GERMAN EV. PROT. CHURCH 296 GERMAN S. W. AFRICA GERMAN EVANGELICAL PROT- ESTANT CHURCH, in the United States, a religious body, liberal in doc- trinal belief, having no confession of faith. Its ministers are associated in dis- trict unions. GERMAN EVANGELICAL SYNOD OF NORTH AMERICA, ^ a religious body, accepting the symbolical books of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches, representing in the United States the State Church of Prussia, which is a union of the Lutheran and Reformed bodies. It celebrated, Oct. 12, 1890, the semi-cen- tennial anniversary of its organization in the United States. GERMAN SILVER, a white alloy for tableware, consisting of nickel, copper and zinc in various proportions. The best quality consists of four parts copper, two parts nickel, and two parts zinc, but this quality is the most difficult to work. For articles which are to be cast instead of stamped or hammered about 2 per cent, of lead is added. To make a good malleable alloy, the three metals of which it is composed should all be of the best quality. German silver has a tendency to crack in Annealing {q. v.), and is all the more liable to do this if its component metals are impure. Its crystalline struc- ture is got rid of by hammering, rolling, and annealing. It is harder and tougher than brass, and takes a fine polish. In color it is sufficiently near silver to make it valuable for plating with that metal. Spoons and forks of this alloy are made in immense numbers. Such articles as salvers, dish-covers, jugs, teapots and the like are also largely made of it, but these objects, or at least some of them, are still more largely made of Britannia Metal (q. v.), a greatly inferior alley, because much softer. Through care in preparing a suitable alloy, large objects, such as the bodies of jugs and coffeepots, can be formed of sheet German silver by "spinning" it on the lathe, instead of by stamping or by the slow process of hammering. For- merly it was only a soft alloy like Bri- tannia metal that could be so treated. For some time past there has been a tendency to substitute for electroplate— i. e., German silver plated with real sil- ver — white alloys having nickel for their basis. GERMANIA, an extensive country of ancient Europe, situated E. of Gaul, from which it was separated by the Rhine. Its inhabitants were warlike and uncivilized, and always proved a watch- ful enemy against the Romans. Caesar first entered their country; but he rather checked their aggressions than conquered them; and his successors, or their gen- erals, also attempted to chastise their insolence. Tacitus has delineated their manners and customs with the greatest nicety, and has accompanied his descrip- tion with the reflections of a philosopher, GERMANICUS C2ESAR, a Roman general, the son of Nero Claudius Dru- sus, and of Antonia, daughter of Marie Antony and niece of Augustus; born in 15 B. c. By desire of Augustus he was adopted in the year 4 a. d. by Tiberius, whom he accompanied in the war against the Pannonians, Dalmatians, and Ger- mans. In the year 12 he was consul, and next yeax' was appointed to the command of the eight legions on the Rhine. In 14 he was at Lugdunum Batavorum when news came of the death of the Emperor Augustus and of the mutiny for more pay and shorter service among the soldiers in Germany and Illyricum. Germanicus hastened to the camp and quelled the tumult by his personal popularity; and at once led his soldiers against the enemy. Crossing the Rhine below Wesel, he at- tacked and routed the Marsi, and next year marched to meet the redoubtable Arminius (g. V.) , the conqueror of Varus and his legionaries, whose bones had lain whitening for six years in the Teuto- burg Forest. With solemn rites his sol- diers buried these sad relics of disaster, then advanced against the foe, who, re- tiring into a difficult country, managed to save himself, and was not subdued till the year after, when Germanicus again carried a part of his army up the Ems in ships, crossed to the Weser, and completely overthrew Arminius in two desperate battles. Tiberius, jealous of the glory and popularity of Germanicus, recalled him from Germany in the year 17, and sent him to settle affairs in the East, at the same time appointing as viceroy of Syria, in order secretly to counteract him, the haughty and envious Cn. Calpurnius Piso. Germanicus died, probably of poison, in Epidaphnse, near Antioch, Oct. 9, 19. His wife, Agrippina, and two of her sons were put to death by order of Tiberius; the third son, Cali- gula, was spared. Of the three daughters who survived their father, Agrippina became as remarkable for her vices as her mother had been for her virtues. GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA, formerly a German protectorate in West Africa. It was captured by South African forces in July, 1915, and is now adminis- tered by the government of the Union of South Africa under mandate. It is bounded on the N. by Portuguese West Africa, Angola and Rhodesia. On the S. by Cape province, £. by Rhodesia
