The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-24
THE GERMAN ARMY.
The Socialists Would Convert
It Into Militia.
NEW FoRTIFICATIONs IN FRANCE
pr~ecutions For Lese Majesty Much
Increased Since Emperor Wrote
HIS stupid ''song TO Aegir."


~frs ~
80 has been described as about every
.st,g from s-rhe curse Of Germany" as
sss social Democrats call IL. 20 The sa-
s-.or q, the nation"-the phrase fathsred
Sc the var minister, Gen. Bronsart Won
srhslIendorT. on Tuesday.
Tns most interesting feature Of the de-
~. was william L!eoknechts plea for an
srrv on the Social Democratic plan In
.as place OF the present 'pretor1an CO.
hors." Arm everybody capable OF bear
ing arms he says, pay all the soldiers
s.lr wages, and you VIII have millions OF
,-sn ready at all times TO defend the last
saeh OF German soil" He wants a MILL
ia army. after the model OF the Swiss re-
nntslic II militia are good enough for an
soornous hand like the United States. he
argues why not for Germany? Lake the
French Socialists, Lisbknecht's Social
Democratic followers have an elaborate
schsrne sor training the young men OF
the country In swimming. shooting and
running. and for giving them the elements
.of engineering tactics and the use OF
vsaoons Thus the whole German youth
YOU'D Be made marvels OF physical and
mental development, ready alike for the
pracs.csl demands OF peace or war
All tsis sounds plausible enough, and
Il mar work In the future state which
II. socialists plan 10 put UP after upset
s.nr the present government. II might
work now. but military expert has Just
rsns out OF his way 20 prove very con-
elazyely that Il wouldn't. He has pub
ished unique little pamphlet. anony-
srogsly TO show that the big Socialist
army would be the most cumbersome
white elephant that a nation ever let
bose within Its borders. would absorb all
TIE money that could be begged. whee-
died or stolen by the national treasurer.
and would sink eventually the ship OF
sfafz NJ
the world has never seen. The pamphlet
might be described as a military Look
ing Backward" for the author explains
what he thinks a Sociallstic army would
be. as Mr. Beliamy explained what he
thought Socialism Ia trade and industry
would be.
THE author calculates first the strength
OF the Germany army ready for war. IN
der the new ai-DenocraIc plan. II
would be nearly 900 900 men. For this
multitude the proper proportion OF cav
airy. artillery and the train would re-
quirs an overwhelming number of horses
some i210. coo, according to the present
German system AS there are barely 9o.-
90 horses available for the army, the So
ciaiist minister OF national defense would
he Obliged to buy a round million. An
army horse lasts ten years, hence IL
would be necessary 10 buy 10000 a
year; cost. 100000 marks annually.
When he comes TO feeding and groom
ing and housing all these brutes the
author ceases calculating and gives
Il up. He says some Sociai-Democrat
skilled In higher mathematics may be
able 10 solve the problem. He estimates
however. that the expense OF buying and
collecting merely the three-nonth's store
OF provisions for the 1900 GO soiflers
and 10000 horses would not fall short
OF S000o. 90 marks
To cloths and arm the new troops, ac-
eording 10 the present economical sys-
TEN, would cost ss3 ono marks The
rev batteries would add $4,000 900 and
The ammunition 10000 600 To this sum
The Increased expense for wagons. pom
tcoas, etc. would be l2o 00o. 900 more
As a minor Item, the military BeIiamy
mentions that the rise of prices always
accompanying war would increase the
enormous cost OF provisions In peace by
some 5000 90 marks a month. or s.
$4,000 year. lie says that these fig
ufes do not cover more than two-thirds
OF the bankruptcy budget. as II would
appear under the Social Democratic reg
Inc. He then piunges into details Of the
necessary additions 10 Che medical STATS.
mo Red Cross service. repair shops and
the Ike more. until. with his quadruping
and quintupling OF present numbers and
MS piling OF millions on millions ne gets
beyond the comprehension of the aver
age human layman and scars high up IN
the billions. His description Of the semi
annual encampments Of 4ea0oo or g.
esn9 Social Democratic militia. and the
untold thousands Of officers needed 20
dfiii them is calculated 10 make gray
mars among those advocating the army
o. the future. His conclusion ~ that
All told. the expense Of introducing the
socialist plan would he about gOl 0bn Nno
marks IN lump sum. that the annual
afxs ktss4
would be lsgo.eo.0o and that I'm war the
aadihoual cost would fall little short 81
ee'ehe9 marks a year All these est
mates are hazel carefully upon the pre-
en- items IN the military appropriation
bills, which everybody knows are kept
pared down 30 the las; reg As "a soldier
o. the regular army. however. the author
ADDS the opinion that these impossible
expenditures would not he tho worst, as
Ne new army would be loose at the
@2ihis half Interchangeable under the
aosi favorable circumstances. aud sure
% De whipped in any encounter with such
torre as France or Russia can now pat
In the aeid
In The grand muster ~ the enemy, such
as accompanies the annual debate on the
army appropriations some interesting
- a. 20 Frances tirciess prepAra-
,l"aS have baeu brought 20 light
every body remembers the tremendous
aN7oao raised a year or SO aEo
whfn Emperor William began transform
TX Malmedy a town near the Belgium
"aTif- irto an armed camp. with acres
q iorts trenches and artillery enhank-
rents fofh IN Brussels and IN Paris
eAs generals raised the cutlery that Ger
A@aF was setting ready 10 march her
o"ors through neutral Belgium in the
SEX war. 50 as 10 avoid the line 81 forts
On iae frea-h frontier. az course. Ger
mAhY Replied that she intended nothing
q The KIND France relarsed into sus-
Pfious silence Witch. So IS now learned
vas Accompanied hy equally suspicious
activity. In fhe last fourteen months
fifteen r"w fartworks have been added
~ the for'iaeations a. Lille and eight
lore have heen GROUPED round Man
oefk ALI tr se-h positions as 70 sweep
SIN i0-i- batteries the railroads AMI
.'ghSays which a German army would
toi'o" ac7oss the Belgian border This
s7@F ire cli waits % Lille and Mauhcnwe
are q o0 -nves aut rev walls 20 re butt
as 10 i1cin3e al The suburbs ~ each.
e lhir1ken lt-e 90 French for5tncstsons
san SIRE 1893 aiN0E 'ho German borisr
,'ts eSr7 s,~~-- -rere3 without ceAsiuE.
s'lSa has fNc r@w forts and Tout four.
Round Epl0a1 seventeen new re-
soeets have been erected Relfort. the
"FFNErs bic Nas been hestes With six
ne" f-~twovkS. Essanco1 with two
- t~,'S rfs v-tf SIX These are the ma
IS 'f'n' Uet-h ere summer VAR scare
t'ArN - - r-adr TIE var pr5phets
H s4s' t1a dseers.o n n this weeks
'4Ht l0fHt ttar since Iast Surtrr
$3.50 PAS hrorEat g. 80 more tr,sops
80 ne lnfertor ar3 see thefn down con
.'s h#tF ~" German art Austrian