, 1874-03-14
THE NEW MILITARY LAW IN
GERMANY.

lated, says the spectator, OF Inc reorganization
of the French and German armies. AS they
come from Germany, they must be demi-ot1i-
cial, and must be intended to help on the new
Military Bill which is to be passed this Session.
The new Bill, it is stated, fixes the peace
strength of Germany at 100000 men, increases
the number of officers One-thi:d, and will great
lv raise the pay of non-commissioned officers,
till the military budget, already $4,000, coo a
wear, will become an unbearable burden. The
bill is sure to be strongly opposed, for financial
reasons, unless Germany is under the impression
that she will speedily be at war, and hence
the kilograms. This theory may be inaccu-
rate, but it is at least more probable than that
Prince Bismark is meditating another invasion,
with its frightful risks, for no visible reason
whatever. France does not want war yet,
or she would not submit to be so lectur-
ed. The Times Berlin Correspondent, writing
from Berlin on the 18th of last month says:
The new Military Law Just introduced
into the German Parliament is little more
than a systematic codification OF the eX-
listing statutes upon the subject. Tt was
rendered desirable by the minor States
having recently adopted the Prussian laws,
which it appears are too many and too
complicated to be easily enforced, except
bv .practised hands. Still, the Bill must be
pronounced of excessive importance. Not
only are the few innovations introduced by
it of considerable moment in themselves,
but, what is more remarkable, the changes
prepared, though not absolutely enacted,
bv the new law Will increase the army by
a good half-a-milliOn. In the first place,
the Bill proposes to raise the pay of the
rank and file by 6 thalers O8s) a year, in
consequence OF which 1855, 600 thaIers
are required over and above the sum ordi-
narily expended on this item. Again, some
5000, 900 thalerS more are asked for the
maintenance of the troops, in consequence
of the steady rise in the price OF all COM
modities, while 100000 thalers are to be
employed for miscellaneous needs. The
whole extra required under these cir
cumstances will be something like IA
OOO,O 900 thalers for the ensuing year, and
Is, 900, 900 or Is, 900 900 thalers for 1876
and afterwards. Though the Military
Budget is thus brought up to $4,000, 600
thalers at once, and some two or three
millions more in the immediate future, it
would be erroneous to regard this as the
total sum to be spent on the army. An
important change prepared by the Bill
will entail another extra, if not in 1876,
then in 1876 and the following years.
This is the introduction of two years SER
vice in the Line, instead of the three years
as yet legally existing. The reform, it
will be remembered, was in vain demand
ed by the Liberal party in 1862, when its
refusal led to the Constitutional c%ontrover-
sy which had such a marked influence
upon the history of the Kingdom and,
indeed, of the Continent. What was then
denied to the Commons is now wrung
from the Crown by the political %necessi-
ties of the times. France being engaged
in forming an army of 2,423,OO men, the
German Government believe they are no
longer safe with the 1901 900 men at
their disposal in time of war. Prepare
tons accordingly may be noticed in the
Bill for reducing the time of service by one
year, and employing the money thus saved
in the training Of an additional 10000
recruits, to be annually withdrawn from
the ayocations of civil life. | believe | am
even right in saying that this momentous
reform IL already in course of being