Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-08-23
ALONG iLOj / THE iiEI DANUBE B
EurOpe'S Greatest Commercial High
way.
CONDITIONS PAST and CoNDITIONSNOR
Wonderful Valley of History, Romance,
Industry and PIeasure-Readjust-
ment to Changed Political and Eco
nomic conditions-Probtems of the

nomic Conditions-Problems Of the
Nations.
The completion of the International
iZation of the Danube by the recent
formal action Of the interested Allied
Powers announced in Paris dispatches
is the occasion for the issuance from
the Washington, d. c., headquarters OF
the National Geogra phic Society, Of
the following bulletin descriptive OF
the famous river:
From the Black Forest to the Black
Sea. over a course 1900 miles in
length the Danube has long been a
chain upon which romance and history
have Wed with each other to hang in
teresting traditions and occurrences.
Geography too has done its share, and
although the Volga exceeds its rival in
length and although the Rhine in
Thackeray and Hood has had better
press agents, the Danube is large
enough and beautiful enough to rank
in interest with the great rivers of the
world
Less Highway and More Barrier.
There was a time when the Danube
was symbblized by an old fashioned
waltz. But since the World War be-
gan, nothing but a hesitation typifies
the place the river has held in the
| economic life of the countries through
which it runs. 1t has been less the
highway and more the barrier than IN
pre- war days. Not yet does it serve
to bind the various nations through
which it passes into friendly and CO.
operating group. 1t has been officially
open TO ships OF all nations since the
| forming OF the Danube Commission in
| 1856 and the various states interested
| long cooperated to improve the nayi-
CATION facilities, especially in the lower
reaches of the river; but political con-
ditions have done much to weaken the
economic link which once bound Linz
and Vienna to the great grain shipping
center of Braila, to which ocean going
vessels can steam, and TO the Black
| Sea ports themselves.
Charming villages, pretty meadows,
picturesque hills crowned with ruined
castles, princely palaces, ecclesiastical
niles and two of the worlds most fas-
cinating capitals are strung along the
lengthy and winding river. Thriving
industries raise their smokestacBs be-
side the stream whose legendary color
is blue but whose true tint varies from
dirty green to muddy yellow. More
! tragic than the encrOachment OF rae
tory smoke has been in late years the
sad sight of countless chimneyS from
which the life breath Of industry
seemed to have expired forever.
HohenzolIern Castle on Banks.
"Near its source at Donaueschingen,
the river passes between the castle
which gave it's name to the late ruling
family in Germany and a war monu-
ment to the Hohenzollern men who fell
in the Franco Prussian War. Farther
down its passes through the once
proud capital of Austria Hungary
whore the fine government buildings
stand to the despairing inhabitants as
a mocking reminder of better days, and
beside the Prater, once n deer park and
later a pleasure garden noted for its
Viennese gaity.
Still farther along its course just
after entering CZecho- slovakta, at It's
junction with the March, there is
towering cliff spired with a monument
erected TO celebrate one thousand
years Of Hungarian nationality. This
is Czechoslovakian territory now, and
there last summer the Stars and
Stripes were drapcd ION the occasion
Of the visit of large group Of Czech
Americans to the newly freed land of
| their fathers.
.'Bratislava, now Czechoslovakia's s
river port, was once the city in whose
dignified cathedral the Hungarian
kings were crowned. The boat station
there reveals the changes which his
tory has wrought Over the center OF
he landing the present name is given,
but to the left one can see most OF the
'ettcrs of the German name Press
burg and to the right there is the
hungarian name 'Poszony'
Budapest Not War-Torn.
"Vienna. brooding in its lovely parks,
which lack the care that was once
| ,avishcd on them, and contemplating
with cynicism the motto 81 Wis Pacem,
Para BeIlum, whose golden letters
decorate the walls Of the Ministry Of
War. is a sad sight But Budapest,
| still militant. still naughty in the con-
sc:ousness of its beauty, seems TO have
been less troubled by the. passage Of
war.
Food is the main reason, Hungary,
cduccd as il is. still contains some or
the best land in Europe. Vienna, its
| industry stopped, can do little to earn
he food it needs. During the summer
# 1920 all traffic between the two
,apitals was stopped by mutual boy
.otts and although steamers piled the
! Danube from Linz tn Budapest, no
through passengers or freight were re-
ccivcd
| 10. l.,