JOURNALISTS ABROAD

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1847, 31 July 1907, Page 19

JOURNALISTS ABROAD

RECEPTION IN THE CHIEF CITIES OF GERMANY. A REMARKABLE OVATION. (Fr< m Our Special Correspondent.) No. 1. LONDON, June 14. Twelve months ago a party of German journalists visited Great Britain, on the invitation of a number of their brethren of the British press. The reception was cordial, and under the guidance of the committee, the visitors had a very pleasant time, making excursion© to Stratford-on-Avon and other places of interest, and enjoying them©elves in a quiet but most agreeable way. Some of the German journalists who took part in this friendly commission suggested a return visit, and when the project was mooted it received an amount of enthusiastic support that must have astonished the originators of the scheme, as its magnitude certainly surprised the reeinients of this profuse national hospitality. With that faculty of organisation which distinguishes the German nation, a strong central committee was formed at Berlin, under the Presidency of the Duke of TTa.chen.berg, Prince Ilatzfeldt, with Herr Franz von Mendelssohn, a prominent banker of Berlin, and Herr P. Dernberg, editor of the Berlin “Tageblatt” and chief initiator of the movement, as Vice-Presidents. Local committees were established in Bremen, Hamburg, Dresden, Munich, Frankfort and Cologne, with minor comittees. in other centres. These committee© immediately secured the active support of the Burgomasters, the Chambers of Commerce, and the leading business men; so that, from a more or less informal fraternising of tho members of a profession which has always been distinguished for its good fellowship, the reception developed into a magnificent welcome by the chief civic officials and businesg men of seven of the greatest commercial cities of the German Empire, The arrangements in London were delegated to th. 9 capable hands of Dr Brandes, who represents two of _ the leading German papers in the British metropolis. He communicated _ with a number of prominent editors in London, and. co-operating with a representative English committee, he obtained acceptances of the Berlin invitation from forty-two prominent journalists, among whom was Mr W. T. Stead, who had taken an active part in organising the visit of the German editors in 19C6. lie London newspapers which sent representatives compiised the “Daily Telegraph,” “The Standard,” “Chroniede,” “Westminster Gazette,” “Morning Leader,” “Graphic,” “Sphere, “Reynold’s Newspaper,” “Morning Advertiser,” and “Tribune.” The great dailies of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, and other provincial towns sent their chief editors; and from Scotland came journalists of note to uphold the honour and dignity of the leaders of public opinion in North Britain. Ireland contributed two members of the party. Invitations were extended to some representatives of the Australian press attending the Colonial Conference, but they xvero unable to accept, and the only journalists from the Southern colonies who participated in the excursion were Mr Mark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin “Star,” and Mr T. W. Leys, editor of the Auckland “Star/' Magazine literature was represented by Sir Clement Kinloch-Coolce, of the “Empire Review," Mr Bunting, of the “Contemporary,'’ and Mr Keary, of “Peareon’s.” THE VOYAGE TO BREMEN AND RECEPTION THERE. The party first obtained an indication of the magnitude of the preparations that had been made for their entertainment when they found, on arrival at Dover, that the North German Lloyd Company had specially sent over their fine steamer Zieten, of 800 tons, to convey them to Bremen; and that the German Ambassador and two directors of the steamship company had gone to Dover as a special mark of honour. The dinner held in the saloon that evening was the first of a series of sumptuous repasts which attended the various stages of their journey during the ensuing twelve days, and the note of cordial good feeling which characterised the speeches at the subsequent banquets was happily struck on this initial occasion. The programme handed to each member of the party at this early stage of the journey brought home to everyone the fact that he must for the period of his sojourn in the Fatherland subject his own initiative to that of the far-reaching and ably organised combination that had undertaken to provide for all his material comforts and at the same time afford him the best opportunity of coming into close contact with prominent men in all parts ot Germany, and of seeing the most interesting places in the shortest possible time. The luggage of the visitors was taken charge of, their hotels and even the number of their rooms were notified to them beforehand, and their occupation and dress set down in clear cold print from the very early hour at which they were expected to partake ot breakfast, until the still earlier hour, of the following morning, at which they were permitted to retire for a brief and fitful sleep. It is needless to say that some members of the party broke away from this oast-iron programme, but they rarely did so without having cause to regret missing some agreeable function prepared by the committee. Ihe luncheons and dinners, with the attendant speeches reiterating the hospitable and brotherly feelings expressed m the towns last visited, undoubtedly occupied

