The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

758

giortign 6ortzsporrbtutt.

We publish with pleasure the following letter on the military
resources of Prussia, as the details are derived from the most
autheutic sources of information. At the present time it is
very necessary that we should be well informed as to the
military power of the German States.]

HANOVER, August 6.
THE Times of August 2 has a letter from its cor•
respondent at Berlin on the military resources of
Prussia, which contains many errors. In the first
place, the numbers of the Prussian troops are in the
Times very much understated. The normal strength
of the army in time of peace is about 20J,000, and
the force called Reserve is two-thirds of that amount.
As the Times states, the number of recruits required—
about 70,000 men in round numbers—are called up,
and have to serve for three years under arms. They
then go into the Reserve for two years more—that
is, they go on leave from their regiments without
pay, their arms, accoutrements, and clothing being
kept in the stores of their regiments, ready for use
at a moment's notice; so that the infantry regiments
can be placed on a war footing as soon as the men
have joined their regiments and put on their uni-
form. The effective strength of the army on a war
footing—that is, including the Reserves—may be set
down, therefore, at 350,000 men. The Times, how-
ever, calculates the annual supply of recruits at only
50,000 ; but this gives us 250,0(X) as the strength of
the army, instead of 150,000, as assumed by the
Times. These troops are liable to serve wherever
they may be required.
After completing their five years' service in the
line battalions, they go, as stated by the Times, into
the Landwehr battalions of their regiments. Be-
sides those men who have served five years in the
line battalions, the Landwehr contains also a certain
number of "Freiwillige," or "volunteers." These
are young men, wbo, intending to study for a pro-
fession instead of waiting till they are drawn in their
turn (when they would have to serve five years),
volunteer for a year's service in the line battalions.
They serve in the ranks, but find their own clothing
and accoutrements. They can, if they choose, mess
with the men when their rations are supplied to
them. But, as most of them are of the upper or
middle classes, they generally provide their own
meals, some of them messing with the officers.
Count Arnim was a volunteer while be was study-
ing at a university; and when the morning's duty
was terminated, he would get leave to go out of bar-
racks, and, in the uniform of a private soldier, step
into his carriage and be driven to his place of study.
The presence of a considerable number of this
class in the barrack-rooms among the men has a
decided influence on the moral tone and manners of
their comrades. Many stories are told of the sur-
prise of the worthy citizens of Baden-Baden at seeing
Prussian privates walk into the best hotels and
ordering champagne ; their surprise was scarcely
decreased when they heard them addressed as
"Count so-and-so." But to return to my subject.
After the volunteers have served for one year in the
anks they go into the Landwehr; and from among
them the subaltern and non-commissioned officers of
the Landwehr are usually selected. The article in
- -
the Times
force, thong)

to some

SATURDAY,

operation of Prussia, notwithstanding Lord Palmers
ton's foreign policy, and his "judicious bottle.
holding" for the heroes of the barricades in 1848.
Before I conclude, I would remark id. at I think it
would not be difficult for us to adapt some of the
best portions of the Prussian military system to our
own army. Among the most important I would
name the system of Reserves. I think that we
might very well in time of peace allow a certain
number of men to go on leave without pay, on con-
dition that they should join the militia regiment of
their native country whenever it was embodied or
assembled for drill, and that they should return to
their regular regiment whenever they were required.
In return, I would allow their time to count for their
pension in the proportion of (say) two years for one.
I daresay many who are now afraid of binding them-
selves for so long a period would be ready to enlist
if so ready a means of returning in case of disap-
pointment or a change of circumstances were held
out to them. I also think that, as in Prussia, we
might make every o cer do duty in the ranks,
though living with the officers, until he had learnt
the duties of every grade. I also think we might
limit the selection of staff officers, whether personal
or general, to those who had gone through a course
of study to qualify them for those duties.

PS.—I have just learnt that the Prussian general
staff of the Pomeranian military district were em•
ployed this spring in drawing up a plan of campaign
against Russia.

FRANKFORT, August 6.
THE publication of the Conferences of Vienna, and
the "documents diplomatiques relatifs a la proposi-
tion Autrichienne sur la troisieme garantie, commu-
niqués a la Chambre des Communes d'Angleterre
dans la séance du 12 Juillet," published in the Rus-
sian and German papers, have permitted the Oriental
affairs to be discussed in every schlop and gasthaus
throughout Germany. It was the certainty of this
result that ruffled the temper of Count Buol, and in-
cited him, under its influence, to express himself
towards France and England with greater energy
than discretion. Austria in her conduct and present
attitude has displeased Germany for many reasons.
She assumes to dictate to the Confederation, and
takes upon herself to contract engagements in which
German relations are concerned without the consent
of the Diet, to construe such treaties in a sense selfish
and isolated, and, when unsuccessful and baffled,
to fall back upon the Confederation for assistance,
on the plea of a common and undivided interest.
In no country is the policy of Austria more criti-
cised or more severely olamed than in Germany.
She is loudly accused of being false to every one, and
to have forfeited all respect from her organised du-
plicity, equalling that of Lord John Russell, and in
actual unison with that disgraced Minister for an
identity of object. The behaviour of the King of
Prussia finds more favour by its singleness of pur-
pose, irrespective of consequence : and here it must
be constantly borne in mind, and cannot be too often
expressed, that Prussia to a man is against its sove-
reign and the Minister Manteuffel, and that, on the
contrary, the young Emperor, Francis Joseph, stands
almost alone amongst his soldiers in favour of the
Allies. This disinclination of the Austrian army to-