The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-17
SWEARING IN RECRUITS.
simple Ceremony Required by Uncle
Sam Compared with Germany's.

From the Detroit Free Press.
THE unostentatlous manner in which
our national affairs are administered is
well illustrated by the striking contrast
between the ceremony of swearing in re-
cruits in our army and the same ceremony
In Germany" remarked an officer who is
stationed at Fort Wayne to a reporter.
Here the recruit after expressing his de-
sire to serve Uncle SAM Is ushered into
the room, bare. dingy rented apartment
which serves as office for the enlisting Off
Ger of the army. and then and there *
called upon TO repeat after the said officer
the following oath, its solemn import
marked by the cursory upward tendency
of the irrespective right hand: I do sol
EMMY swear that w.ll bear true faith and
allegiance to the United States of America.
and that / will serve them honestly and
faithfully against all their enemies whom
soeVer; and that / VIII obey the orders of
the President of the United States and
the orders of the officers, appointed over
war. So help me Cod Signature to this
oath makes him, without more ado, fun
fiedged soldier.
How different is the following cere-
mony used in binding Germanys soldiers
to the kaiser! The young conscript Is
conducted to the church of the parish in
which he enltsts, where he is at first adj
dressed by the pastor on the sacred char
acter and great import of the oath he is
about to take; then the flag Of his coun-
try and that of his battalion being placed
on the altar, the embryo soldier is re-
quired to place his left hand on these
flags, and raising his right, to repeat the
following oath; L swear before God. who
is all-powerful and who knows all, that I
Will serve Loyalty and faithfully my very
gracious sovereign under all circumstances
On land and sea, in peace and IN war,
and in all places l swear to seek only his
good and to do everything to prevent in
jury to him. ! swear to observe strictly
the articles of war which have just been
read to me. l swear to obey all orders and
70 conduct myself as every courageous,
honest soldier ought to do, delighting in
fulfilling the duties that honor imposes
upon me. AS surely as God will aid me in
gaining eternity through Jesus Christ.
Amen
rs 1t not a serious question whether
our simplicity in the administration OF
a sacred oath does not defeat its very
purpose? We, in this free born Ameri-
can. republic. are justly proud of our
simple, unostentatious ways marked by
want of useless ceremony, and we, by
s~lr example, daily administer rebuke
to the old world for the vanity of its
ways; but let us not carry this feeling too
far. Human nature here, as elsewhere,
is rendered more binding by impressive
ness we should not hesitate to employ
into play and make its existent strength
the fuss and feathers employed by our
elders in the Sisterhood of nations.
The average American, IMMERSED in
patriotic lore, wofully ignorant of pa
triotic symbols, is COnatantly accused
OF want of devotion to his country, of
too great individualism, too little ma
tonaltsm. Let us hope that this is not
so, that our patriotism but lies dormant,
awaiting the occasion which will call ii
into play and make its eistent strength
'emphatically evident to- the world
In the meantime let the soldier swear
by his country's beautiful emblem; furth-
ermore, let the stars and stripes be dis
played more often and with more rever-