The Sunday herald., 1881-03-06
pRuss1AN ARMY OFFICERS.
The system of Recruiting ana Train.
tug-iIow Priyates Rise TO be Cen.
erais-fhe Life, Work, and studies
of nm Ofiicer -profDot otions-to,ttc" css
of O0jrres TO Each other.

American legislator and publicst, because II is sug
ges,ive OF the reforms which are most needed in our
services
In the prussian army, and In others formed on It's
model, officers are recruited according to a system
which Ia happy combination Of all other good systems
that the world knows OF. Any youngstet, aged from
seventeen twenty three, and desirOus of becoming
an Officer must begin by spending SIX months In the
ranks private soldier after which, II he can get
presents himself 10 he examined for the grade OF por-
tepdo fihnrich, or "asprant onicet.' ~ Is quite
necessary that he should get the Coonel's leave now
ever and should he fail TO obtain It there win lie an
end at and forever TO his chances U the winning
ampcr with their duty In this respect for private
mot'yesas Tor Instance to favor relative in or son
to be haOted for by the entire corps of officers
in the regiment, aud disgrace would fall upon a
soloncl who had allowed an unworthy candidate to
pass In the 1rst instance. u a boy had never got
into dsfeputable scrapo, ,f he he too violent or
In temper II his parents he honorable tthis h
vital point, the colonel will almost certainly give
him leave so up for examination aud the lad then
passes he acquires the privilege Of wearing straight
sword with tassel to the hit as sign OF his rank
As pOrtcp6e fihnrich. he Is then attached with MS
comrades Of the same grade to special company in
his regiment where he uudergoes instruction IN the
duties Of commissioned oihcer After THIS he
Is sent for eight months to one OF the military schools
Fingers, Etfuitl, Hanover, C,ssel Munich, and
Metz. Here he undctgoes further and somewhat
higher courie ot instruction, at the end of
which he must face second examination,
II he fails there is finish to his military carcer and
he likes remain for awhile more In the service with
a view to becoming an oicer or nom commissioned
his regiment, to wait for his turn Of promotion
cuidinE vacancies may arise. Bu now he dimes a
the officers mess aud Is treated by his future com
though for he Is st under probation, anu musttnkc
care 10 behave himself with the utmost piopriety.
His position IN the regiment Is that OF an honorary
sergeant lie Is exempted from guards aud fatigues
lie spends good deal Of his time In study and the
| privn,cs are required to salute him. At last when
The time comes for Rliug up vacancies to commissions,
which Is done about four times year. his name Is
sent up, with Others to the corps of ofcers assem-
| bled IN a solemn council. These gentlemen conduct
their Investigations into the merits OF the candidates
strictly, hut with great fairness, Tor an once, Who
reasons Tor doing at length and in writing, nor
must these reasons be frivolous. The candidate who
mrntCd to the War once Ivy his colonel, and gets Ills
commission at once. When candidate Is only ac-
| minutes of the officers deliberations must be for
| wardcd TO the general In command OF the district,
who have given adverse votes; and II y the general
wo decides whether the youngster shall get his COM
mission or not In most cases the general valves the
objections of the minority, or refers the case to the
| casting vote of the colonel When, however,
| the majority of an assembly of officers has pro
| nounccd against candidate lie leaves the army
under cloud of disgrace, which prevents him from
ever obtaining employment OF any sort under the
government. lie Is ruined In character, and In fact
the social stigma that attaches To him is almost too
marked, considering his youth. Iut that Is why col
onels are always so particular in scrutinizng the
antccedcnts of asprant officers both before and after
their admission to the rank OF porfepte fdhnrich.
Generally, colonel who hears that youngster
will for certain be backballed gives him private
| notice beforehand so that ho may apply for sick
leave, and then quietly leave the army before his
| name Is sent IN.
