New Britain Herald Newspaper, September 2, 1915, Page 10

I8 by American Press Assoclation. an submarines in Kiel can n fleet firing salute in Kiel nique view of Helgoland. leading to one of the vil- Helgoland. 5—Map showing jand, Kiel canal and neighbor- . 6.—German battleship fig through Kiel canal. 7.—One ‘forts that protect German [WENTY-FIVE years ago Hel- ' goland was a tiny island in the North sea. It was only a |- small L shaped tract of barren enty-six miles from the mouths Eider, Elbe and Weser rivers. ody thought it would shortly entirely away and disappear h the waves. hg the reign of Queen Victoria sbury was premier of Eng- A very shrewd diplomat was sbury. He traded this barren for a huge tract of jungle and lands on the Zanzibar coast of Africa. His diplomacy was all over the world, and every- @’ Germany had been “stung” bargain. she? See what has happened. trade has saved the German nd probably thée German coast i@ outbreak of the war. It has Great Britain’s larger navy ly powerless to force a fight kaiser's smaller fleet. It is le Gibraltar of the North sea. at guns guard the entrance to harbors, and the fleet is England can’t send a warship | twenty miles of Helgoland; she it and hasn’t tried. er Crumble Away. nd will never crumble away. It is today the Teutonic spearhead which pushed forward the fartherest toward the Anglo-Saxon domain. Since 1890, when Lord Salisbury made his wonderful trade, the tiny is- land has been reconstructed. The kaiser has spent $30,000,000 there. She is fortified against sea and cannon alike, with great granite buttresses sixteen feet thick and 240 feet high on all sides. Even the fissures in her clifts have been filled up and bound to- gether forever with concrete—thou- sands of tons. Today the little one time crumbling island is incased with a ce- mented belt of armor fortified with $7,600,000 worth of guns. And right here in the open sea is the kaiser's ad- vanced naval and aeroplane base, with its east coast a forty-eight fathom roadstead which can hold the entire German fleet in safety and 100 miles nearer England than they are at home. Millions of Rounds of Ammunition. Helgoland’s magazines contain mil- lions of rounds of ammunition. Mines, torpedoes, aerial bombs and submarines are there in abundance. Its huge gar- rison is heavily provisioned for a siege of years. From the armored case- ments peer Bertha Krupp's heaviest guns, which can sweep the sea for twenty miles. It would take all the navies in the world to hammer them down. All this vast plant for war is kept behind walls of strictest secrecy. Even in the days of peace no one was al- lowed to inspect the extensive hangars or go behind the parapets where the great guns are mounted. Visitors must keep to Unterland, the little village down by the shore, or stay strictly within the confines of the settlement on the Oberland, as the clift top is called. And such is England’s sorest spot today. But this is not all. The Kiel Canal Valuable. In June, 1914, the kaiser opened the Kaiser Wilhelm canal, commonly known as the Kiel canal. This water- way joins Kiel, a strong naval port, with the mouth of the Elbe river, near which lies Wilhelmshaven, the head- quarters of the German navy. Of primary importance to German strategy at the present juncture is this canal, at whose Baltic sea entrance is situated, on a magnificent harbor, the strongly fortified naval base at Kiel By means of the canal the German Baltic fleet can, as it is reported to have done, quickly go to the assistance of the German high sea fieet, stationed at the North sea, or, if the occasion should arise, it offers a safe retreat for the Kaiser’s navy. The canal, which is in the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein, almost A5 é’ weumonSrer LUBEERS ™ n i\ STADEC i GHAM H e OLDENBURGS h\ oy \ RBREMEN' S at the foot of the Jutland peninsula, begins at the mouth of the Elbe river, near the town of Brunsbuttel; thence it follows a course northeast to Grun- enthal, from there east to Brogstedt, and finally southeast, following most of the way the old Eider canal, built in 1784 by King Christian VIL of Den- mark. The eastern entrance to the ca- nal is at Wik, in the harbor of Kiel, about two miles from that city. The 'length of the canal is 98.65 kilometers, or a little more than sixty miles. Dimensions of Canal. Before the recent work of broadening and deepening Kiel canal was begun its dimensions were approximately: Depth 30 feet, width at bottom 70 feet, width at top 220 feet. At night it is lighted by electricity. To make the passage of the canal requires for an ordinary steamer about nine hours. Although provided with locks to neu- 0 v ( ‘b\' S oscHWERIN tralize the tidal changes, the canal crosses the peninsula at sea level. The locks are operated by hydraulic power. At the Brunsbuttel end two formidable miles are built out into the waters of the Elbe, with lighthouses at their ex- tremities. In the whole length of the canal there are seven turning out places, used only in the passage of ex- ceptionally large