Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-12-20
THE GERMAN S0LDIERY.
HOW THE ARMY OF THIS MILITARY
COUNTRY IS CONSTITUTED.

for servIce-Every Man n sotdier-How
the People Take 1t.
The German boy who reaches the age
of II becomes liable to service in the
army, and this liability continues until
he is AZ. If he is not fit for active service
! he is relegated to a reserve force not
called out unless there is danger Of in
vasion. For nearly his whole active life,
therefore, the German lives in q species
of military servitude that hampers him
should he desire to emigrate, and may be
full Of petty annoyances to him If he
does not.
Under ordinary circumstances the
German lad steps into the ranks at the
age Of 20. For three years he serves
with the colors, the next four years he
Is In the reserve, and the following five
years he belongs to the Landwehr,
another reserve more remote than the
first. OF these twelve years the first
three are occupied entirely in severe
military work. The most stupid peasant
under q system so thorough as Ger
many's must be stupid beyond recovery If
he does not turn out an alert, obedient
and well trained soldier. From the time
he takes his oath of allegiance to his
military superior, the kaiser, he renoun-
ces the civil responsibilities and rights Of
citizen. With the loss of his vote he is
taught that the sooner he forgets politi-
cal matters the better for him as a SOL
dier. His life is completely engrossed
with barrack routine and military ideas
His only law is the law of court martial;
his only duty is to obey without ques-
tion, and the interpreter of his duty is
the captain of his company.
With the putting on of his uniform he
becomes one of an army which in times
ofpeace numbers 468, 400 men, thoroughly
equipped, admirably trained and ready
to follow their officers anywhere, from
the storming of Russian redoubt to
charging q mob of workingmen on
strike. The soldier of the German en-
pire ceases to be Bavarian "a Wurtem-
berger or Saxon when he steps into the
ranks. His military service is personal
to the emperor, from whom he receives
his orders, to the exclusion of all other
authority. Everything that he sees and
hears in the army is calculated to i'm
press upon his mind that his particular
state and its particular public men are of
very little consequence compared with
an emperor who has absolute power over
an army such as he belongs to. He also
learns that fidelity to his duties as q
soldier is one of the few as well as sure
means of securing later in life position
in that great class of men whose salaries
come from the taxes of the people and
whose appointments hang upon the fa-
vor of the government.
Every soldier dreams of the day when
he shall possibly be promoted as non
commissioned officer, and at the end of
his term be given berth in the railway,
telegraph or postoffice service, possibly
on the police force.
The peace footing of the German army,
468, 400, becomes in time of war q fight
ing force of nearly 800, 900, commanded
by 35,427 officers. A careful estimate
made by Hugo Hinze in The Berlin
Nation of Jan. IA, 1888, shows that Ger
many has today 3,264, 900 men trained to
arms between the ages of II and As. The
experience of the Franco-German war
has taught that to every 1000 men there
should be at least 24.5 officers in the
active army and reserve, and from 90 to
21.7 to the 1000 in the less responsible
reserves called Landsturm and Ersatz-
truppen-troops designed to provide
home defense only. On this scale the
German fighting force calls for at least
1888 officers, making grand total
fighting force of 3,341, ,253-an army
greater in numbers than the population
Of all the United States when it became
an independent power century ago.
+ To this must be added $4,000 moro who
are surgeons, paymasters, veterinaries,
armorers, saddlers, officials of various
kinds and 312, 900 horses.
To raise the peace footing of the army,
to treble its size in twenty-four hours, the
most careful system is observed. OFF,
cials in every nook and corner of tho en-
pire know exactly where they can find
every able bodied man who has served
his first three years and is now therefore
in the reserve. Then they know just
how many uniforms and accouterments
are needed and where they can put their
fingers on them at moments notice.
These well drilled officials besides know
every horse in their district, what he can
do, and what he can be impressed for;
they have record of all the farm
wagons that may be needed on the
march; they have minute information as
to the whereabouts of every truss of hay
or bag of oats, as well as every pig, COW,
or calf that might be needed.
10 luuSUTuJS. NOG lOUS ago (tOCC) dG u
certain small town on the main line be-
tween Berlin and Metz tho station mas
ter. who is also Tie head of the mobiliG-
ing district, rocci; 81 IA UIdcr to prepa.c
coffee for 1880 men at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon and dinner for an equal num-
Der at G:S0 o'clock of the same day.
, This order he received exactly three
hours before tho troops were to arrive
and had no other warning
The $500 men came, had their coffee,
and were off. At $3.50 came another de-
tachment of $500 men. These were
served with dinner, consisting of boiled
mutton, broth and vegetables, all boiled
in fourteen huge pots, kept for the purpose
close to the station. Each of these pots
u cooks enough for 200 men at one time, SO
that with fourteen such tho dinner for
$500 can be served up in short time
after the materials are produced.
I When, therefore, the order comes from
| the emperor that the troops are to be
ready for the frontier, every able bodied
man in the country between the age of
\ IL and 42 knows exactly what is expected
of him; the provision trains with extra
horses spring up as if by magic; uniform,
weapons and forage appear from conve-
nient places of concealment SO rapidly
and effectively that one almost suspects
that the part has been rehearsed many
times. 4.
people respond to the demands made
/ Lx,t tI,os,. l.