The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-05-25
THE PRJJSSIAN ARMY SYSTEM.

| Gently been passed upon British officers
! at the seat of war and the general re-
| cognton of the fact that something
must be done to modernize our system
| Of military training in order to bring
| the best brains to the work, it will not
| be without interest to review the meth
| DDS by which Germany acquires her
| high military efficiency.
The military schools which exist IN
| Prussia offer extraordinary means for
| the education of boys. To obtain a
commission in the army youth may so
| to a preparatory military school (ha-
detten AnstalD These schools, al
| though not open to ALL are not difficult
| to enter Sons of officers without adc-
quate means pay nothing; others pay
| the unique sum of forty pounds per an
mum for housing, boarding, instruction
and uniform All are treated alike.
| When youth has passed successfully
| through "Prima," the highest class but
| one, he receives his certificate, and ne
may then follow any calling he likes.
| Should he desire not to enter the militia
nv service, but to go to a university, his
school certificate enables him to do So
! GIOulu he, UOWtNGi. dcoiiN w Wv 49,
himself as an officer to the military SER
vice two roads are open to him. he
may remain at the military school ana
go to the highest class, "Selecta' he
naming there for one year and passing
| the examination he is entitled to an OIL
ficer's commission, and can join the
army at once. Should he, however, for
one reason or another, not choose to go
through "Prima," ask to be sent to
regiment as non-commissioned oitcer
After remaining in this position for SIX
to nine months he goes to the School OF
War for nine months has to pass his
examination there, and may then go
back to his regiment to be elected as
officer by the officers of the regiment.
If a youth has not passed through
military but through the highest class
Of public school, and desires to become
an officer, he has to pass military ex-
animation. Having passed 1T, ne joins
the regiment as private and IN SIX
to twelve monthsis appointed non-com-
missioned officer, and has then TO at
tend a School of War and afterwards
pass the examination.
1t is thus shown how the officer gains
the lowest step of the ladder. He now
remains in the regiment for three years,
to acquire a knowledge Of the ordinary
duties.
How the superior material is sifted
and sifted again may now be shown.
Every commissioned officer who desires
to become member of the general staff
may twice year-winter and summer
hand in an essay dealing with ques-
ton of a tactical or strategical nature
The colonel of the regiment is the first
person who critieises these essays.
All essays which commend themselves
go to the commander of the division
and the best go to the commander OF
the general corps. Generally, after
from three to five years service, officers
Apply to be admitted to the military
academy, the preliminary school for the
general staff. All have to prove their
qualification by two essays-one of a
military character, which is fixed every
year, and is the same to all; the other is
left to the writer, except that 1t must
deal with the occurrence of a certain
century which is selected. This second
essay may deal with a literary, histor-
ical a political, or a social political
question or event. Such an essay is to
indicate to some extent the ripeness and
breadth of the judgment of the writer
and his general education.
The applications for admission to the
military academy number annually
from six to eight hundred, From this
number one hundred and thirty-three
are at present selected. The courses for
these one hundred and thirty-three off,
GERS at the military academy begin on
October / and end on July |, the follow
ing year. An examination then decides
if the officer has so far been successful
Those who have not been successful
then rejoin their old regiments Those
who have been selected as successful
are for time sent 10 another regiment.
Thus annually men belonging to the in
fantry to to the artillery men OF the
cavalry join the pioneers Whefe they
remain until October J. when their Sec
oud year of studies at the military
academy commences. They again con-
tinue their studies until July L of the
following year. and then again appear
for examination, and once again the
weeding-out process is followed as in
the previous year, Hoec w nv eiS e'u
mitted to study third year at the mill
tary academy join again ON October l,
and their studies finally terminate on
the following July 1.
After passing successfully three years
at the military academy, one years
leave is generally given, which is sup
posed to be used for studying in another
country, and acquiring the knowledge
of its language; the officer thereafter
returning to his old regiment and serv-
ing again about a year now hopes to be
called to the general staff The success
full officer is called to the general staff,
where he remains for one year, to re-
turn again to his regiment. Only about
one-half of those who have so far been
successful ere ordered again for sec
ond time. and for one year, to the gene
raj staff, and of those only about one
third are permanently retained at and
incorporated into the general staff as
captains. 1t will thus be seen how Sc"
we're the tests are and how very few
survive them. When this position has
been attained the officer leaves his old
regiment. He is then allowed to wear
the distinctive and much-coveted gene
raj staff uniform, and he gains the enor-
nous advantage that his advancement
is not in common with the thousands of
ordinary regimental officers. He moves
within the very select circle Of the gene
raj staff-the brain of the army. In
/. ,,, Eve,