Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-10
An Interesting Sketch of a Modern
Military Machine.
A BATTLE" IN SOUTH GERMANY
How the Soldiers Look and Act
While the Engine Works.
THEIR SPLENDID DISCIPLINE

Karlsruhe Correspondence London Standard
The final battle in southern Germany was
fought yesterday, when three army corps.
about $4,000 men in all, were in action a
few miles to the northwest of Stuttgart.
Today the railways are hard at work car
rying the troops back to the garrison towns
from which they have been drawn for the
maneuvers; and the "time-eXpired" men,
who. after serving the prescribed period in
the ranks, have now been transferred to
the reserve, are hurrying to their homes, to
resume their avocations in civil life. The
operations were superintended by the
kaiser, who, after reviewing the army con-
centrated round Karlsruhe on the morning
of Friday last, took up his quarters at the
grand ducal palace of this pleasant little
town during that day. He found Karlsruhe
en- fete to receive him. The streets, gay
with an apparently boundless supply of
flags of Germany and of Baden. were
thronged with good-tempered South Ger
mans, who, in their anxiety to see the en-
peror. patiently submitted to the roughness
of the police whom the unaccustomed le-
sponsibility of guarding the emperor had
rendered violent and overbearing to de-
gree. The imperial entry was very effect
i've. First came procession OF royal car
riageS driven by coachmen upon whose red
iVerieS glittered many decorations as
are usually worn by veteran generals. In
these state coaches We're distinguished per-
sonages in uniform: then followed long
line of private carriages, chiefly filled by
officers, with few civilians, looking out OF
place in their plain black coats amid the
blaze of color by which they were sur
rounded. Finally appeared the emperor,
riding among staff remarkable alike for
the physique and good looks of the officers
composing it, and for the likeness they all
bore to the kaiser. One of the ways IN
which the army show their admiration for
their chief is to try to resemble him, and
every German officer and private who can
boast of a mustache does his best to imi-
tate the emperor, often with great success
One officer, however, who rode on the staff
retained his own strongly marked individ-
uality-Lord LonSdale-WhoSe clean-Shaven
face was as distinctly British as his uni
form, that of the Yeomanry Cavalry Corps,
which still wears the red hanging jacket
of fifty years ago.
Veterans and Youngsters.
The palace in which the emperor was en-
tertained by the Grand Duke of Baden is
handsome crescent-shaped building, ap-
preached from the town by public gar
den and avenues of trees. Here the grand
duke gave dinner on Friday afternoon,
attended by every officer of rank in south
ern Germany. To be in command of the
guard at the entrance to the palace was
no SineCure on this occasion, for the Vari
Gus grades in the military hierarchy of
Germany are entitled to different compli-
mentS and the young lieutenant in charge
had but little time to recognize the rank of
the occupants of each carriage before de-
Gliding how to receive them. 1t is custom
airy, after guard has turned out" for
the officer to allow the men to break their
ranks and return to the guard room. At
first the lieutenant adhered to the regula
ton in this respect, but soon generals in
every variety of uniform followed with
such beWildering rapidity that he kept his
DarmanantlV e
scented arms, to insure that all entitled to
this honor should duly receive 1t. This in
novatiCn greatly Interested the male spec
tatorS, nearly all of whom had served in
the army. The younger men criticised this
new departure, the seniors Of whom wore
the medals for the wars of 1856 and 1SI0-11,
and pronounced the youngster to be a
youth of resource, who would make his
way in the service. These old soldiers were
good types of the manhood of Baden, the
countrymen were lean and sun-dried from
hard work upon the land, the townsmen
burly and inclined to run to flesh, but al
most all of them looked fit to rejoin the
ranks, and to fight again, If need be, for
their country. The relations between these
veterans and their former officers seemed
very cordial On several occasions l saw
knots of old heroes standing around one of
their former chiefs, showing their respect
for his rank by uncovering. and their per
sonal interest in him by inquiries after his
welfare and that of his family.
South German Onlcers.
The South German officers impress one as
being decidedly good men under whom to
go into action. They all look like gentle
men, The elder ones have the calm, stead
fast expression of men who know they can
execute any duty which they may be called
upon to perform. The youngsters very
like English subalterns, with jovial, dare
devil faces; indeed, if many of them We're
taken out of their handsome but unprac-
teal uniforms and dressed in red jumpers,
shooting boots, brooches and puttee leg
gins il would be hard to tell from their
appearance that they were not lads who
had just joined their regiments from Sand
hurst or the militia. The prevailing color
of the uniform is blue; the coat, a sort
of long-skirted tunic, is made much like
a civilian frock coat; the trousers darker
blue. with red piping down the seams, are
tight, held down by straps over Yelling
ton boots The natural squareneSs of the
Teutonic shoulder Is increased by hand
some epaulettes, and the great coat, either
like a frock coat or flowing cloak. is
warm siver-gray color, with gold but
tons and red or blue facings. Add to this
a helmet with well-burnished metal work,
and you have a fair notion of the South
German officers costume Unsuitable for
active service though this uniform I'M
doubtedly is, it's general effect is very good;
indeed so becoming is it that one is tempt
ed to believe that all the best-looking men
have commissions in the army, for all the
male beauty in the country seems to find
it's way into the corps of officers, who, it
should be said, are spotlessly turned out.
The stature OF the rank and file differs curl
ously from that of their leaders, who are,
as a rule tall men. while the privates in
most regiments are decidedly short In
their way they are as well dressed as the
officers for, though their blue tunics, to
English eyes, project in awkward f9lds
from the hips, they are scrupuously clean:
their buttons are well FURNISHED, the brass
work on their helmets is bright, and their
belts are well hacked and well put on.
In fact they take q pride in themselves,
and in this respect present an extraordi
nary contrast to the troops of France, who
SLOUGH about the streets, dirty, untidy, with
their hands plunged deep into the pockets
of their baggy, shapeless trousers, without
a vestige of attention to the personal APP
pearance. The effect of the universal mill
tary service among all ranks was very
conspicuous among the crowds of sight
seers both at the fetes at Karlsruhe and on
the battlefelds. 1t is rare to see a civilian
who Is not fairly we'll set-up, with back
Strengthened and shoulders strengthened by
the drill, the gymnastics and the march,
ing which he has undergone during his
service in the active army and in his sub
sequent training as a reservist. The weedy,
slouching loafers who appear in swarms in
every crowd in England were conspicuous
by their absence, and the general average
of physique among the male population was
distinctly good.