Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-12-18
TIE GERMAN S0LDIERY.
HOW THE ARMY OF THIS MILITARY
COUNTRY is CONSTITUTED.


Inc German boy who reaches the age
OF ~ liable to service in the
army, n TINS liab1llty continues until
ne is ~. II ne Is MOI lit Tor active service
ne IS relegaied to a reserve force not
called out unless thcre is danger of in
vasson. for heafiy ms whole active life,
t~terehore, the German lives in species
oI hlilltary serVltude that hampers him
should ne desire to emigrate, and may be
tuil OF petty annoyances to him if he
Goes not
onder ordinary. circumstance the
German lad steps INTO the ranks at The
age OF ~. FOR three years he serves
WIN the coiors, the neXt four years he
ls Ia Vhe reserve, and the following live
years he belongs to the Landwehr,
another reserve more remote than the
iirst. or these twelve years the first
three are occupied entirely in severe
military work. The most stupid peasant
under q system SO thorough as Ger
manys must be stupid beyond recovery if
ne does not turn out an alert, obedient
ana wen trained soldier. From the time
he takes his oath of allegiance to his
military superior, the kaiser, he lot
ces tile clVil responsibilities n rights of
a cltizen. 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 Lis 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.
Wlth the putting on Of his uniform he
becomes one of an army which in times
OF peace mbers46S 400 men, thoroughly
equipped, admirably trained and ready
TO follow their officers anywhere, from
the stornlng of a Russian redoubt to
charging a mob of workingmen on
strlke, The soldier of the German en-
plre ceases to be a Bavarian "a Wurtem-
berger OF saxon when he steps into the
RANKS. Hls 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 n of the few as well as sure
means OF securing later in life a 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 VIXEN
he Shall possibly be promoted as non
commissioner officer, and at the end of
his term be given a berth in tho railway, |
telegraph or postoffice service. possibly |
on the police force.
The peace footing Of the German army, |
46S,400, becomes in time of war a fight
ing force OF nearly / 900, 00e, 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 1884, 600 men trained to |
arms between the ages of II ana4s The |
experience OF the Franco-German war
has taught that to every LOCO men there
should be at least 24.5 officers in the
active army and reserve, and from 20 to
S1.7 to the 1000 in the less responsible
reserves called I.andsturm and Ersatz-
truppen-troops designed to provide |
home defense only. On this scale the |
fighting force calls for at least
q 200 officers, making u grand total
hghSlng. force of 3.34t ,253-an army
create, m ni'tauers tha.N the population
all the 7 Elted States when it became
an independent power a century ago.
this mus be added II, 900 more who
are surgeons, ,paymasters, veterinaries,
armorers, saddlers, officials of various
Kinds and $4,000 horses.
10 raise the peace footing ofthe army,
to treble its size in t~wenty-four hours. the
most careful system is observed. Off
Gals in every nook and corner of the en-
pire know exactly where they can find
every able bodied man who has served
ms ilrst three years and is now therefore
IN the reserve. Then they know lust
now many uniforms n accouterments
are needed and where they a put their
fingers on them at a moments notice.
these wen drilled officials besides know
every morse IN their district, what he can
40, ana what he a be Impressed for;
they have q record of all the farm
wagons that may be needed on the
march; they have minute information as
10 ihe whereabouts OF every truss of hay
VI Dag OF oats. as we'll as every pig, COW, /
VI Caii tllat mlgnt pc needed.
10 Illustrate: Not long ago (1SSS) at a
tween Berlin and Metz the station mas
Ter, who As also the head of the mobiliz-
ing dlstrlct, received an order to prepare
coHee Ior 2,ooo men at a o'clock in the
afternoon and dinner for an equal num-
per at $50 o'clock OF the same day.
inns order he received exactly three
hours before the troops were to arrive
and had ne other warning.
The 2,soU men came, had their coffee,
and were OIL. At $3.50 came another de-
tachment OF 1880 men. These were
with a dinner, consisting of boiled
broth and vegetables, all boiled