The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-11
GERMANY'S MILITARY FORCE
Interesting Facts About the Father.
lands Marvellous Fighting Machine. 4
How the Rank and File of the Huge Army Is
Organized-A Days Operations of Corps
Engaged in Maneuvering in the Field.

German military system. At the age of twenty
| every German is called to the colors. and re-
| mains subject to military service until he il
thirty-two. Such at least was the law until the
| beginning of the present year; but by the new
| army BILL which has to do with the organization
| OF the landst urn. (of which shall hereafter
speak, the period has been heightened until the
age of thirty-nine.
The easiest way to understand the German
system is to follow the progress OF recruit
through the various stages of his service active
reserve and landwehr
| The young man, has already been said,
| enters the army at twenty, where he remains
| for three years. On first reporting for service,
| the recruit is medically examined, and if passed
| by the board of physicians sent to join his
| regiment The particular arm, whether in
fantry, cavalry, artillery. that ne may enter.
| depends. firstly on his physical fitness, and
| ondly on the exigences of the service at the
time. And the young man becomes unit
| of that wonderful human machine called the
German army.
He is Immediately put into the hands OF in
structors and spends the first three months
so learning the elements of his profession. I
may here remark that to the noncommissioned
officer of The German army is due, in a great de-
gree, the wonderful efficiency to which it has
been brought. As class they are unsurpassed.
if indeed they equaled, by those of any other
army in Europe After being well trained In
company grill, the soldier takes his place in the
battalion, acquires the new drill, and later par
ticipRtes in the regimental exercises. In addi-
ton to this purely physical training, he receives
one hours oral instruction per day in everything
that relates to his profession. He must be able
to repeat the names and titles of the Emperor
and the members of the royal family. their var
ious rank in the army, the names Of the COM
mandihg general and of the other superior Off 4
GERS OF his particular arnV corps. describa
correctly the uniforms and badges of the var
lous ranks. together with the military salutes
that should be paid to each.
Such is the service performed by the ordinary
recruit. But. though in theory every man is
required to serve three years, the government
RENTS two years of this period to all who can
fulfill certain requirements. IT, class is called
one-Year volunteers. In order tn take advantage !,
of this privilege, young n must have
reached the upper classes in a gymnasium or
state hlgh-school, or else have passed EQUIV
alent examination. He must also provide his
own uniform and equipment, expect regimen
tai pay and board and lodge himself in the town
in which his regiment is CHARTERED. His years
service thus costs the governments absolutely
nothing. 1t he elects to serve in the cavalry
artillery, he must provide also his own horse.
But the two years taken from his service in the
active army is added to his service IN the
serve. so that he really accOmplishes the twelve
years of military service imposed by the law
Having completed his term of service in the
active army, the soldier passes into the reserve,
where he, remains four years. During this
period he must submit Co three periods of serv-
ice, each of six weeks. of which, If he has
been but one year in the active army, must be
during the grand autumn maneuvers. Having
passed through the reserve, he joins the
landwehr, third line of defense. where he
remains five years. during which time he is
quired to devote eight weeks TO military service.
aud, in addition is liable to extraservice. should 1
occasion require II, as, for instance, being
called out to learn the of the new repeating
rifle just adopted
His twelve years of service being thus com
pleted, the soldier passes into the iandsturm.
This body consists of all the male inhabitants of
Germany between the ages OF thrty-two and
forty-five Until the present time this BODY
existed only in name. but by the army bill
il will be thoroughly organized, clothed and
armed. This will add 700. 900 men to the eff
fec:ive forces of Germany at cost of $50. 000 600
marks
Such is brief sketch of the organization of
the rank and file of the army. The providing of
officers for this enormous body of men is ac-
compshed in the following manner: For the
regular army the training is much the same as
that followed in most countries. The candidate
passes year in the ranks then comes a pre-
lminary examination; he next enters the mill
tary school, and in due time receives his leu
tenants commission. For the reserve and
landwehr the officers are recruited from the
ranks of the one-year men. The aspirant for a
commiss on reserve officer is required to 60
through a probationary period. during his six-'
weeks service reservst, ard then having
passed an examination. is eligible for commits
sion. In the of both regular and reserve
officers, the final requirement is election by the
officers of the regiment to which he Is appoint
ed, custom that tends to keep the military
profession in Germany almost entirely in the
hands OF the ariStocracy.
The organization of every branch OF the army
is characterized by the same thoroughness and
attention to detail. For instance. every horse
belonging to private individual is examined
with view to military service, in order that the
reserve and landwehr cavalry and artillery may
be provided for in case OF This examine
ton takes place annually by mixed board of
military and veterinary officers, acting in each
army district On being found fit for military
service. each horse is registered in the police
a. Is nd IN RAJ n m IN
would be instantly taken possession Of
1t is in the arrangements for mobilization that
the German army is wonderfully perfect The
modus operan6i is follows The active army
is divided into eighteen army corps, each occn-
plying particular district and consisting of
about %. 900 men. The general commanding the
corps is responsible for It's mobilization and has
in the stores the clothing, arms and equipment
of the reservists and landwe men. The do
faile however. are in the hands of the railroad
authorities and police bureaux Each soldier
quitting the actiYe army reports himself to
the bureau of police in his district where his
name, age, regiment, and destination on mobili-
cation inscribed. From this data the police
bureau furnishes the local railroad authorities
with the number of trains required and their
direction.
Suppose. now, the telegram for mobilization
should be received Each man thereupon pre-
sents himself at at the police bureau and
receives his pass for the journey, goes TO the
railroad station and is sent off Immediately to
the headquarters OF his regiment Arrived
there arms and clothing served out. tn Of
fcers appear take command of their comp anes
and regiments and, in twenty-four hours, an 4
army of half million men is raised to one and
a half millions, and in three days be placed
on the frontier with all its parts complete save
of course. the mounted arms which require
three days to be made ready account of
the necessity of requisitionine the horses.
The whole organization Of the army is tested
by means of the grand autumn maneuvers,
which take place annually, and are a crucial test
of the efficiency of all branches of the service.
They are of three sorts-brigade divisional and
corps maneuvers. Each army corps performs
of me- on other afth hra els
every year, during which time the entire army
is drawn ont of garrison. and acts within its
particular district. everything being carried out
exactly as In a real campaign.
Probably the best way to give idea of the
work performed by army corps during these
maneuvsrs Is TO describe q days operations,
Erifnassad mir during