934 GERMAN EMPIRE: — REUSS, ELDER BRANCH
Commerce. — The trade of Prussia forms an important part of the general trade of the German customs district (Zollgebiet). This is carried on through the various ports of the Baltic and North Seas, through many navigable rivers and canals, and an extensive network of roads, railways, telegraphs, and telephones. There are 92 chambers and corporations of commerce in the large towns of the Kingdom. There are no separate statistics for the trade of Prussia ; it is included in that of Germany.
Internal Communications.— On April i, i9io, the length of the
system open for traffic was as follows : State owned, Broad gauge, main lines, 19,602 miles; broad gauge, local lines, 9,322 miles; total broad gauge, 28,924 miles. ISTarrow gauge, 208 miles. Total length of State lines, 29 132 miles. Private lines, 1,826. miles. Total railway mileage, 30,959. Plans for the electrification of main railway lines are being steadily pushed on. The line between Dessau and Bitterfeld was ihe first to be electrified and the experiment was so successful that a longer stretch has been chosen, Magdeburg — Bitterfeld — Leipzig — Halle. It is uncertain whether electric traction will meet military requirements, and there will, therefore, be no electrification for the present of strategic railways or of lines which are of strategic importance.
References concerning Prussia.
Centralblatt fiir die gesaiumte Unterrichts-Verwaltung in Preusseri. Herausgegeben in dem Ministeriuui der geistlichen, Unterrichts-und Me.dicinal-Angelegenheiten. Erganzungs- heft : StatistischeMitteilungen ilber das holiere Unterrichtsweseniui Konigreieh Preusser. Berlin.
Handbuch liber den Konigl. Preussischen Hof und Staat. Berlin.
PreussischeStatistik. Herausgegeben voni Konigl. Statistischen Landesamte. Berlin.
Statistisches Handbuch fiir den Preussischen Staat. Berlin.
Statistisclies Jahrbuch fiir den Preussischen Staat. Berlin.
Zeitschrift des Konigl. Preussischen Statistischen Landesamtes Herausgegeben vom Prasideiiten, Dr. E. Blenck. Berlin.
Zeitschrilt fiir das Berg-, Hiitten- und Salinenwesen im Preussischen Staate.
Baedeker's Northern Germany. 14th ed. 1904,
Droysen (J. G.), Geschichte der preussischen Politik. 5 vol. Leipzig.
Hue de-Grais, Handbuch der Verfassung und Verwaltungin Prenssenunddeni Deutschen Reiche. Berlin.
Janaen^K.) und Samwer (K.), Schleswig- Hoi steins Befreiung, Wiesbaden, 1897.
Pollard (J.), A Study of Municipal Government. The Corporation of Berlin. 2 ed. London, 1894.
Prutz(B.), Preussische Geschichte. Vols. I. und IL Berlin, 1899.
Bobinson(J. H.), Constitution of Prussia. [Trans, of Text, withNot5s.] Philadelphia, 1898.
H'ar<^(A. W.), Great Britain und Hanover. [Lectures.] London, 1899.
REUSS, Elder Branch.
(FURSTENTHTJM ReUSS — AeLTERE LiNIE.)
The reigning Prince is Heinrich XXIV., born March 20, 1878; succeeded his father Heinrich XXII., who died April 19, 1902. Sisters of the reigning prince are Emma, born Jan. 17, 1881 ; married May 14, 1903, to /*Jr7ch, Count of Kiinigl ; Marie, born March 26, 1882; married Feb. 4, 1904, to Ferdinand, Baron Gnagnoni. Herminc, born Dec. 17, 1887 ; married Jan. 7, 1907, to JohavnGeorg, Prince of Schonaich-Carolath ; Ida, born Sept. 4, 1891; married November 7, 1911, to Martin Christopher, Prince of Hoi berg- Rossla.
The Regent of the Principality is Prince Heinrich XXV J I., Prince of Reuss-Gera since Oct. 15, 1908.
The princely family of Reuss traces its descent to the old prefects of Weida, who were imperial functionaries and afterwards free lords. All the
