The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-19
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. c.

that has recently been made for
Joining the one-time Hanseatic cit
les of Hamburg and Lubbock. The
cities, which were both leaders in
the old league, lie only about 40
miles apart in northeastern Ger
many, one on the Elbe river near
its mouth into the North sea, and
the other on the River Trave, only
ten miles from the Baltic sea. The
object of the association of the two
ports would be to eliminate com
petition and to overcome the eff
fects of the depression that both
have felt.
Hamburg is both free port and
a free city; and he who sees Ham
burg quickly learns that both ap-
pellations have practical conse-
quences. The visitor starts forth,
wisely enough, to see Hamburg'S
best advertised spectacle, its har-
Dor. He finds it has not been over
rated. 1t is one of the most amaZ-
ing industrial spectacles in the
world; that vast sweep of clut-
tered water, pierced by hundreds
of land fingers separating the rec
tangular water sheets which are
basins, skylined by monster skel-
etons of mighty ships in the build
ing.
For six miles along the broad
Elbe, IS miles up-river from the
sea, extend the massive docks. The
hippOdrome landing stages, the in
tricate jumble of cranes, derricks,
and elevators. The landing stages
are necessary, because Hamburg
has an "Open harbor," accessible to
the tide, in contrast to the dock
basins and flOod-gates of much of
the port of London.
A ferry is the proper sight-see-
ing vehicle. For the port is 10
square-mile area, strewn with
every type of modern vessel, from
huge ocean liners down through
lazy barges, alert yachts, energetic
motOrboats, chugging tugs, and busy
ferries.
You have your pass, of course"
inquiries the master of the "circu-
lar ferry"-"circular" applying to
the trip. not the craft.
"a pass, what for?"
"A part of this harbOr is a free
port, sir" patiently explains the
1Oatman. "And you wish to come
back"
What the Free Port Means.
You get your pass, your bOatman
threads his way for miles and miles
through a floating traffic jam, but
an orderly one-that makes cross
ing Fifth avenue seem child's play
to the landlubber mind. You visit
the free port, then your ferry heads
back toward your embarkatiOn
place. On the way you pull up at
what seems to be a customs house.
displaying a sign which marks the
free port limits. You show your
pass; the boat is searched
You understand the need for the
pass, and you realize, too, that
you have just seen one key to the
prosperity of the foremost conti-
mental port. The huge free port,
with it's mammoth warehouses,
cluttered with silks from China,
beef from Argentine, coffee from
Brazil, harvesters from the United
States, all bearing addresses for
transshipment to strange-named
Baltic ports, none to pay cent of
duty into Germany's treasury.
One-third of Hamburg's harbor,
you later learn, is given over to
this free port; in its zone are en-
ployed some 10000 or the city's
10000 industrial workers.
Hamburg entered the German
customs union in 1888, thus en-
abling it to sell it's own goods to
Germany, tariff free, but its
canny senate maintained it's free
port privileges, which arrangement
makes it the great trans-ocean de-
partment store of the Baltic.
A senate in a city? Yes, SEN
ate which cIings to it's stiff Span
ish dress as Loyalty as it guards
the ancient rights and privileges of
the free city-the Free and Han
seattle City of Hamburg"
There are only three German sur.
vivors of that mighty Hanseatic
merchandising chain of the Middle
ages-Bremen, Lubbock and Ham
burg. OF these three the mightiest
is Hamburg.
Once the senators of Hamburg
were elected for life. Their rule
of Hamburg was as autOcratic, to
our modern way of thinking, as
that of the dOges Of Venice. That
has changed now. There is a house
of burgesses, giving a legislative
balance much like that under the
United States Capitol dome.
Where Hamburg's Senate Sits.
The senate sits in the town hall.
Perhaps you have heard of the ia
nous Ratsweinkeller, beneath the
central building, with its jolly stone
Bacchus frankly enthrOned at the
entrance to vestibule adorned
with stained glass window portrait
Ures of the John Paul JOneses
of maratime Hamburg. You climb
aloft. The peculiar walls catch
your eye. They seem to be of solid