warships. Four dis- tinct railway lines cross the canal at different points. One of these, the im- posing high level bridge at Levensau, carries road and railway over the canal in an arch of 430 foot span, 130 feet above the level of the water. From Brunsbuttel to Rendsburg— more than half way to Kiel—the canal passes through a low and uninteresting moorland. Beyond that point the char- acter of the country changes, and hills and beech forests and numerous little lakes make a pleasant setting. The oy o journey through the canal, under the control of a pilot, is not allowed usually to exceed about five knots in speed. The canal is a so called two ship canal, and without danger of collision. Not only can two of the largest merchant steam- ships pass one another, but two of the biggest battleships can do likewise. Relation to Dockyards. Its wartime value is increased by its relation to the dockyards and naval bases of the German coast. On one side it connects Wilhelmshaven, the base of the North sea fleet, with Kiel, the Bal- tic base, and Dantzig, also a shipyard and base. In sixteen hours it is esti- mated the whole Baltic fleet can pass through the canal if necessary. The harbor of Kiel, one of the finest on the German coast, with a uniform depth of forty feet, is defended by six forts and is naturally a port of great strategic strength. The five imperial !docks and tne shipbuilding yards are on the east side facing the town, and they comprise basins capable of hold- ing the largest battleships afloat. The imperial yard employs 7,000 men, and 7,000 more are employed in the two pri- vate yards, the. Germania—belonging to. the Krupps—and Howard's, These three yards constitute one vast dock- yard and can ‘work in co-operation if required. Seven Dreadnought battle- ships have been bullt or are bullding In these three establishments. The esti- mate of 1914 provided for an enlarge- ment of the torpedo establishments at Kiel and the construction of a second large floating dock. P The canal did not present the engi- neering feats the building of the Pana- ma canal presented. There were no | high mountains to cross. The terri- tory runs through low land. The big- gest engineering feats were the build- ing of railroad trestles over the water- way to clear the masts of the big ships. These tresties were so high that they: had to make big loops to attain the needed altitude. The sluices of the canal near Holtenau, 1,072 feet long and 146 fest wide, are the largest in the world. At the cele« bration in June, 1914, when the recon- structed canal was formally opened, the kaiser took his position at Holte- nau, the gateway of Kiel harbor. There a ribbon was stretched across the ca- nal. The kaiser's yacht steamed against the ribbon and broke 't thus opening the canal to commerce end to the warships of the German embire. Labor Day Parade In New York Was Held Thirty-three Years Ago by American Press Assoclation. Women parading in New York Labor day proce: HIS year’s Labor day parade in New York city marks the thirty-third anniversary of the first labor parade of the Cen- [Labor union, which was held on day, Sept. 5, 1882, It will mark the twenty-eighth anniversary of elebration of the day as a legal I8 hecessities of the times in the t compelled the organiza- of Labor union. It had | ers, the result of the panic and Black Friday of six years before, and, while the stock gambling elements which had caused the panic of 1873-4 had to a large extent recovered from the result- ing disasters, all classes of labor were demoralized. Between 1874 and 1880 many attempts had been made to bring about understandings between the workers in the various trades and thus to stop the ‘cutthroating’ in the matter of wages which prevailed among the ‘made necessary by a disorganiza- [ men seeking work; they were all more of 9.r_tiupl, mechanics.and labo; or less failures. There was general was suggested that the trade and labor organizations of the city and the work- ingmen generally would have no qualms about taking part in such a reception, and, as had been expected, the matter was generally agreed to, so that the re- n, a section of the men’s column and a typical workman. distrust,” says Willilam McCabe, grand marshal of the first Labor day parade held in New York city. “The opportunity to build a central organization to endeavor to better gen- eral wage and work conditions came about by accident. Michael Davitt, the Irish land agitator, had given notice that he would soon visit the United States in the interests of the Irish Land league. Several of us who coincided with Dr. Davitt in his land views came together for the purpose of devising a scheme to give a fitting receution. It ception to Mr. Davitt was given of- ficially by the working people of the city. “In order to hasten growth it was de- clded to declare for a labor holiday, at which a parade should be held to make a showing of how strong the labor or- ganizations of New York city and vi- cinity were. I was not present at the meeting at which I was chosen grand marshal. I