The great majority of German officers get their
commissions after the different processes lust
enumerated; but small number have become OH
.ers by passing ont of the Royal Cadet school, u
highly aiistocratic institution consisting mostly OF
% he oc or Sy S Sf Of the lG
which they going to toin, and their position once
they have been galeted differs In no wise from that
of their comrades who have gone through the oidi-
nary routine. The principle that pervates the Ger
man army Is that officers must iivetogeheras friends,
estecming auUher that they must he gentlemen
unmpeachabc in character; ana that they must also
hard workers, attentive to their duties, and dill
gent study in order that their superiority their
men may he constantly affirmed and may be acknowl-
edged by the latter. Therefore young man must
not presume upon his high birth or his wealth to
neglect his duties. If he wants to lie Idle the army Is
place for him, and he had better resign of his own
accord to avoid receiving hit which will compel him
To do So AS however, military service Is regarded
in Germany as the noblcst work In which gentle
man can be engaged, 1t no more occurs to German
oiCcr To complain Of the irksOmencSs of regimental
duties than 1t does an Engshman to cav at the
fatigues of fox hunting or cricket. Rcgimcntal
cred, for they involve responsibilities which foster
an honorable pride aud ambition In every man who
has any stuff In him. 1t has been customary among
many who know little OF the German army TO think
of 1t as huge machine In which every officer was a
mere cog wheel revolving within prescribed sphere
under the propulsion of a blind force, which left him
no liberty and no power of initiative. Nothing can
be less true for of the chief objects of the Ger
man system is to develop the individualisn of each
officer that German officers more exempt from
routine than those of any other country The captain
commanding company, for instance, Is absolutely
free To manage his 200 men he pleases. lie has to
see that they receive certain amount Of Instruction IN
different branches within stated time; but how that
, decision AMI nobody clse's Thus, new experiments
are constantly being tried onaGernan drill ground
half dozen different systems of drill may he seen
practiced by many companies, and in the schools
and gymnastcrooms the same Intelligent diversity
talions and the colonel supervising the whole regi
men act inspectors to that the labors of tl,
captains bear some fruitth satisfy the generals at thu
quarterly inspections; but In sum II Is the captain HIM
self who will be held responsible by the general Inspect
ors for any shortcomings that may appear in his com
pany Not long ago general, seeing captain pu
[ his men through new form OF drl which did no
much strike his fancy he expressed doubt as {
aud four weeks later at the inspection his compan,
man~uvred 50 brilliantly that tho general calle'
army corps. Such examples encourage officers Il
keep their wits bright and they explain how 1t 4
that such an immense amount OF military literature
@ perused In Germany. Every new book about the ar
of war, every foreign military paper, finds its way t
i the regimental cnsinos-of which more anon-and !
a | anNiUusy studied. German officers read, Indeed
little else but what their profession for is II
not their ambition TO excel in their soldiers
and is not the fear Of dismissal for unitness the mos
terrible that can haunt them? Dismlssals are how
ever, pretty frequent. When an officer becomes I'M
equal to his work, either through falling health, de
cining intellectual power, laziness through priyat
r worries which distract his thoughts from regmenta
o business he has To GO The Prussan system will no
: tolerate mediocrities and no more consideration
shown for the incapable general than for the negli
, gent lieutenant The formula employed In dismissin
# an orcer Is to tell him that he win be passed owe
! | at the next promotion. This leads to his imme
: diate resignation, for man would he held dis
5 honored who continued to serve after ho had bee
| passed over.
Promotion takes place in the Irussiau army by rigi
rule of seniority except In the caseof those officers VIII
pass through the krieg's Academic or stan college
and educated there for the highest posts In III
army. Any on,cer may compete for the stat college
but the eight or tell years of trainipg and eNamtnn
tons which have TO be gone through cause most can
n didates to be eliminated during probation, that til
1t small number who Issue triumphanty with grad,
II which enable them to become generals when com
H. paratiyey young excite no jealousy among the 9th,
st pick and flower of the service, men who have goi
'e through multitude of ordcals TO test their brai
p power, their character tempers, and physics
" stamina, and who nothing whatever to fayoritsm
ic Fol tile rest of the army the rule of seniority prone
N ticn Is never departed rom as breach of it woul
lead 10 serious consequences. II French ocer
promoted the heads of ninety nine others thei
N would short ontcry and nothing more but Pru
OF sia the ninety nine sighted officers would Instant
III resign; for It Is admitted postulae that If
i deserve to remain In the army at all he should
r. held MT for his promotion when his time comes for II
to Promotion is regulated by regmental vacancies
e far rs the rank of captain aud after that by yacar
~ ces In the whole branch of the seryicctha is to 50
that when infantry major dies or retres the sent,
captain on the Rdngiiste steps into his place, thoug
is as rule he must come from another regiment. III
q, engineers, respectively. omcers who have bee
=, 70 warned that they must not expect promotion al
p" | uften SolaCtu ny posts III lne clNll service.
us Any who has been to Germany must Ia,
en- noticed the scrupulOus politeness which officers In
It's form display toward one another IN public. I'll,
Ak salute each other In the streets though they may
ly Of the grades and the inferior always gives
v superior punctions homage. II an officer enters
s. hotel dining all the oficers of rank inferior
er his own rise and bow, till with aable wave Of n
IL hand he has motioned them 10 be seated agail
ds Likewise at party II an OfCor he present, all Uh
,n officers who may come In Will after lowing to Il
hostess, turn and respectfully accost their broh
In arms. Onicers uf different regiments who M.
never have each other before, exchange COurtes
A. at first sight and become friends at once. such
thing an Oihcer Of one regiment Ignoring anOth
VI of different corps, AS so often happens In England
q, would he unheard Of We once saw at q ball
H. England captain NJ the Royal Navy, In uniform
H. aCcOst lieutenant tof the Life Guards, who vi
an seated and ciyilly asked him question: Tile unc
H. returned sOmew hat superrlously, and witt
to out standing up; In Prussia such gross disconrte
is would have led TO his instantaneous consignment
m arrest and his subsequent dismissal from the ARM
il But, indeed, In Prussia such thing would hal
been impossible, for officers have too much self
respect to break through the traditions OF equet
Is whioh constitute precious bond of union amor