The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-31

tariff on foreign bicycles coming into
the United States.
The maneuvers in Germany for this
year Of grace were finished last week,
and this mimic warfare set nearly
half a million Of men into abnormal
activity. It was warfare almost in
reality, saving the casualties, though
these were not wholly wanting, some
thirty men having, it is reported, lost
their lives. In every Respect, except act
ual killing, the exigencies Of actual cam
paigning were undergone and the rank
and file given a taste Of what they
fear they may be called upon to eX-
perience at almost any time. There
is never a let in Germany in the
training for the expected crash, and
that is why the German army is the
splendid fighting machine it has be-
come, but sometimes it strikes an i'm
partial observer as being decidedly
Overdone, as when, for instance, last
week noted general marched his men
under a hot sun and fully equipped in
heavy marching order a distance Of
nearly fifty miles between sunrise and
sunset. Of course the men arrived
completely done up, and, it is said,
some of them completely succumbed.
When demonstrated with the general
simply said that it made no difference
rifles at the place where he intended
to get them, and if a battle was nee
esSary they were ready to do service.
OF course the German army costs a
mint Of money and the taxes are that
much heavier to bear, but it hardly
becomes an American to sneer at the
huge expenditure for this purpose
when he remembers that his own gov
ernment eXpends more money every
ho of n
army to the survivors and alleged sur
vivors of a war fought thirty years
ago. The men in the ranks of the
German army strikes one as exceed
ingly youthful, and as not exactly
calculated to strike terror in the
breasts of q full-groWn opposing host.
1t should be remembered, however,
concerned it is the policy Of the gov
ernment to pluck 'em while they're
young, and that, therefore, her stand
ing army is always backed up by a
huge body Of reserves composed of
men who are more satisfying in stat
ure and IS well trained as those at
any time with the colors. But this
compulsory military service, at it's
best is very distasteful to the German
people. 1t is fact which partly ac-
counts for the large German emigra-
ton to the United States. 1t is Gu
rious fact, which doubtless never oc-
Cured to you, that the third largest
German city in the world is New York,
which has a German population of over
400, ,0G0, and is only exceeded by Ham
burg and Berlin.
The American tourist in Germany this sum
mer who has been over here before, and has
had to listen to the stories of German friends
as to the constantly recurring railroad acct
dnntS N ha Init fad
never been able to convince those friends
that, considering the great mileage In the
United States, and the enormous number OF
passengers carried, fatal railway accidents are
less frequent with US than in any other coun-
try, has had in the last few weeks a splendid
opportunity of getting even. Even since the
first of last July railway accidents here have
been of almost daily occurrence, and many
of them have been attended with fatal re-
suits. The papers and the authorities nave
been seeking to explain this frequency In
various ways but the truth seems to be
gradual wearing out of material in the way
Of rolling stock that never was even so good
second class when brand new. There are,
to be sure, two three good trains built
something like American trains running be-
tween the chief cities of the country, but
nine-tenths of the passenger cars look as
if they might have accompanied Noah in the
ark. They short high, swung upon in
sufficient springs over six wheels only, and
bump, jerk pitch, toss and roll in way
only comparable to a small schooner in
they tear apart at the couplings, and that
they jump the track when the engineer so far
forgets himself as to go ahead at bicy-
clist's pace. When new the cars with care
full treatment kept the track pretty well, but
now that they almost worn out, they
seem, with a sense of the eterhal fitness of
things bent upon suicide. However, if you
have the chance to como over and see this
interesting country, a close observation OF
which is bound to make you appreciate your
own all the more, don't let the fear of rail
way accidents deter you. You will probably
travel frst-class if you don't know any bet
ter. and second-class if you are "onto the
ropes,i and passengers in these two classes
are, with true German appreciation of class
distinctions, always placed in that part of
the train where there is the least danger
4
The advantages of a jaunt over here are
many, but probably the, greatest of these
Is the greater respect and warmer apprecia-
ton it gives the wandering American of his
own soreyeign freedom breathing and free, tso
breeding country. And that, despite the
odious and undemocratic. unrepublican Ding
ley bill staring him in the face against his
return, is a good thing for any Tourist