The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-26
TREMENDOUS ARMIEs.
TIE Grand Sacord Dance of Nations-Is
Europe Oaa the Zee of a Mighty War?
TFrorn tha 7 Toy,,7o, ri,oas

aug themselves. 1t Is the darkness that
may be felt, and the sensation is not i'm
ag1nary. At the word of command
Germany is arming en- naasse, and the
surrounding nations-that is, the best
part OF the world-cannot but do rs she
does. The momentary dreams of peace
and quiet, arts and progress have fled
away, and Germany recognizes the stern
necessity of the case, which is that what
she has won by arms she can only hold
by arms, as long as the arms are in her
hand. 1t is no longer possible to doubt
the sagacity and truth of her rulers, and
they say that henceforth every German
sound in wind and limb must be soldier.
From the age of seventeen to forty two
every man not belonging to the army or
the reserve is to be liable to be called out
IN the case of an actual or even threat
ened invasion. The nature and contin-
gencies of this new enrolment are by no
means fictions on paper. As to its nu-
mer1cal amount it is sufficient to say
that, added to the line, the Landwehr,
and the existing Landsturn, it raises the
disposable force of the German empire
to 2, 300, 900 men. The Landsturm will
be German in arms as distinguished from
the standing army of Germany; but even
that distinction threatens to disappear,
for the gaps of the line are to be filed
from the reserve. So far from the latter
having the special exemptions and i'm
munities which England associates with
reserve or a local force, it seems even
power than the line. The orders given
in the contemplated emergency are not
to be published; so that the German mall
content or partisan may know as little
as the foreigner and the foe who are
called to arms, how many, and where.
The government may call out the re-
serve of one state and not of the next;
the youth of a province Immediately
threatened with invasion; the older men
of one not 50 threatened; in a word,
whatever it pleases, without being bound
by any rules or slavish uniformity. The
whole reserve is Immediately to have its
arms, if not the newest, those that were
new the other day. It is admitted that
the Germans do not generally like fight
ing, but they like it better than being
killed in their beds, or made beasts of
burden, or carried into captivity. Some
of them even like it better than being
divided into dozen states, or into two
or three, each only half German. All
are told they have to fight or die; fight
or be slaves; fight or be beggars, fugi-
tives, and wanderers over the face of the
earth. They seem to be only too well
aware of it. For man to be always ex-
pecting q murderous attack is sometimes
supposed to embitter life, and make it
hardly worth having. But people man.
age to live and be comfortable in volca-
noes, coalpits, ships and powder-mills.
In Like manner, the three millions of
Germans, expecting every day to be
called out to fight an enemy at their very
doors, and themselves unfortunately adj
dicted to habits of provocation, may be
happy. It is to be hoped they will be
happy on these conditions, for it is all
the happiness Germany is likely to en-
JOY for many q year-the happiness,
namely, of an even chance with des-
perate and would be deadly foe.
Ii this enormous, this preposterous
armament is provoked by the attitude of
France, it provokes in return. A man
who goes about armed in time of peace
is suspected of hostile intentions, and
Germany lends itself easily to that delu-
sion, If such it be. It finds itself unex-
pectedly a great military power, and
even maritime power, victorious, sue
cessful, and its luck by no means ex-
hausted. On every side-north, south,
east and west-it finds that which it still
wants to its completeness, and which it
sees way to. Its turn is come. After
a minority of ages under evil guardian
ship, it steps into its patrimony, and is
once more an empire. For ages Ger
many has possessed all the glories, ex-
cept those of policy and war. Now it
has these, and the others as well. It is
surrounded by great empires. The
of England and Russia alone
would be enough to tempt am anchorite
to ambition. Like the wise King. Ger
many asked only for wisdom, and now
has it with riches, honor, dominion, and
the life of its enemies, which it did not
ask for. But now that it has tasted these
delights it is different being, with a
new and nobler consciousness, and not
content or satisfied on the same easy
terms as before. Why should it now
shrink from an appeal to arms, which
can not but give it more than ever
This Is the new attitude of Germany
all or nothing-for In her case not to ad-
vance is to recede. Accordingly. the
more she arms, the more does France.
the moro does Russia. The former now
commands, under all heads, about a
million and three-quarters of men; the
latter more than three millions and
third. Austria, Italy. Denmark, Hol-
land and Switzerland are arming as fast
as they can. It is universal strain on
the energy and resources of the world. |
But self-presefvation never yet was
found sufficient to keep up high tension
long. When all ndtions arm It will be |
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