HELIGOLAND REVOLTS AGAINST GERMAN RULE.

Shannon News, 12 July 1929, Page 3

HELIGOLAND REVOLTS AGAINST GERMAN RULE.

1 SINGS “RULE BRITANNIA”

PROTECTING DYKES ALLOWED TO DECAY

SMUGGLERS’ PARADISE

Heligoland, or “Holyland,”. tha tiny but strategic island one-fifth of a square mile in area, commanding access to Hamburg and Bremen, started its own revolution recently for England against Germany. The first blows fell-when hundreds of Heligoland’s-3400 inhabitants demonstrated by singing ‘ ‘ Rule Brittania” with gusto in a broad German accent, then marched up to the building of the pro-German paper, Heligolander Zeitung, beat up the editor, and engaged in a free-for-all fight. The editor appealed to the local authorities, who refused to interfere.

The islands were originally British until 1890, when Heligoland was exchanged for Zanzibar by an agreement between Lord Salisbury and Bismarck. Under the Empire they proved loyal to Germany, which did a great deal for the island’s prosperity by making the strong military station a base for a flying naval squadron and building a huge cement dyke to protect it from the ravages of storms. Versailles imposed upon Germany the demoltion of not only the fortifications but also the protecting dyke, since when every big storm has carried away bits of the crumbling standstone island. Last summer, work was started on the building of a cement sea wall, but the Pnissian Government, facing the necessity of economy, could not continue with sufficient subsidies, so the work was suspended. The winter’s exceptionally severe frosts further disintegrated the standstone, rendering many houses near the cliffs unsafe, and thieatening the island’s very existence. The dissatisfaction has stirred to life again the old allegiance to England, many of the islands .believing a return to English rule would not only give them a strong sea wall, ,but renew prosperity by the establishment of a naval base. Efforts to suppress pro-English agitation* were foiled by the attitude of the local council, which almost unanimously shares.the population’s feel-

nigs. Many villagers beat up and nearly killed tax collectors sent by the Gov eminent. They threatened a general farming strike. The Heligolanders hope by courting England that their tax bill will be reduced to a minimum. Right now they are receiving favoured treatment. No duty is imposed on goods imported into Heligoland, so that it iS an ‘Eldorado’ for smugglers of luxuries such as perfumes, lobsters, silks, and cigarettes, all of which are heavily taxed when they enter German}-.