Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-01-04
German Army Discipline.

The secrets of German army discipline sp-
| pear to have been revealed by recent trial in
| Germany, the particulars of which leaked out
in spite of all efforts to suppress them. 10 Ger
| many army discipline appears to b, conducted
upon the same principle observed in tho cl1
Roman srmies-that soldier should fear his
| superior officer muah moro than the enemy,
But no Romsn officer probably ever resarted to
] such brutal cruelty as German officers are ac.
customsd to exsrc' ), toward their mon. DOR is
| it probable that any Roman soldiers would havo
suffered il. Il is not surprising, in view or
such revelations, that one cf the clusos OF Ger.
man emigration is to escape army duty, and
that suicides in the Germ,n army arc of frs-
quent occurrence.
The non commissioned officers brought up
for trial recently, were four 10 number and be.
loDged to the Second Bavarian Artillery Reci-
meut, station; at Metz. Winter, the chief of
| the brutes, was tried on no less than thirty FIVE
counts, dating back to '7S.-slcven coming uu-
der the class of crimes aud twenty four being
simply mlsdemeanors, abuse of authority, etc.
ln oil cases the greatest difficulty was eXperi-
enoed in obtaining Witnesses the soldiers bsire
frightened out of their lives at tho mere idea Of
giving testimony.
1t appears that these sub. cfh ,els wero 10 the
habit Of beating the men 10 the most brutal
manner. such as bresking rih, stocks over
their heads, tying their hands nud striking
them in tho face with their cenohed 6sts;
knocking them down and stamping upon them,
not to mention variety of ingenious torturcs
of their own Invention; twistiog aud wrench.
! ing of limbs, exposure to bitter fros;s. depri-
hopnbS bn,r
strength. Ths thirty one witnesses obtained
recounted horrors that dissusted snd azed
all who heard thom. Oss had beoa treated 90
badly that he tried to commit suicide By cutting
bis throat with rag,r. but was prevented AID
sui soted to still worse punish m snt than before.
The military authorities, although anxious to
keep the scandal ou. OF prlnt cX )ress,d them
selves OF the opinion that su,h tyranny rather
tended to decentralization OF tue army than to
good discipline.
Oae of tho accused made characteristic
deterc': II ask your clamercT," hs said. "for
have never had a0y other " imD'es uodor N?
! eyes than suoh as you haVo heard to day. [
| received my aImv educ,tioo from non c,m.
I! missioued Prusso. Bavarao ofIi,ars; they s!ruct
as severely for the sIighWs: taut. i learned
l from them"
He was condemned. however, to ono years
imprisonment and u33rsuaLlon; WlnLor. tne
worst of all, WAS sentenced to fifteen months in
] the penitentary and csshierad from thu army
altogether; the others, who had simply struck
the soldiers with their fs.s, were reprims ldod
| and aeauitted. Yet the ratio OF suicide in tho
| German army is said to bs twenty four per
| month; and such slight punish ments ece in
| tcted upon those who drive men 70 self-des.suc.
| tionl English soldiers have murdered their Off
| GERS on far sighter provocston; French soldiers
would not endure suca treatment f)r al ins!sn..
Yet the English and French soldiers ere CIR
| tainly as obedient and daring IS any others in
| the world. Perhaps the wonderful decipline OF
the German army may bs partly dus ID such
brutality, but it seems 10 Us that fres men will
continue to fight bstt,r than slave3 snd this! an.
other Franco. German WAR may yet prove the
| ftci, when numbsfs are equalizsd and French
generalship improvod.-N. o. CITY Item.