Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-01
German Emperor Lauds the Military
Arm of the Empire.
C0UNTRY'S GREATNESS RESTS ON IT
He Considers That Today Marks
Beginning of Century
TITLES FOR SUBJ ECT S

BERLIN, January emperor William
at the New Year parade today. addressed
the officers of the garrison as follows:
The first day of the new century sees
our army. IN other words. our people, in
arms. gathered around their Standards
kneeling before the Lord of Hosts, and, veri-
y, if any one has especial reason this day
for bowling down before God it is our army.
glance at standards suffices as an
explanation. for they are the embodiment
of history.
In what condition did the past century
III its dawn find army? The glorious
army of Frederick The Great had slept
upon its Iaurels. fossilized amid all the pet
~ detail of pipe clay. led by superannuated
and insufficient generals, with officers I'M
accustomed to useful work and lost in de-
bauch, luxury and foolish arrogance. Our
army in a word, not equal TO its mis-
son, winch, indeed, ii had forgotten. Heavy
was the ChastiSement of heaven which over
took ii and fell our people. 1t was cast
into the dust, the glory of Frederick was
cAunSulShed and our standards were bro
ken.
People Taught Lesson.
In many long years of bitter servitude
God taught the people to look to itself and
under the pressure of the foot of the proud
conqueror our people engendered in itself
the most sublime thought that it is the
highest honor to dedicate ones blood and
purse to the father.and in her armed SER
vice Form and life We're given il by my
Sreat-srandfatner: lew laurels crowned
the newly created army and its youthful
banners. but universal military service only
attained its true significance through our
great departed emperor In his quiet
he evolved the reorganization of our army.
in spite of opposition and ignorance. Clio
rious campaigns crowned his work in a
way never expected. His spirit filled the
ranks of our army, even as his own trust
in God bore our troops TO astonishing vic
tories. With this, his creation, he
brought the German races together and
gave us back long-desired German unity.
1t Is to him that our thanks are due, and
by the help of that army the German en-
pire, commanding respect has again as
sumed the position assigned to it in the
council of nations.
Duty of the Army.
1T is for you. gentlemen to preserve and
en- ploy in the new century the old quail
ties by which our fOrefathers made the
al my great, namely, simplicity and mol
esty in daily life, unconditional devotion to
the royal service, the employment Of ones
whole strength of body and mind in the
ceaseless work of training and developing
our troops; and. even as my grandfat Their
Iatored for his army, so will l. in like
manner, unerringly carry and carry
through the work of reorGanizing my navy,
in order that ii may be justified in standing
by the side of my land forces, and that by
ii the German empire may also be in a po-
sition to win the place which II has not yet
attained. With the two united. | hope 10
be enabled. with a firm trust in the guild
ance of Cod to prove the truth of the say
ing of Frederick William the first: When
one in this world wants to decide something
with the pen he does not do it unless sup
ported by the strength of the sword.