The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-10-20
German Soldiers on Parade.


Berlin dispatch to the London Timea
The grand Imperial German Army man.
ouvors may be said to have begun to- day
with the exception Of the guard CORDS,
which garrisons Berlin, POtsdam and Span
dan. A thing which struck the stranger in
connection with the review was the swift
and silent way in which the troops assem-
bled before it began, and vanished out of
sight Immediately it was over. It was an
admirable thing to behold whole army
corps ION peace tooting) appear and dis.
appear on the parade ground with as much
order and celebrity as band of we'll trained
supernumenries at stage ceremony. At
3 O'Clock there was hardly anything to be
seel. but fiat expanse of verdant meadow,
and by ten nearly 10000 men Of all arms.
corverging from every point of the city.
were drawn up in two long and parallel
alignments to receive the emperor. 1t IS
worthy of notice, too, as showing the care
with which troopers spare their beasts even
on such ceremonial occasions as these,
that one or two regiments dismounted
while waiting few minutes only the arr.
val of The imperial commander in chief.
But in a moment they were stiff and erect
in the saddle again. The emperor, as usu-
nj, was followed by a numerous multi uni
formed suite, including the princess of his
house, his generals and foreign officers
He came along tho line of the artillery and
cavalry, which was massed in columns of
regiments, and cantering to the salutiug
point he took his stand with his face to the
sun.
The march past was executed twice by
all arms, first by the infantry in company
formation (of three ranks, apart from the
supernumeraries, } and then in dense COL
umns of regiments, to the sound of fife
and drum. The men we're in what is called
here parade attire, which includes white
summer trousers and knapsacks, with mess
tins. but without overcoat and other per-
sonal ampedimenta. The officers. too,
carried their smaller knapsacks. The gen.
eral physique of the men, about third Of
whom may have been first ear recruits,
was good. but it was by no means imposing.
There was also certain degree of loose
ness in the setting up of the men, which
to the English eye would appear to detract
from the ideal character of body of troops
that form the flower of the most efficient
army in Europe. Then, as to height, it GER
tainly seemed that not more than Is per
cent. of the infantry came up to the six feet
standard, though it is the commonest thing
in the world to hear the Prussian guards
written and talked of as being formidably
superior to all other troops by reason not
only of their dicipllne, but also of their
physique. With copious admixture of
Reserves and Landwehr men on war
footing they might possibly be SO, but DIS
they appeared to- day to the eye of the i'm
partial observer the best of them assuredly
did not look at all equal to the house.
hold troops of England. Nothing. how
ever, but praise can be said Of their
efficiency in drill. as manifested, at least,
by the way in which they passed the salut-
ing point to-day. The peculiar way they
step out on parade, lifting the foot from the
hip instead of the knee, and keeping their
eyes, not in front, as in England, but On
the reviewing commander, as if the pre-
ception of orders were thing of sight in
stead of hearing, all gives an appearance of
machine-hke precision and rigidity, which,
though very artificial. is very effec'ive.