loyalty. And when to-day its glorious colours, decked with laurels, are lowered before the altar of the Almighty to receive from my hands the commemorative token which, in accordance with the unanimous resolution of my exalted allies, is to be bestowed on the colours of the entire German Army as a fresh pledge of its unity and solidarity, then shall it renew the oath at all times to emulate the deeds of our fathers and forefathers, with whose blood was cemented the bond, which now and for all future time unites the princes and peoples of Germany.

"And if ever again, by the will of Heaven, fresh storms shall burst over our Fatherland, and once again thrust the sword into the hands of its sons, they will but spend their force on my brave army, it will be and remain what it was and is a rock on which rests the might and greatness of Germany. May God grant it. "WILLIAM.

"BERLIN, January 1st, 1900."

THE EMPEROR AND THE GERMAN NAVY.

AT

T the time when the Emperor William came to the throne the German Navy consisted of twenty-seven ironclads, mostly of old construction, and twenty-three cruisers, which also were of obsolete pattern. To-day Germany's Navy includes thirty-five armoured ships, the majority being new and powerful, and thirty-nine cruisers of the most modern type; and a still greater number of ships is either being built or is projected in accordance with a definite ship-building programme. When in a few years Germany possesses a fleet which will be able to give proper protection to her enormous over-sea commerce and to render her shores safe against hostile attack, and which will be in keeping with the world-wide power of the German Empire, the credit of this will belong for the most part to the Emperor, for it will be his achievement. He has created not only the Navy itself, but also the enthusiasm for it. He has thrown himself heart and soul into the advocacy of a powerful Navy. With heart and hand, with word and deed, with pen and pencil, he has striven for the Navy and its development. Germany will have to thank him that in the future she will have that strong fleet, which, to quote his own words, "we so bitterly want."

If people had been aware of the zeal with which the unassuming Prince William, who then appeared to be a long way from the throne, studied and worked in the privacy of the Potsdam Marble Palace, there would not have been so much surprise at the fact that immediately after he ascended the throne he showed a striking interest in naval matters. By means of untiring industry, a highly-developed faculty of grasping facts, and a magnificent adaptability, he has become a first-rate naval expert, and is as familiar with all the details of the naval service and naval science as any professional naval officer of long standing. Equipped with this knowledge, he has been able to reorganise, modernise, and develop the Navy, and to raise it to that powerful fighting machine which it is to-day.

A great disaster was experienced by the then weak German Navy on the 16th of March, 1889. A terrible hurricane swept the harbour of Apia (Samoa), and three German warships-the cruiser Adler, the gunboat Eber, and the corvette Olga-were stranded. The last-mentioned was refloated and her crew were saved, but the two others were lost, crews and all. The corvette Alexandrine was ordered to Samoan waters to take the place of the lost ships. Before her departure the Emperor visited her and addressed the officers in the Naval Club at Wilhelmshaven as follows:

"The words which the Admiral in command has just spoken have touched me deeply, and I thank you all most cordially for the sentiments to which he has given expression on your behalf.

“There are two reasons why I was anxious to see you. First, because I desired to bid farewell to the corvette which I once christened, in obedience to the Imperial command of my late grandfather. She bears the name of the favourite sister of the ever-lamented Sovereign, of the one surviving member of the Emperor William's generation. May the corvette which is privileged to bear so illustrious a name gain great honour! May God ever hold over her His protecting hand!

"Secondly, because, like you, I wished to join in doing honour to the memory of the brave men whom death has taken from us in such a sudden way in Samoa. Sorrow shared is half sorrow. They were brave men, and certainly to many of you good friends and comrades. They showed their bravery a few months ago. But we need not indulge in useless lamentations for them. No; let them serve us as an example. After fighting victoriously against men they met an honourable death in battling courageously against the fury of the elements. God willed that it should be so. They died for Emperor and Empire. I should like to recall certain beautiful and poetic words which will be familiar to most of you. When, with bowed head, the Admiral Medina Sidonia told the King of Spain that his mighty Armada had been destroyed, the King comforted him and said, 'God is over us! I sent you out against men, but not against waves and rocks.' And so it was in our case. May every one of you who is a commander, or who will become one, always remember that the commander who, by God's will, loses his ship or goes down in

her after gloriously contending with the elements, dies, in my opinion, quite as glorious a death as the leader who falls sword in hand at the head of his regiment whilst in the act of storming the enemy's position. Our comrades in Samoa and those on the Augusta were not merely drowned, they died fulfilling their duty to the last moment. Comrades, may the noble example which those brave men have given to us ever light our path and incite us to emulation! May the spirit of devotion, discipline, and endurance unto death, which has at all times distinguished my Navy, be retained in the future! With these sentiments in my mind I raise my glass and drink to the German Navy, its brave officers in particular. Hurrah!"

A Bill was introduced into the Reichstag in March which had for its object the reorganisation of the Naval Administration. The functions of the Admiralty were divided between a Commander-in-Chief and a Secretary of State for the Imperial Navy.

In order to give to the German fleet in home waters a more convenient base, the Emperor acquired, by a treaty signed on the 1st of July, 1890, the island of Heligoland from the British Government. On the 10th of August the Emperor visited the island, took part in the ceremony of transfer, and issued the following proclamation to the inhabitants :

"People of Heligoland: In consequence of a treaty which I have made with the Government of her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, the sovereignty of this island and its appurtenances has passed into my possession. In a peaceful way, therefore, you return to that political relationship with the German Fatherland, to which your history, your position, and your commercial interests naturally point. Community of race, language, customs, and interests has for ages kept you near to your German brothers. Thanks to the beneficent wisdom of your late rulers this position has undergone no alteration during the time in which the island has been a part of the powerful British Empire. All the more joyfully does every German join with me in welcoming you to reunion with the German people and Fatherland.

"The details of the constitutional form which this reincorporation will assume are reserved for my decision, with the co-operation

of the competent representative bodies appointed under our Constitution. In solemnly taking over for all time for myself and my successors the possession of Heligoland and its appurtenances, I trust to your well-proved loyalty, and believe that now that you are henceforward to be German subjects you will be faithfully and unswervingly devoted to me and to the Fatherland. I, for my part, assure you that your rights shall have my protection and care. I will see to it that right and justice are impartially upheld amongst you, and that your native laws and customs shall remain as nearly as possible unchanged. For the future, also, a beneficent and paternal Government will endeavour to promote your interests and to foster the economic welfare of the island. In order to render easier the transition from the old conditions to the new the present generation will be exempted from the universal obligation to serve in the Army or the Navy. The customs duties now in force on the island will not be altered in any respect for several years. All rights of property which individuals or corporations have obtained from the British Government and which exist in Heligoland will remain in force. The fulfilment of the obligations corresponding to these rights will henceforth be undertaken by me and my Government. special attention will be given to the maintenance of the religion of your ancestors and to the support of your church and school. It is with satisfaction that I receive Heligoland into the fringe of German islands which skirt the coast of the Fatherland. May your reunion with Germany, and your participation in Germany's glory, independence, and freedom produce lasting blessings for you and your successors! May God will that it be so!"

My

The Emperor also addressed the crews of the warships which were assembled at Heligoland, and said :—

"Comrades of the Navy: Four days ago we celebrated the anniversary of the battle of Wörth, at which, acting under my late grandfather, my father dealt the first hammer-stroke for the erection of the new German Empire. And now, after a lapse of twenty years, I incorporate with the German Fatherland, without battle and without bloodshed, this last piece of German ground. The island is destined to be a bulwark in the sea, a protection to