Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08
Foreign Correspondent. uf the Free Press.
Letter From Germany.
The ANNUAL MILITARY FEsTIvAL-THE GRAND
FACADE - THE GERMAN sOLDIERY-THE
EMPEROR WILLIAM AND GoYAL FAMILY.
BFrIIs Sent IL 1880

| lhE ANIMAL MiIIIAEf fEsIlN ihE hisANb
| rAEADE - THE GERMAN soLDIERY-THE
EMPEROR WILLIAM AND IoYAL FAMILY.
BEELIH, Sept. 13, 1880.
To the E,htor OF the Frc. Press and Times
The second Of the grand parades Of the an
NAL military festival has just passed by my
windows 10 the Templehof parade grounds
As these meetings the first Of which was held
last FIiday-form the climax of the most
conspicuous feature of life in Germany, even
peace-loving citizens of the United States
thing of it, for not only is it to Germany
what the Derby is to England, and the Paris
Fetc to France and the Fourth of July celebra-
tion to the United States, but it is even more,
it amuses the people, arouses their patriotism,
and at the same time represents the power of
the German Empire.
1t was about eight o'clock that my atten-
! ton was first called to the procession by the
stirring sounds of military music and the
heavy tramp of infantry over the stone pave
ment. In this there was nothing unusual,
for many time my morning sleep has been
disturbed by such sounds as early as seven or
even six O'Clock for Franklm's famous maxim
and were never warm friends) but was in
readiness for the procession this morning,
as an old soldier had kindly favored me with
a programme of the events of the day.
There they came up Belle Alliance Strasse,
in long column, extending back toward
Inter den Linden rs far as the eye could
reach. 1t was a magnificent sight,
resembling and yet differing widely from
the scenes so common in every Ameri-
lean city score of years ago. Here every
soldier was a professional soldier. Military
tactics. and military tactics only, for one, two,
three or more years they have studied eight
hours a day. Every movement, therefore,
is characterized by that extreme precision
which can come only by long and persistent
drill. Every soldier looks the disciplined
soldier that he is. They march four abreast,
in companies of twenty-five to one hundred
men. Their uniforms consist of black,
gistening helmet, heavily ornamented with
bright brass trimmings, an indigo blue coat
falling half way to the knees, with red trim
mings and white belt with sash, white
trousers, and boots which might do service
for generation. This is only one of the
many uniforms, but it is the one | believe,
which is seen most frequently in the streets
of Berlin. These young men, with brawny
hands and Drowned faces, are the typical
common soldier Later in the procession
came long lines of artillery, and the horse
men and the fine artillery-men with each
cannon, wear also the uniforms have just
| described
As the dignltaries begin to appear the
crowds on either side of the street become
enormous, and it is only with the utmost cf
fort that thepolice can keep the carriage-way
and the spur-way clear. 1t is just such a
crowd as always patronizes free show
men Of leisure, laborers out for holiday.
here and there an Amaryllis, yonder Il waste
paper gaiherer, peasant women Drawing the
chilly Autumn wind with white straw hats,
re-headcd urchins waving begrimmedco cotton
handkcrchefs, patient mothers with bawling
children in arms and every one of them
ready to shout themselves hoarse for tile
cause of their poverty and the ''black, red
and white"
| Close upon the heels of the artillery came
the cavalry The horses are high, more like
| the English than the French cavalry horses,
and while lacking apparently the toughness
of the French horses, they are better proper
toned for speed. The horse men are large
even in proportion to the horses. There are
the cuirassiers, representatives Of medi9val
times. Huge men they are with enormous
helmets and shining breast plates, both of
steel Their uniform is pure white
More fierce in appearance and more cour-
ageous still are the thlans, with high point
ed caps and uniforms Of II greenlsh color
| These are the men who were the most elect
i've warriors in the Franco-Pr Prussian war.
| The IIussars are shorter men. Their uni
form is of brighter colors, too, which, united
with their low stature, gives them less
formidable appearance Their short coat
and scotch cap are both Of lisht-red color,
| and are elaborltcly Ornamented with gilt
trimmings In the procession and parade
these three classes OF cavalrymen, Us the
most esteemed warriors of the realm, appear
very prominently. Then came i'll Il body
the foreign generals, in their various cos
tunes, representing the English. French,
Italian, Austrian, Turkish, Swedish and Rus
sian armies and. last of all. royalty itself.
The royal family OF Germany is not So
prolific as is the llunOvcrian family ot the
Georges in Great Br,ain-but what ii lacks
in progeny it makes up in attendants. The
male servants of the royal household are dis
tinsnishcd Ly silver hat-band and silver
cords falling from the shoulders. Fully two
hundred Of thcsr scTva MS, | estimate, pass
cd To the parade Ground, some with saddle
horses, for the royal digniaries of both sexes,
who for the most part, rode ont i'll open car
riagcs, others with carriages for those
princes and princcsscs who rode through the
town on horseback, AMI many more were
joslled by the crowd who apparently hal no
special duties Very few Of these servants
were in immediate attendance. The MEM
bers of the royal family and princes of lesser
rank rode To the parade grounds at varying
intervals without n sign of military escort
and with all the freedom of private citizens.
First came the princes and princcsses OF
] n,.
lonely silk hat being in uniform, and the Ia
dies and children often wearing the colors OF
their regiment The ladies' costumes were
generally. however, eNcrr,iin@ly plain. The
crown princess wore crcam-c"nred SILK
dress and her three daughters were dressed
in plain white So, also, the bonnet, dress,
wraps and complete costume of the
empress was of the whitencss of snow.
/ The famous Marshal, Prince Frederick Carl,
WAS in the procession to receive the homage
I Of the crowd lie is blonde-bcarded llo-
| hcnzollcrn Of the lIohenzollcrns, courageous
| in every look, strong in body, and with Il
fresh. youthful face which indicates a man
| far short of three score years of age. There,
I too, was the crown prince of Austria i'll the
rnval uniform of the sister German state
| The oldest son of the crown prince oi Ger
/ many is beardlcss youth of twenty -unc
/ Summers. Like his father and grandfather,
/ he has the robust physique which has char
1 actcrizcd the Ilphrnzollcrn family for tw"
! centuries and II half. The crown prince is II
| full bearded man of Il blond complexion, AMI
| although h,. is, believe, iifty-tive years of
a.s,. he appears Ia hc scarcely forty. The
/ approach ct the Emperor is hcra.,led 10y two
/ fnrr-r,lrrs. vino dash alun., quarter "f IA
! mile in advance Ia prepare the way Tor Ills
| Majesty and To put the slics on their guards