too large a aha.' t of the time; but even this fault hid the compensating advantage of br-iiging visitors and hosts into closer &nC/ more sociable contact than could have been secured in any other way, and the personal intercourse at the festive board was more illuminated with regard to the prevailing national sentiment than the set ©peeche©, mostly too long on both sides, which are inseparable from such gatherings. As for liter&t.ure, the sheafs of handbooks, illustrated programmes, compendiums of statistics, pictorial postcards, and other publications descriptive of the progress and attractions of Germany and its chief industries, which reached every meaber of the party day by day would have staggered even a Tsew Zealand legislator in the toils of parliamentary session; and w'ith that admirable foresight which is placing the German nation in the forefront of the industrial forces of the world, lest this cargo should be hastily jettisoned, the committee had provided a handsome portfolio, bound in red cloth, and divided into compartments for the reception and safe custody of the publications relating to each city visited. Before the tour was over, editors with enamelled Union Jacks in their button-holes were observed rushing from hastily snatched breakfasts to catch early trains, carrying these gorgeous and bursting volume© under their arms, like Under-Secreteries departing on some momentous mission of State; and no personally conducted tour by the übiquitous Cook ever created such a sensation as these gentlemen, did when whirling through the streets of great cities in motor cars and inspecting quaint old streets and buildings attended by Burgomasters, Professors of Universities, brother editors, and other men of note in the comTlie party was accompanied on their tour not only by the indefatigable Dr Brander, but by several delegates from the Berlin committee, to whom was specially allotted the task of supervising the details of the expedition. The German press was represented on this executive committee by Dr Grimswald, editor of the “Vossichen Zeitung.” of Berlin; Dr Eisele, editor of tho “Berliner Vertreter der Cologne,” and Herr Mullendorff, of the “Cologne Zeitung.” To the efforts of these gentlemen much of the success and pleasure of the tour was due. THE VISIT TO BREMEN. Although the Zietin arrived at Bremerhaven before eight o’clock in the morning, the Burgomaster _ and some leading citizens were wanting on the wharf to welcome the visitors; but after the usual exchange of compliments the party proceeded by train to the important seaport of Bremen, which is tho home port of thi North German line A depth of water in the river Weser is too small to allow of the passage of vessels like Kaiser William the Grosse the registered tonnage of which is 14,349, or her bigger sister the Kronprmz Wilhelm, 20,000 tons gross register, which in September, 1902. beat all previous Atlantic records with an average speed of 23.09 knots; the Government of Bremen therefore wisely directed its attention to the improvement of the mouth of the Weser, at Bremerhaven, where docks have been constructed at a cost of more than ,£1,000,000. Great improvements have also been effected in the river below Bremen, doubling the depth of the channel, and thereby greatly increasing the number of vessels which are able to discharge at the city wharves. Bremen is one of the old Hanseatic towns, and until 1888 was an entirely free port, but the fact that its manufactures, which wore rapidly increasing :n importance, could not enter the rest of Germany without passing a rigid Customs supervision, and that even citizens were liable to such inspections ivhen crossing the border, drove Bremen and Hamburg into the business union, only a small area being reserved upon which goods for re-export may be landed free, just as they may be placed in bond at any -British port. The Hanseatic towns still possess certain elements of independent Government differing from that of other German cities, and the people are traditionally proud of this distinction, but the overlordship of the central Government has restricted these privilege© to functions not materially different from those exercised by a county council, or great municipality. But Prussia still maintains a resident Minister to Hamburg, the most important of the Hanseatic cities. Bremen is a bright, well-built city, with a population of about 300,000. The expansion of the foreign shipping trade of this port ha© been mainly stimulated by the enterprise of the directors of the North German Lloyd Company, which now owns a fleet of 379 ships, representing . a gross tonnage of 786,510 tons and a steam power of 599,609 h.p. Last year this company carried 6,469,000 passengers. . . Bremen possesses many characteristics of an English city. Its people mostly live in separate houses, instead of in. flats or tenement houses, which are the rule in other German towns. It© public and private gardens are well kept, and break the lines of stone and brick with frequent borders of flowers and plots of grass. It© factories, built during tlie days when it wa© necessary to erect them on the inland side of the Customs line, wore planted outside the city, which is thus free from the atmosphere of ©moke that blackens public buildings and disfigure© monuments in other manufacturing town©. There are many fine monuments, the most conspicuous among them being an equestrian, statue in bronze of Kaiser Frederick, father of the Emperor, in Roman costume—©imply a girdle, with the upper and lower limbs naked. This statue has been a good deal criticised, and is no doubt incongruous, but its artistic merit, the mobility of the figure and the splendid proportions of tne steed, compel admiraf/w, and have given tho statue a piaoe among the monuments of Germany. The most charming feature of Bremen and perhaps the most admirable among the many evidences of public spirit

