that the tinder
for the world explosion in 1914 was
lighted at Carlsbad. There was formu-
lated the policy, later carried to II
relentless conclusion by the German
empire, of press censorship, of state
regulation of teaching in universities
and all other schools, and commits
sion was created 10 inquire into utter
ances opposed to the monarchcal prin
ciple which every German state was
pledged to maintain.
Only sixteen years before Metternich
conceived this method of political re-
preston, Carlsbad was nearly blown
up by the forces beneath the cIJSted
surface Now, to quote traveller,
1.-The most dangerous portions are firm
Iy battoned down, under solid masonry,
held together with iron and steel,