The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-30
MAKING A SOLDIER.
Work of Non. Commissioned
Officers in German Army.
TRANSFORMING THE PEASANT.


Berlin. Dee. Especial Correspondence
.-Tha svs.rs.ge en-coulrnissionei officer
A., the German ARMY has very little re-
ser.f,Iflace 10 a sculptor at dySt sight. and
sf,e rood man himself would be more as
fon;xilcd than any. il one should attf3o-
ute to sssan artistic prDcivities. AND get
~ he would but stop and think--fnat ~.
when the occupation Of training recruits
leaves him time and temper snffieiesat
for the effort OF tfaInking-he might az
least compare his position 80 that o.
aire workman in the marble shop, VINO
forms the block into the reproduction OF
af,e clay sIsoticl from the studio.
The difference is that the c0rporais
marble having, occasionally, will OF
its own. is the more difficult 10 handle
The work OF hannuering. cniseling and
peGishinx the raw recruit into the train
ed soldier. the man with an individual
3ty. however slight. into a mere unit, a
mart Of the most perfect fighting ma
chine in the world. Is sufficiently COM
plicated, and in the minds ~ those in
authority, sufficiently important TO en-
gage the time, and mental and physical
strength of hundreds OF educated men.
who, In any. limited. unnilisary opiniosi.
s,s that az IL may. the operation itself,
the personal training of each soldier,
which in the German army is brought
70 the highest development. II interest
tng enough to warrant a minute descf.r-
ton, and certainly the result Is worthy
our admiration as a work of art, what
eyer the color OF our political opinions.
The raw recruit is equally raw" all
A
seen n few patches here i can imagine
the sinking OF heart experienced by the
officer in charge as his eyes wander
over the unpromislng array. The best
and most Intelligent men are selected
Tor the guard, and come 10 Berlin; so
the samples sent TO the provincial garri-
SONS must bc discouraging To those
whose duty II is to form these uneouth
blocks into shape. But the work is
there. II must be done. and IL is done
with thorongbnesa and celebrity truly
remarkable. In three months time the
ui1kuinpt peasant youth II transformed
into the trim, jauniy soldier. with his
well fitting uniform, his erect carriage
sa1sd elastic step. and his joyous sense
Of his wonderfully Increased importance.
The captain parcels off his batch of
recruits--fronG 50 to 90 are allotted To
each company yeafiy--into divisions of
IL to Is each. under the immediate charge
of 1Sss=sammissIuned officers, each of
wfinsn has for an assistant u private of
ct least two years term Of service.
Tho Infantry recruits are brought up
4n tbs spring. those for the cavalry and
artillery in autumn, Twelve weeks is
she usual time allotted for the training
pf tho iafantryman before he enters the
ranks. and. II for any one Inssg this Is
found Insufficient. ne may be kept out
Tor the rssxt hatch. as thc appearance Of
The regiment must not be spoiled by a
single uneven step by a single awkward
marriage or nDfnent's dilatoriness in
uEtnetiysiing. The Subdivision of the
squad. giving 10 each corporal and his
assistant never more than six men each.
who are under their charge day and
might. allows that personal study and
training NJ each snen. which is the only
sure method to attain perfect evenness
in the regiment.
Whsn the recruit has been ctanbei
and scrmped into shape sufficiently to
DC put into the first simple working uni
form OF white duck, his training begins.
Aad oh. how much there is for him TO
learn. First of all order and puncfual-
Sly, and implicit obedience. and then Ills
day is portioned OFF for him. and every
hour has its duty. It's rigid Law to which
he must bend or break. The division OF