Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-04-02
In THE GERMAN ARMY.
EXPERIENCE OF A PRIVATE IN
TIME OF PEACE.
Ills Military Life Is Not Happy One
The Victim of Tyrannical Of
ncers-Haye no Protection
From The Rain.

Perhaps the most interesting thjng
in recent number Of the Temple Bar
is a paper on Eight Weeks Service
in the German Army" contributed by
German resident in England. 1t
tells how the writer served his two
months volontariat and gives any
thing but delightful picture OF life
in the German army. The work
which the soldier has to.perform IS
exceedingly hard and trying; but the
scrgeants and corporals have a rather |
more endurable existence:
"As volunteer, was allowed to
employ 'comrade' as servant to
clean my rifle and accouterments, but
my authority over him was. OF course,
only on military sutferance. When
however. couple Of weeks later was
raised TO the proud position Of corporal.
matters were very different He was
now my Putzer (cleaner) whereas be-
fore he had been my Pntz-kamerad
(comrade who is good enough to
clean for your; / might treat him as
pleased, call him 'Schweinhund' or
Saukopp' or even kick him down
stairs i were dissatisfied with his
performance OF his duties. On consid-
Grafton. however ! am not sure If this
final privilege is not reserved for Of
ficers, whose servants, by another deli
cate distinction are called simply
'Burschen.
The sleeping arrangements under
cover are very primitive and trying
for all save the peasant who is accus-
toned 10 roughing it;
/ The effect of the bad nights and
| fatiguing days soon begins to make
Itself felt in perpetual heayy-eyed
WEAKNESS which Is al times almost
a unbearable. and normal state Of
/ swollen feet Frequently the night
/. only lasts from 10 till 2 or at least 1.
I and then we have TO march till and
o fight the rest of the day On these
!. days hunger becomes a misery for
a there is nothing To eat all day long
5 till the engagement is over. Then
d only Is ii possible for those who have
money 20 buy little bread. beer and
a sausage from the Marketender q civil
. iunctlonary who is allowed 10 follow
L the regiment with wagon of pro-
Il visions as a private speculation. As
4 for the poor fellows who have no
/ money. heaven help them! They arc
/. dependent on the charity OF their fell
II lows or must wait till they get back
10 quarters or the blvouac.
m The bivouac indeed, as understood
d in the German army, seems 10 be pure
{. misery.
y Il suppose tho only conception o
N hiyouacking among Englishmen is de
rived from the camping out OF volun
~ teers under canvas; a kind Of pro
longed picnic, with pipes and yarn
Il round the fire in the evening, and al
\. occasional sing-song' in the mess-tent
~ This IS. however, not the way we Ger
IN mans biyouac After fighting all da,
long the company arrives about ) or
at O'Clock hungry. weary and footsore a
or the place selected and has TO process
IN Mt once with the necessary arrange
ou ments. The officers only have tents
these have TO be erected; then wind
II shelter has TO be constructed for GU
II 200 men. To serve this purpose
\ number of sticks are driven into tn
II ground: these are coupled with stra'
n ropes and then straw is piled again:
the barrier to the height OF about for
M feet so as TO afford some shelter fC
rn the men inside-from the wind onl,
mn of course: If il rains so much Ii
"a, worse for the unlucky soldiers.
,rs The sergeants have some sligl
cover but the rest lie in n circle wit
OF their heads TO the straw and their fe
ta- to the great fire which is lighted
ace the center without any shelter at q
the from the cold or rain except the
of military cloaks. These arrangement
re. take time, as you may imagine. The
Ills are straw and fuel to fetch, aud tn
up IN large quantities; there are pol
that will not drive, fires that will Il
on. light and the whole has to be don
maybe, in storm OF rain and win
ce, However when it is completed '
in think of food and rations are sorv
or out These consist Of military bre
cry and little tablets of condensed me
her aud vegetables. Every corpor'
schafsfuhrer (corporaD is expected
Ind see after the feeding of the men und
his charge; the pick and shovel q
on brought into requisition, and shall,
us trench is dug in which fuel is plaC
DO and lighted. On this improvtsed fiji
ut place the kettle--which every m
Q to carries-is boiled, and kind of Il
she soup manufactured, which lsdisgusti
me of taste but the only kind of food Il
H. y is TO be got"
ing The author points out what stril
all; him as the worst part of the system
ack, What always seems TO me the m
only melancholy feature of the Germ
his army system is the spirit of truckl
his and time-serving to superiors, VIII
her 1t ingrains into the German charact
Discipline is carried TO such an ext
for that IL undermiues the right I
him proper independence of the man,
lilly n volunteer you must be always trC
ing the sergeants, II you wish to
said cape contemptuous and abusive trC
that ment; MS a common soldier you N
~ Ill l. Il