which on© ntfets everywhere in Germany, is the BurgeVpark, an area of about acres of swampy and Sandy land which belonged to the city for many centuries, and lay more or less a desolate waste until some public-spirited citizens forty years ago conceived the idea 01 turning it into a. park by voluntary subscriptions Their appeal for money met with the most generous response, and year after year the scope ©t tne work has extended, and it is estimated that .£200,000 have been collected since |P6S for the beautifying of these grounds Handsome bridges and kiosks, the gilt of individual citizens, add to the attractions of the park, and the entire cost of maintenance, some .£15,000 a year, is provided without making any claim upon the rates—two-thirds come from voluntary subscriptions, and the balance from revenue derived from sale of timber, rent of refreshment booths and similar souro/s. This park well deserves its name; it is in the truest sense a ‘ people's park/' and the citizens of Bremen, who manage their estate through a committee in the election of which every subscriber of a shilling has a voice, are justly proud of it. _ The British editors were entertained at lunch by Herr Schuuemann, proprietor of the “Weser Zeitung,” in the AltBremen House, an interesting old edifice, which dates back 600 years. Its beautiful oak carvings are specially notable. The preservation of this building from sale by its former owner for transport to South Kensington was due to the liberality of a citizen of Bremen, who purchased it and executed a deed of gift in favour of the city. The afternoon was. spent by the journalistic tourists in a drive through the city and park, where a pleasant al fresco tea was served. The party also inspected the Museum of Trade, another institution which displays the practical side of the German people. Here the exhibits of various countries are arranged in a form that illustrates the o*?tual processes employed in the cultivation and manufacture of the chief products of these lands. The cotton fields of America and the tea gardens of India, for example, are represented by exhibits which show the workers actually engaged in fields. I noted among these exhibits a very good representation of a Maori house. The educational value of an institution of this kind can hardly be overestimated. The great function of the day was a grand banquet given in honour of the British journalists at the old Rathaus, or City Hall, by the Senate of the Free Hansa Town Bremen. This historic building dates back to 1405, and it has been the scene of the most important public gatherings in Bremen during the last five hundred years. Its hall is adorned with fine paintings of the emperors from Charlemange (A.D. 800) to Siegismunc (1400), and the oak staircase and wainscotting are masterpieces of German carving. Beneath the Rathaus, is the famous Ratskeller, which was inspected by the visitors after dinner. Here are stored come ancient Rndesheim wines from the vintages of 1653, 1666 and 1784, with regard ta which an interesting calculation has been made that if the original cost of these wines had been invested at compound interest, the accumulated fund would represent a value of £4OO per drop of the precious fluid. However, as it is the practice to fill up the bins, m order to make good leakages and rare withdrawals, it is impossible to say how much of- the original wine remains. In one part of this cellar, is enthroned a dissipated vine-wreathed Bacchus, seated on a cask built in 1642. Beside him two Batyrs, and on either side casks having a capacity of 24,000 and 30,000 bottles respectively. At the banquet, the President of the Senate made allusion to the common ancestry of the British and German people, and to the centuries of peaceful trading relations which had bound the two nations together by ties of commercial interest and friendship. He also alluded to the fact that a former Burgomaster of Bremen, Otto Gildemeister, was one of the most brilliant interpreters of Shakespeare's drama and the works of Byron, which were hem m high esteem in Germany. Aften alluding to the commercial interests that were injured by way, the president said, ‘ As in' economy, so likewise in the general fields of culture a community of interests has been formed which has led to the result that /both the intelligence and conscience of mankind rebelled against the notion that -differences of opinion among nations should be settled by an appeal to arras.” The spirit which pervaded this gathering was spontaneous and unmistakable. The German nation is rejoicing in the fruits of an unprecedented commercial and industrial prosperity. However the military oligarchy may regard the matter, the mass of the people are too enlightened not to see in any grave disturbance of the peace which would call their sons from peaceful avocations, nothing but destruction to their material interests. Besides that, the trading relations between Germany and Great ±>ritaih, and the British colonies have established a community of interests and regard that would make any rupture with us specially distasteful to the nation. It is astonishing how widely the English language is spoken throughout Germany. -The instruction of the schools is ©o good, that an English visitor inquiring his way along the streets, cannot proceed far before be meets some wayfarer who understands bis language. As for the commercial and literary men with whom we chiefly came in contact, ability to speak English seemed rather to be the rule than the exception, a fact which stood in rather unfavourable contrast with the linguistical accomplishments of the British editors of whom not more tbM six could mako himself understood in the German tongue. HAMBURG: THE GREAT SEAPORT • ' OE GERMANY. . ' -An early gt-firi was made by train on If ay 28th for Hamburg, where the party were again received by the Burgomaster and a. committee at the railway station. The people of Hamburg axe naturally very proud of their port, because to a large extent it ha© been created by their indomitable energy. Originally, the rivei

