New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-04
THE COURT OF HONOR"
AN INSTRUMENT OF TERROR FOR THE
GERMAN ARMY.
ONE OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE EMPEROR
RULES AND HOW 1T WORKS

MIN INTO the corner or restaurant
was passed BY the Court of Honor consisting Of
ms or9iher Officers and Endorsed by the emperor
military career Last year his friends. Baron von
t'hrhardt and Herr Won Kamptz. were hailed before
similar court for refusing to accept Challenge
OF civilian who had broken his word OF honor.
nd @ CERTAIN lhf
character resented the senter<e OF dismissal and
after prolonged correspondence he challenged the
members Of the court. They replied by setting the
England in october. having dstaste for the idea
Of prison life in the Fatherland
,'Unauestionaby. Every decision goes before
almost Invariably If the case was one Of some
external breach OF the code of honor. The pres
dear to the old Emperor but to-day Il has all be-
come matter Of externals. and that just suits the
to maintain false standards. Of RICH. and wrong
and the most ridiculous notions Of honor. TO say
even more dangerous. There you find them used
erty. They mark off every man who has ben
an officer into class apart with =, q special code
gone back into civil life. but he Is entitled to
wear the uniform and The Emperor fIo, krens his
what was the charge against Won Ehrhards:
TWO GRAVE CHARGES
There were two charges-that he asked man's
word OF honor trivial matter and that he
would not fight duel with the same mar whe IN
sprltualist society at Dusseldorf. Of which was
member. The LAWYER with whom the trouble
arose was asked by the president at seanre 70
give his word OF honor that everything should be
above board. lie gave IT. and then we FOUND nm I'm
turned him out. He challenged Won Ehrhardt ara
Won Kmp They to n BY this Dl H
has broken his word OF honor so we cant hSht.
The Court answered First S ght wan AND tn Mns SO
in the duel where the Officer Of the Emperor
Yacht killed an innocent Office in the army
by the Court. and the Emperors friend was pro
to be in 1n the d SrIT hs S ordered ce
gram to he sent 10 him Of the result ~ VIZ ,n me
must fight we will fight YOU as You Champion ,nT
honor OF a dshonorable man. Won kampZ naI
Won Fhrhardt was deprived Of uniform ana com ,Ia,,
mission. That is the heaviest pnnisnmen, rnry
"Bnt whore was the fault in asking for a mans
expression should MOI be used in trivial matters
dogs i o nsry s s The g girl be ugly
horse old the dog not at all dog but they 90 nor
hardt. who is a convinced Spirtuast. used the
words serousy-.the first time; perhaps. German
officer had ever done So and they came down upon
him for using them trivially. ..,
Had the Emperor anything TO say ABOUT II!
IMPERIAL CLEMENCY.
HE confirmed the sentence. but OF his c,emency
he wrote VIII as favor On genade allow low H nim
Ehrhardt who to be punished In this way.
ssna spds and has e refused the
Emperor's offer, and wrote back to him these
words-I have a copy of them made by Won
Since justice is denied me. since may not
my Emperor and my country. neither will I wear
the Iron Cross which His Majesty the Emperor
action Your Majesty has graciously allowed me
| to retain It. With the most humble thanks again
I asked Mr. Rhein 4 he would give me some In II
stances of the way the courts work In other d.
SThey are only supposed to come in: you mus,
understand. when there is public scandal Thus hui
restaurant until civilian mentioned the affair one
night to the general How Is his said the se h
sword There s must be an inquiry But is it honor
arms against an unarmed man ian /. .ne
man not be allowed to use his knife I said in my
defence before my comrades that could put ~, ~ up
but that wouldn't be coward at u other o mems
orders. In my regiment were Two officers respon,
sibe for the affairs of the mess, who used the
money for themselves. But It did no. leak out.
the Court Of Honor did no, t n ia ths
regiment Now say that honor is not promo; ed I'd
in a way. had had enough to drink at Iiebe;
smahl or friendly dinner, and who was convict GRE,
by wel-known confirmed drqnkar h men v wro
clever enough avoid becoming a scandal
among the civilians.
HOW GAMBLING is SUPPRESSED"
Then. gambling among officers is supposed to be
dealt with by the Court OF Honor. There was an
officer of Hussars who played with his comradfe 1
till he had got through his fortune re nao on,s
a horse and carriage left He Gambed them away
and they went wandering about In the regiment
backward and forward and the colonel ana etet h
with "a civilian This public scandal. and
his brother officers. who had won all MS money
Sn. Am out e OBJ ne OF eGurse no. ce is out Of
debt from the Emperor downward, so Il has be been
qualified by prohibiting dishonorable debts. Mhas I
is this honor and disnonor In such conneeu0 on
Is 1t dshonorablc to owe for beer or what? on
1t is all fine muddle. this honor. Ohicers must
NOT speculate or make money In any DOUBTFUL way.
This has now been interpreted TO mean that poor
officer may not teach or help himself in any such
way Moltke was very poor as young man ana
he used to make money by translating Eng
lish books My father'in-law. lieutenant colonel.
gave private lessons in mathematics. and general
who was uncle OF mine, did the same thing: Al
this has now become a public scandal ana the
But does not the Emperor his influence TO
make 1t possible for poor men to serve IN your
army by discouragng luxury and the like"
oh certainly. certainly There admra BILE
things said by the Emperor about this every year.
and we all have to obtain his permission before We
marry with this very object. Either the means OF
the officer must be adequate or his wife must nave
nit IT, But what does it all come to? The officer
IL enjoned by the code Of honor TO live up TO MS
high standard lie must buy the best uniforms
which he doesn't pay for be ,ause he can't know
an officer who was abou. to be punished by ,ne
court because his uniform was shabby. so he went
into debt buy a one the oHcei uiust az
ways go the best place at concerts ana thea'res
and he must keep up his high position IL ne y Il
is first lieutenant No; the Emperor would be
the first to come down Oh an ofnrr m,s ,
was careful of his money. was different lie Wa,
noticed ny the officers Of The Guard, TO De wearing
came the fashion for officers OF the Guards TO wear
patched gloves. But not oI ones-Sn. no i n
them patched in precisely the same places as the
Emperor -