The Florida agriculturist., 1889-02-13
THE GERMAN SOLDIERY.
HOW THE ARMY OF THIS MILITARY
COUNTRY Is CONSTITUTED.

liable to Service at tho Age OF 17-Hali
a Million Armed Men Always Ready
for Service-Every Man sOidicr-Hcw
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 A. If 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 a species
of military servitude that hampers him
should he desire TO enigrate, and may be
full of petty annoyances to him il 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 system SO thorough as Ger
nany'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
q citizen. With the loss of his vote he is
taught that the sooner he forgets politi-
cal matters the better for him as 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-
ton, 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
of peace numbers 46S, 400 men, thoroughly
equipped, admirably trained and ready
to follow their officers anywhere, from
the storming of Russian redoubt to
charging a mob of workingmen on
strike. The soldier of the German en-
pire ceases to be Bavarian,ssa ia Wurtem-
berger or a 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 it's 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 fa-
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 postoffice service, possibly
on the police force.
The peace footing of the German army,
468, 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 $780,, 900 men trained to
arms between the ages of II and 10. The
experience of the Franco-G German war
has taught that to every 900 men there
should be at least 24.5 officers in the
hctive army and reserve, and from 90 to
e1.7 to the 1000 in the less responsible
reserves called Landsturm and Ersatz-
ruppen-troops designed to provide
home defense only. On this scale the
German fighting force calls for at least