Elbe, at Hamburg, wa© only accessible to vessels of moderate dranght, but a series of gigantic works, by training wall© which increased the scour or the current, and by dredging, the depth of the water has been increased until the leviathan steamships of the HamburgAmerica line can be berthed securely in the company's docks at Hamburg. Over five miles of stone quays encircle the docks which have been cut out of the solid land on either bank of the Elbe, and an extensive system of canals, bordered by great warehouses, impart to the city certain features of Venice, but without the picturesque beauty of the ancient seaport of the Adriatic. The Free Harbour has an area of 2,508 acres, of which 785 acres is water. Its construction cost altogether about <£20,000,000, and large sums are being spent annually in deepening the Elbe and improving the wharves. Mr Lloyd George, who recently visited Hamburg in connection with the scheme for improving the Port of London, publicly declared on his return to England that the great German seaport set an example winch th© administrators of English harbours and docks might imitate with advantage. The British journalists spent a profitable morning in steaming round this great harbour, with its numerous dry and floating docks, wharves, huge cranes and shipbuilding yards. They were greatly impressed by the work which has been accomplished and by the evidence on every side of commercial activity and expansion. The party were entertained at lunch on board the Hamburg-America, Company’s mail steamer the Konig Friedrich August, and had an opportunity of inspecting the luxurious cabins which have won for the German steamships, in combination with their speed, such a large share of the patronage of American travellers. This company has done for Hamburg what the North German Lloyds have accomplished for Bremen, but it occupies the premier place among the steamship companies of Germany, and heads the world's list of individual owners. The docks allotted to the line by the harbour authorities comprise nearly a quarter of the total water area at the disposal of sea-going ships in the port of Hamburg, a sufficient indication of the position the company occupies in relation to the shipping trade of Germany. The company commands a fleet of 371 vessels, with a tonnage of 957,216 tons gross register, of which 166 are ocean steamers registering 912,537 tons. Three of their Atlantic liners, headed by the Deutchland, range from 22,000 to 25,000 tons gross register’, and the company is now preparing to contest the supremacy which has been challenged by the mammoth steamers of the White Star and Cunard companies. Hamburg is an attractive city, wellgoveriied municipally, and beautified by parks, handsome buildings, fine residences, and public monuments. Two central lakes, the Outer and Inner Alster, form a healthful lung to the city. These picturesque waterways are surrounded by palatial mansions and charming gardens, and in summer are the scene of excursions and a-cquatic sports. The gigantic statue of Bismarck, rising to a height of 45 feet like some great figure of an eastern Buddha, huge, rugged, destitute of ornamentation—a fitting memorial of the “Man of Iron”—is one of the most striking monuments in Europe. It looms up a massive object in the landscape, from whatever point it may be viewed —a monument which would be grotesque if erected to the memory of any smaller man, but which worthily depicts to posterity the man to whom the fabric of German unity _is chiefly due. The population of the city exceeds half a million, and it ranks second only to Berlin among the great cities of Germany.

