The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-06-07
THE GERMAN ARMY.
THE cRoUcHlNG TIGER READY ON
THE FRENCH FRONTIER LINE.

Turning Out the Men at All Hours of
Night as If War Were Actually De-
observation-disclosures As Privates-Extra-
ordinary System. =
Once inside the city of Metz you find
discipline, hard work and the results of a
perfect military system. Fully half the
people you see on the streets are soldiers.
In the city of Metz to-day there are 10000
men. Along the frontier, in positions
where they can be concentrated upon the
border within twenty-four hours, there
are over 200, 900 men. In time of peace
the confinement of so large number of
men as are at Metz within such circun-
scribeC Quarters would simply result in
license, idleness and dissipation. But
there is nothing Of the sort to be seen at
Metz. The men are too constantly occu-
pied. The private soldiers are turned out
at 4 o'clock in the morning. 1t Is drill,
drill from morning till night. The men
are marched and contaminated. They
are exercised in every form of evolution
which could be employed in actual war.
The officers are constantly securing the
country hunting up new difficulties to
OSesSn ehCAA AAOn w oSOAOOAAO Ny PKCu"l~
nary drill Such discipline, such subor-
dination, I do not think was ever sur
passed in any army. The officers wear
their uniforms constantly. 1t is a breach.
of discipline, and of the most serious char
acter, for them to appear in public in
civilian dress These officers have no time
for social Inequalities. They never make
calls or accept invitations, except among
themselves. There is very little entertain
ing even among the officers ON the border.
They are too occupied with their military
duties, in the perfecting of this trench
dous military machine which each day
grows more and more formidable.
The perfection of the discipline of the
German army can only be understood by
witnessing its actual operation. To begin
with, the private soldiers are thoroughly
trained physically, as we'll as in the men
tai details of the military profession They
are all accomplished gymnasts Although
the men in many of the regiments are Of
medium size they look strong, hardy and
resolute. The German army is perfectly
democratic in the placing of its men. The
sons of the best families, who wish merely
to serve their three years. term, have to
begin in the ranks as common soldiers.
Those who wish to adopt the army as a
profession are placed in special schools,
and according to the examinations they
are placed in correspondingly better posi-.
ton than those who are merely serving
their three years term. But when once
a man enters the army his private social
position is absolutely ignored. heard
when l was in Metz of a son of a most
family being called upon to
do his three years service. His head
gardener, who was called out at the same
time and who had previously served, was
given his old position as sergeant The
young nObleman was placed in the ranks
as private and under the command Of
his servant, the gardener. The very first
day of his service the privates of his COM
pany were put to wheeling dirt for some
breastworks. The sergeant could not
bear to see his masters son engaged in
this mental work and took off his coat and
did his share for him, but this simply re-
suited in the punishment of the sergeant
for breach of discipline.
The respect which subordinate must
pay to his superior extends throughout
every hour and minute of the day. Wher-
ever the subordinate meets his superior in
rank he must extend to him the same off,
cial recognition of this superiority that
he would exhibit upon the actual parade |
ground. The first night of my arrival in
Metz 1 was dining at the table d'hote,
when heavy, thick set German officer
entered the room. A slight. aristocratic
looking German officer, also in uniform,
was leisurely eating his dinner and talk |
ing with friend when this officer entered |
the room. The moment the latter entered
the young officer stood up from the table |
and saluted. He stood with his hand at |
the side Of his head in the attitude Of |
salute until the advancing officer returned |
the salute and told him politely to sit |
down. In this particular case I after. /
wards learned that the officer superior in /
rank was former tradesman in the town /
where the younger officer, the only son of |
a noble family, was one of its So |
cial leaders. The two men in civil life |
would not know each other socially. But in |
the army the bridesmaids position COM
manded the absolute respect and obedience
of the nobleman. l merely give this IN |
stance as an illustration of the absolute
perfection of the military subordination in
the German army. l noticed this cJn-
stantly as the officers came into the dining |
room. Every officer who came in saluted |
those present, and those saluted either /
arose or bowed formally, according to |
their relative ranks. The working of this |
discipline, which was shown in a hotel |
dining room, was of course common at all |
places of public or private meeting. When |
the officers pass each other upon the /
streets, no matter if it is twenty times q
day, the6ame ceremony, only in amore
curt fashion, is gone through with. The
punishment for any breach of discipline is
swift and severe. Yet in spite of the rigor
Of the discipline and the tremendous work /
involved, all of the officers and the men |
look comfortable and contented.
But in nothing is the perfection of prep
aratiOn shown more than in the signals at |
night and in the sudden arming and turn
ing out of the entire force along the from /
tier upon the shortest possible notice.
Tho German soldier, when he retires at |
night, never knows whether he will be /
called out within the next ten minutes or
at any time Of night. At 1 o'clock the
signal will be given and then an order is
called out for the men, and instantly the
entire garrison at Metz will be placed in
line. Men will be sent out at double
quick up and down the streets, cavalry
will go Gathering out into the darkness,
the artillerymen will be whipped out at
their posts with the same swiftness and
rush as if the enemy were actually at |
their gates. And then there will follow a
shower of rockets. These lead to hillside
fires, one hillside lights up another, ard so
the blaze of light runs along down the
long line of the frontier, calling out by it's
signals the men at distant posts. Moth
Ing that could happen now in the way of
upon the part of France
could find the Germans unprepared. They
are united. harmonious and have a perfect
military arm.-T. G. Crawford's Letter in |
New York World