The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-09-02
1I)E PRUsSIAN MILITARY SYSTEM

1bE PRUsSIAN MILITARY SYSTEM
"A writer in tho Baltimore San cx.
plains, clearly and conciseIv, tka,
i'ru<>ian military system, whose won.
dcriul pow rand perfection have been
developed i'll The short five week.
which have elapsed since France dc.
clarcd war against The house Of IIo.
henzeilcrn. Its Fundamental princi.
pic is, that every citizen owes his scr.
vices TO tho couHtry. Al Il tap Of the
drum everybody is in arms; nothiun
can keep them back-nc:th rIusincs: ):
affections, workshops nor families.
Prussia has proved herself 10 be the
only country which, in time Of peace,
Is prepared ior war. by law, cvcry
Prussian is soldier and the Prussian
armies arc in very truth tho best
blood and bone and sincw Of the pco
pie.
Prussia has been spoken Of as IN ar
my holding q country rather than q
country having army. The REGULAR
army consists Of men from twenty TO
twenty-five years of age, in which all
must serve thrco years, except pro-
fesslonal men, students, &C., whose
tc;m OF active service is one year.
Ihls term being served, the prussi;,n
cnier$ the Lo""nhcr. or militia, which
Is t'vi:!ed Into two Icvics. The first
comprises all men from twcnty-six 10
thr.y-two years OF age, and in war
Is employees The same as the regular
army. Tine second levy consists of
mcn from thirty-thrcc 10 thirty-ninc
years oil age, and !: liable TO be called
out III time Of war for Tho purpose Of
@arm:onlng .hc ic;trcs*cs There is
also iii l,', 9ul&r force (Lanas!ryp>
composed Il nlcn Ger thirty ninc and
under sixty years Of age, which is,
however, only q local iorcc for dclcn-
sive purposes, ard is never CT led out
except in extreme cases. When war
IS declared there is no delay. The
militia, so-callcd, but who are in rcali-
ty graduates oc the army, arc, besides,
regularly drilled every year, so that
when they are summoned TO arms in
any village or town only few hours
elapSc before they arc efficiently in the
ranks: on the way 10 the point where
their services arc required.
Another important fact, which "ivcs
an unparalleled i:.ciI;tv OF movement TO
trussla's military operations. is that
they arc not cncumbcrcd with an un-
wioid'y commissariat, bnt in towns
where there arc no barracks the
troops arc quartercd upon the citizens,
A European correspondent states that
the city scccivcs them from tho GOV
crnmcnt and tho individual families
from the city authorities, with no
privilege OF appeal. For their keep
ing an established allowance is after
wards paid by tho government. For
example, when Heidelberg lately re-
ccivcd her quota, this instruction con-
corning them appeared: The Einquar-
tiertcn (the qn:rtcrcd soldicrs) shall
be contcnted wirh tho board cnioycd
Dy the quartcrcr and his family.
Wine, beer OF cigars they shall not
demand. In case either party is dis
satisfied, tho following lcyaIy-cstab-
cd bill ofl;,rc is TO DO adopted rs the
daily allowance Of each man-onc and
o half pounds Of bread: three quar-
ters pound fresh or salt meat, or half
pound OF smoked beef or mutton. or
third pound bacon; Of vegetables,
quarter pound rice, or tho customary
Sroats, or half pound meal or three.
tors pound potatoes; ofsalt, one quar-.
ter ounce; of coffee, threc-quartcrs
ounce Drowned, or rscvcn-eighths ounce
unbrowned. The great convenience
OF this arrangement is obvious at q
glance. On the other hand, while the
Prussians have possessed this impor-
tant advantage, there are complaints
by the French that their commissari-
at, owing TO the suddcnness Of the
war, has been badly supplied.
The immense Plussian military mn.
chine is susceptible of being put in
motion as readily as il it included
only the hundred men who used to
compose the standing army of a small
German principality. Not only is the
machine US powerful as it can be made
by human ingenuity, but it seems to
be operated by engineers of consum-
mate ability. The war of Prussia
with Austria disclosed the fact there
was q master spirit in the organiza.
tion of armies and the conduct Of war
at the head of Prussian military af
fairs. 1t did not need that contest to
demonstrate Prussian valor, but what
astonished the world was b celebrity Of
military naovemenss eequalling that of
the FrencA who used, il, the eItimes of
Napoleon, to dash upon their enemies
like q thunderbolt, aud overcome them
before they had fairly warmed up to
their; work. =, = ~ ftIs,J5
+ Much has been said of thenneedle4
gun, but IT, is clear enough now that
fhA chief aionifioonca ~ tbo{ ;m.....-