The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-11 00:00:00

COUNT VON MOLTKE ON THE
GERMAN ARMY.

The main interest in a recent debate in the German '
Reichstag on tin Army Bill centred in a speech by
the octogenarian Count Moltke, who was naturally
listened to with rapt attention. It is not often, says
the Times correspondent, that the great silent one asks
the ear *of the House—perhaps once in a year or so;
but when he does so, and it is always on a military
subject., his words are received with the reverence due
to an oracle. A pin might have been heard to fall
when the quiet old Field• Marshal rose to plead for
the acceptance of the measure, which was imposed
upon the Empire, he said, by a state of things abroad
which they were wholly powerless to alter. All Europe
was now stiff with armour which even a rich country
could scarcely continue to bear. In the nature of
things, therefore, that must soon lead to a decision
of some sort, and this was why the Govern-
mens asked for an increase of the army before
the natural lapse of the septennato. From the con-
tents of the bill it had been seen how far Germany
was behind her neighbours in respectof lier armament,
and bow this cost her but little more than a half of
what the French spent on theirs. Parliament was not
the place for verifying the figures which had been pre-
sented to it, but he could assure the House that these
figures had been derived fro& the best available
sources and were correct. "We have been advised
to come to terms with F. ance. Yes; that would be
a very sensible thing to do, it would be a blessing for
both nations and a pledge of the peace of Europe.
But if that cannot be done a qui la faille? As long
as public opinion in France continues to clamour for
the restitu,ion of two essentially German provinces,
and as long as we remain firmly resolved never to
give tbem up (loud cheers), it will scarcely be pos-
sible to come to an understanding with France.
And then reference heze been made to our relations
with Austria. True, this alliance is a very valuable
one, but in private life even it is not well for us to rely
on the help of others ; a great State exists only by its
own strength." Proceeding then to deal with the de-
tails of the measure the Field- Marshal pointed out
that the increase of the cadres by 31 new battalions
would raise the war-footing strength of the army by
31,000 men, so distributed towards the frontier as to
bear the first brunt of a war. As for the reduction
of the period of service under the colours from three
to two years, that would be a senseless and dangerous
experiment. With respect to the question of money,
he admitted that faiourable finar ces were of great
importance to a State, not so much, it was true, in time
of actual war, when, according to the saying of the old
German landsknechie, cartridge cases were the best
paper money, but in time of pesce a strong army
was the best means of securing well-regu-
lated finances. The German army itself was
maintained on the most economical and even
niggardly principles- -as witness, for example, hos,
its batteries were not all horeed and manned in
peace-time, as in France and Russia. In short, what.
the present measure aimed at was not the absolutely
desirable from a military point of view, but only the
financially attainals!e. The Field-Marshal thus con-
cluded And then the demand now made of tbe
nation has been preferred in order, if possible, to
further secure the pearce of Europa, which has hitherto
been maintained with so much trouble. And if we
reject this bill we involve ourselves in a serious re-
sponsibility, perhaps for the calamity of a hostile in-
vasion. •. . By great sacrifices we have
achieved what all Germans yearned after so long; we
have now the Empire and the unity of Germany, and
may there be agreement of all Germans on such a
question as is now before us. The whole world knows
that we do not aim at conquest; may it also know
that we mean to keep what we have, and that to do
this we are harnessed and resolved."