The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-12-13
THE GERMAN SOLDIERY.
HOW THE ARMY OF THIS MILITARY
COUNTRY is CONSTITUTED.

for service-Every Man a soldier--How
the People Take It.
The German boy who reaches the age
OF II becomes liable to service in the
army, and this liability continues until
he is AZ. II he is not fit for active service
he is relegated to reserve force not
called out unless there is danger of in
vasion. For nearly his whole active life,
therefore, the German lives in 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 90. 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 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
a 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
der. 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-
ton, and the interpreter Of his aHty is
the captain of his company. So
With the putting on of his uniform he
becomes one of an army which in times
ofpeace numbers 46S, 400 men, thoroughly
equ pped, admirably trained and ready
70 follow their officers anywhere, from
the storming of Russian redoubt to
charging mob of workingmen on
strike. The soldier of the German en-
pre- ceases to be Bavarian,:sa 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 a
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 ia
vor of the government
Every soldier dreams of the day when |
he shall possibly be promoted as nom
commissioned officer, and at the end of |
his term be given berth in the railway, |
telegraph or postofiice service, possibly |
on the police force
The peace footing of the German army,
46o,4 400, becomes in time of war fight
ing force of nearly 1900, 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 1894, 900 men trained to
arms between the ages of II and 40. The
experience of the Franco-G 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 20 to
2l.7 to the 1000 in the less responsible
reserves called Landstrrm and Ersatz-
truppen-troops designed to provide
home defense only. On this scale the
German fighting force calls for at least
1928 officers, making a grand total
hghtlng force Of 3,341 ,253-an army
greater in numbers than the population
OF all the United States when it became
an independent power a century ago,
To this must be added ~ 900 more WHO
are surgeons, paymasters, We,
armorers, saddlers, officials
kinds and 1000 horses.
IT. --:-~ tl-o Pcacc IUOJng OF
int vrn
most careful system is observ
clals in every nook and corner
pire know exactly where they
every able bodied man who h,
his first three years and is now therefore I
in the reserve. Then they know lust
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 c
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 illustrate: Not long ago (18SS) at a
certain small town on the main line be-
tween Berlin and Metz the station mas.
ter, who is also the head of the mobile.
ing district, received an order to prepare
coffee for $500 men at o'clock in the
afternoon and dinner for an equal num-
Der at $50 o'clock of the same day,
This order he received exactly three
hours before the troops were to arrive
and had no other warning.
The $500 men came, had their coffee.
and were off. At ESQ 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 potsl
cooks enough for 200 men at one time, sd
hat with fourteen such the dinner for
800 can be served up in short time
after the materials are produced.
When, therefore, the order comes from
The emperor that the troops are to bt
ready for the frontier, every able bodied
nan in the country between the age OF
Y and AZ knows exactly what is expected
If him; the provision trains with extra
,orses spring upas if by magic; uniform,
weapons and forage appear from conve-
lient places of concealment SO rapidlyl
md effectively that one almost suspectsl
hat the part has been rehearsed many
imes q
people respond to the demands made y
lpon them by their kaiser.
In spite of all this, however, there
much in this huge military organ
cation that fosters cruelty or other wv
unnatural feeling The fact that Mbi
yer cent. of the suicides tabulated
y the government are in the army 81
in itself very extraordinary. Do
We ever hear of suicides at West Point wi
II Woolwich, or any other well man. am
lged training institution? Why should u,
he German army furnish any apprecia- H.
lie quota to the general result? It is ia
,ard for us to answer this.-Poultney the
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