The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-12
MILIIARISM IN GERMANY.
It Paralyzes The Spirit and Destroys The
Energy of The Individual.

way its failings; thus one people learns
to benefit by another's misfortune aud
hence it is ever in place to make studies
in comparative government 1t is the
writer's purpose to undertake a few of
these studies with 1.-THE hope that they,
at this critical period in our history, may
be of benefit to some of those who have
in their hands the destiny of America
the people line first topic will be Mill
tarism i'm Germany, fbut it is mot meant
by making this first, that the other papers
shall be equally anlfavorably cr'iticising
to THE great military power of Europe.
This. however, can not be other than am
favorable, because niitarism is the
source OF so many evils, not only in Ger
many but in adj other European coun-
tries.
THE present military systems of Eau
rope are copies of that of Germany, and
that of Germany is the system of Prussia
begun by Frederick William j, the man
who laid the foundation for the Great
Frederick BY the treaty of Westphalia
the individual princes of Germany be-
came practically independent and the
race for supremacy amongst them began
at once. THE means of gaining this was
clearly a powerful army. Prussia, then
Brandenburg, was poorest of all, Sax
ony and Bavaria the richest and most
powerful except Austria; but Branden-
burg became Prussia, gained contimu-
ously, in that its princes followed almost
invariably the one policy, viz: That OF
THE Great Elector-increase of army and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of territory ON all his
borders. The most perfect exponent of
this idea and the most successful OF all
the earlier Hohenzollerns was Frederick
William i. While Austria followed It's
foreign policy as head of the world and
wasted it's strength in Italy or the Meth
erlands, and while the smaller prince
doms, celebrates and duchies remained
qiiet i'm Hlleir hopeless state of stagna-
tion, Prussia, rather the Hohenzollens,
was preparing to use the first opportlml-
ty of swooping down ON it's unsuspecting
neighbors and annexing them, invariably
gaining Elrrope's consent by shrewd
PROMISES and a4,laurces which are ever
possible to a nation possessing an ever
ready and efficient army. On the faith
fuqqless and efficiency of this army has
depended the growth OF Prussia and the
power of its princes This army was
and is today first for the .Aing of Prussia
has been repeatedly demonstrated i'm Ger
many since 1913 Now an army is, as
every one knows, necessary for the safe
ty of any country-at least under present
conditions of society, but we Americans
think it the country first. last and al
ways to which this army swears allie
glance and not TO amy family or party;
the tAnglo-Saxom race has found by ex-
perienee that great armies are not meces-
sary to the maintenance of peace at
home ard furthermore that such have
invariably proven dangerous to the liber-
ties of the people. 1T is mot difficult to
shew this to amy one at all famadLsar with
English or even American history.
To begin i'm such a direction danger
ous because it becomes so easy for
popular and powerful man ITO gain con-
troll of this new organ of the State. an
fact continental (l1urope tatInts us today
saving: ''Ycu are following our exam
ple and soon you'll find that some great
president has become your Caesar.
This the author has repeatedly heard
from educated and intelligent men in
Germany, which is not Il little tantaliZ-
ing to any true American because so
many facts i'm our recent HISTORY are
cited to prove that SUCH a policy has al
ready begun in Washington. lit is then
a critical period and the stake as govern
ment by the people. 1T inlay then not be
yalueless to see what real nnlitarism
means as illustrated i'm Gremany the
most perfect of military governments.
There every able-bodfed man is drop
ned into the army for a peri0d of two
years excepting the EMBELLISHMENTS
and some well-to-do people who can pass
ouly
one year; this service too falls just at
the time when a man DIS entering life's
struggle, when the foundation for the
future is being laid. Besides this two
Years, each MAN must hold himself in
readiness for a call to the army till his
Both year and must indeed dIfal some
months each year during this period, and
drill in Germany means quite another
thing to our militia ideas on the subject.
Individuality is entirely surrendered;
complaint against an officer III the Ger
man army lis almost unknown even when
the men are kicked and cuffed about like
brutes. This any one who has witnessed
a drill in Gremany will corroborate.
Now after the term of two years and the
period of eight years i'm which large
amount of time must he spent in drill
ing, there is another stage: Those who
are physically unable to serve i'll
the regular army, but who are compara-
;tively strong, and all other men of course
are required to be members of what is
called the LandstlTrn and must drill some
weeks each year if the government sees
fit to cali ON them. This alone it seems,
would guarantee the safety of a peacea-
bly, inclined government.
The pay as soldier gets is % pfennings
a day or 6A cents American money;
about enough to pay postage ON the SOL
diers letters home or to his sweetheart,
provided he does not write too often. OF
course clothing and food are supplied free
but such food as most men, used to
civilized way of living, could not posi-
bly, eat These soldiers are quartered
in or near every important city in the
empire and in such numbers as renders
any uprising or even continued peaceable
opposition to the government impossible
the Germans say ''undurkbar," unthink
able; think of $4,000 soldiers perfectly
drilled and equipped CHARTERED within the
limits of Raleigh This army too
processing allegiance to no one butt the
executive of the nation independent OF