learned it the next day through the papers. Of course I was exceedingly flattered by the compli- ment paid me and jumped enthusiasti- cally into the work of organizing the proposed parade. I may say here that I learned several years later why the honor had been thrust upon me. It was no personal tribute at all. A canvass of the delegates had developed tk_xat none of them was certain he could ride a horse; that perhaps I could because some one had heard me say that T had for a time carried the government mail between two certain points during my term of service as a soldier in the civil war. “And so started the first parade of the C. F. U. “As we marched up Broadway we urged those on the sidewalks to join in. Many of them did so, but mainly the onlookers chaffed us. “Many truckmen had their little Jokes when they stopped their teams squarely in front of us. The four policemen in the lead made a show of compelling these men to remove their teams, but their orders were not taken seriously, and so the teams moved from our front deliberately. The drivers were a hodge- podge then, but now they are so thor- oughly organized that they practically control everything that runs on wheels in this city and are able to obtain con- sideration of their demands as to hours and wages. «Another class which sought to have fun at the expense of the paraders was the garment workers. As we passed up through the garment manufacturing district they crowded their shop win- dows and laughed and shouted and threw things at us. After we got past the truckmen and the garment work- ers we had little of which to complain. “Nearly 4,000 men took part, but more than 40,000 tickets of admission were sold at the gates of the park be- fore the close, which showed that the labor movement was stronger on the evening of the first Labor day than it had been in the morning.” THE MEN WHO OUTLIN ITH success in sight, some- thing about the plan to end the strife in Mexico and the men who aided the United States in framing the new policy is interesting at this time. The calling in of the South American diplomats was a wise step, it is ad- mitted on all sides. At the outset it was made clear that this nation had no intention of seeking to obtain any Mexican territory, and this fact made the South and Central American re- publics eager to replace bandit rule with an up to date government, Something about the South Ameri- can diplomats who are aiding is like- wise very interesting. Right from the start there was no quibbling, no hesi- tating over details. To those who be- lieve that Latin America is still under the influence of the manana (“tomor- row”) spirit the conferences have been a revelation. If it is the American custom to get down at once, on any- thing, to “brass tacks,” so is it now ap- parently the South American custom as well. The plans are going ahead on a basis of pure business. For this, it is asserted, due credit must be given to Ambassador da Gama. If there ever was a being to whom the term of ‘“hustler” might be truly ap- plied it is surely due to this quiet, forceful looking man from Brazil. A few inches under the average height, just a trifle inclined to stoutness, dig- nified in his every move, with a coun- tenance that bespeaks a kindly shrewd- ness and with eyes that are constantly alert, he seems more the ideal Ameri- can business type than the diplomat. Trained at the feet of one of the world’s greatest diplomats of the modern school, Rio Branco, in whose suit he first came to the United States in 1895, when Branco solved the territorial dis- pute that involved Argentina, Boliva and Brazil, Da Gama has apparently brought to himself all the keeness that distinguished his great master and ha besides, schooled himself to a capacity illan ambassa- only one of many similar ex- pressions, and its counterpart is found in the assertion that to his excellency Dr. Romulo S. Naon, the minister of Argentina, must be awarded the title for suavity, while to his excellency Senor Eduarde Suarez Mujica, the minister of Chile, is given credit for the most pronounced manifestation of AIDED UNCLE Photos by American Press Association. Brazil, the true Latin spirit that prevails here. These three ministers are as lhi'fv' ent in type as are the Mexican fac- tions. While Da Gama seems to em- body a combination of the best ideals entirely American and Mujica entirely French. If one did not know the last | his face the ea of his own country with the distin-|one a guishing characteristics of the Amer- | minister, ican business man, Naon is appaiently |looks very much SAM IN NG A NEW POLICY IN MEXICC- Senor Romulo S. Naon (right), ambassador from Argentina; Senor Eduarde Saurez Mujica, ambassador from Chile. Below, Senor Da Gama from named as a down at onc Chilean he would be put as the personification of all that bespeaks the true Frenchman, Distinguished by a beard that makes siest remembered of any ¢ conferences, the Chileam both walk epeechly the Parisian boulge vardier and is a person to be approache ed with awe and tremulation, the in and