The Rathaus, where the Parliament cf the Free State of" Hamburg holds its sessions, and which i 9 the centre of civic life, is one of the finest buildings in Germany. It is built in the German Renaissance style, crowned by about 111 minarets, and wa© the combined effort of nine Hamburg architects. The building and its equipment cost something like three-quarters of a million pounds sterling. It was lii the fine hall of this splendid edifice that' the Senate and Municipal Council of Hamburg entertained the British visitors at a sumptuous banquet. As at Bremen, the spirit evinced and the tone of the speeches could not have been more cordial. There wa© an earnest desire on the part of the beets to make their guests realise that notwithstanding the German military system, which was a necessity arising out of their position among European States and their past sufferings at. the hands of aggressive neighbour©, the heart of the people was centred upon the maintenance of peace and friendly relations with their neighbours, but especially with their old allies and distant cousins, the British people. The inhabitants of Hamburg, like those of Bremen, are proud of their Hanseatic privileges, and the Burgomaster is still entitled to be addressed as “His Magnificence,” but they are none the less loyal to the Impenal Union, which they recognise as having been of immense advantage to the German nation. ' A very enjoyable hour was spent in this city at a garden party at the residence of hi© Excellency Baron von Heyking Prussian Minister to the Free State of Hamburg. His Excellency has held many foreign diplomatic appointments and resided for several years in Japan. His wife is an author of European reputation. j ARRIVAL AT BERLIN. Berlin, the wide-spreading and gay capital of Germany, was reached at midday on May 29th, and here the visitors came in contact with the Central Commijetee. They were received by Prince Hatzfeldt and his colleagues, and after a hurried preparation at the Palast Hotel, where quarters had been reserved, for them, dbove to the KaiserKeller, a noted restaurant, where a recherche luncheon was provided. In the afternoon the members of the Central European Motor Car Association drove the visitors through the city, which was explored in every direction, winding up with a short journey on the underground railway, which in Berlin, owing to the sandy nature of the eoiL has had

to be dug from the surface of the street and covered over

At night, a grand banquet in the large Reception Hall at the Zoological Gardens was given by the German Committee for the Reception of British Journalists. Prince Hatzfeldt presided, and among the guests were the British Ambassador, the chief Ministerial Head of the Germany Navy, and several other Cabinet Ministers. The company represented the leading legislative official and commercial citizens of Berlin. The decorations were on the most extensive, elaborate and costly scale. The whole of the interior of the large dining hall was walled round with a dense evergreen fence eight feet high. The gardens were prettily illuminated, and the table decorations of a most artistic character. Many of the company wore orders of various kinds, which contributed to the brilliance of the scene. It would be mere repetition to give a synopsis of the speeches delivered on this occasion, although some of them assumed greater importance from the fact that they exoressed the feelings of the Government. Prince Hatzfeldt said: “I am sure you ivill on your visit here find a Germany which differ© very materially from the Germany of former years, when Germany was thought of more as a geographical entity, liou have just visited Bremen and Hamburg, and while it is true that your ocean traffic is four times larger than ours, I am sure, you must have found evidences of much development of our seaports. Here in the heart of the country we will endeavour to show you the progress which Germany has made in culture, sanitary institutions, care for the working classes, in science and in art. We can learn much from you; but we are bold enough to hope you will find that we have learned something, and that we have made gress. We believe that the knowledge which you ivill receive from the Germany of to-day (and nobody is more capable of observing closely and seeing clearly than you are, gentlemen) will in itself bring about a better understanding of our specific nature and will contribute to the growth of friendly feelings between the two nations.”

On the following day, the party visited various institutions of the city at their leisure, and at noon were entertained at luncheon in the Rathaus by the Cor - - poration of the City of Berlin. In the afternoon, the Chancellor, Prince von Bulow, gave a garden party, at his official residence, and received the visitors with the utmost cordiality. Unlike his eminent predecessor, the _ Iron Chancellor, Prince von Bulow is a man conspicuous for his polished manners and courteous address, acquired in the most finished schools of European diplomacy. The company assembled included many eminent German and foreign visitor© to Berlin. A dinner given at 6 o’clock by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce was attended by some of the most prominent among the banking and commercial community of the capital, anci a _ fesLi e evening closed with a “beer evening in the Grand Lobby of the German Reichstag, at which beer rvas chiefly conspicuous by its absence.