Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-27
THE GERMIN ARMY.


German government to increase the army is
causing considerable uneasiness in France,
the people of that country very naturally
concluding that such step is menace to
the integrity of their frontier. Germany
excuses herself, however, by claiming that
the extensive military preparations being
made by neighboring countries has COM
PEELED her to move in the direction of
strengthening herself. The bill, as intro
duced in the bundesrath, contemplates an
increase of eleven regiments of infantry, two
regiments Of artillery, thirty-two field bat
teries, and battalion of pioneers, total of
over twenty six thousand men. This will
give the empire an available fighting force in
times of peaceof 427 $50 men, and increase
the cost OF army maintenance about eighteen
million mares annually.
Old world statesmen are very apt to mag
ire that large standing army is an indica-
ton of strength in nation. Nothing could
be more fallacious, for after q certain limit
has been reached or passed the larger the
army becomes the greater does it contribute
towards weakening the government. A Ger
tain force il necessary at all times 10 pre-
vent domestic disturbance and check foreign
invasion until such time as preparations for
successful resistance can be made, but when
the army becomes larger it proves giievous
burden for the people to bear. Take Ger
many, for instance. Here are nearly half
mi!lioa abie-bodied men-the flower of
be country-withdrawu from the industry
of the conutry end living as practical drones.
They have to be fed, clothed and equipped,
and those who work have to pay the bills
The average cost of maintaining each soldier
is three hundred dollars a year, and
besides. the defensive works, armament
and accoutrements cost much more. The
property of the country as consequence is
weighted down with heavy burdens of taxa
ton, becomes deprecated in value, and in
dustry of every kind languishes and dies.
Ever since the close of the Franco German
war the people of the empire have been COM
planning bitterly of the enormous burdens
they have to bear, and there are mutterings
of discomfort heard all over the land which
even the most restrictive laws have failed to
suppress. Bismarck and his policy may in
terdct socialism and all its kindred forms of
political disorganization, yet it is steadily
growing in strength every day. secretly yet
menacingly. 1t is an outgrowth of the mill
tary system of the country. 1t is protest
against compulsory army service
and against the taxes it entails
and have created. Robbed at every hand
for the purpose of supporting the gigantic
military establishment of the country it is
no wonder that men, even among tho more
respectable classes, are found praying and
plotting for the overthrow of the dynasty.
AS the expense of maintaining the army in
creases this discomfort will increase until
finally it will eliminate in a gigantic revolu-
ton that will shake the world to its founda-
tons.
Great Britain, the strongest of the great
powers of Europe, has the smallest standing
army of all. Its soldiers are scattered all
over the world-a handful here and hand
full there, merely doing garrison duty. The
German army is massed at home in such a
position as to constantly remind the people
of its existence and the burdens it carries in
its train. Though regarded as the main
support of the government, we
are certain that before long it will
prove rotten one. A large stand
ing army does not promote content
and domestic quiet, and sooner or later the
time will come when all these serried hosts
their bayonets and their ordnance-will
prove Intellectual agencies to prevent crash
such as the world has never seen. The
greatest weakness rather than the greatest
strength of all these powerful nations in
Europe is their large standing armies which
eat up the substance of the people, prevent
the investment of money in industrial enter
prises, retard material growth and promote
discomfort and treason.