Evening star., 1901-11-16
THE GERMAN ARMY AND NAVY.
Rules and Regulations That Govern
Officers and Men.

OMcers and Men.
William E. Curtis in the Chicago Record Herald.
Army and navy officers in Germany are
not allowed to marry unless they have
certain private income and must make
deposit of 10000 marks cash ,($7,5OO) with
the government before the marriage can
take place. This is deposited to their credit
in the public treasury, and they receive
per cent interest year AT the death of
the officer the principal is refunded to his
family. The purpose of this rule is to pro-
tect the government from the burden of
destitute officers families and also to pro-
tect the officer against court-martial for
the regulations prohibit him from incurring
debts. When an officer gets into debt he
must resign or go before a cOurt-martial,
and if he cannot show that his misfortune
was unavoidable and due to circumstances
over which he had control, he will be
dismissed from the service. If the debts
have been incurred for reasons which he
could not prevent, they are paid out of
the deposit to his credit and the amount
Is deducted from his pay in installments.
The privates IN the German army get
no pay at ALL BY the constitution of the
empire every German capable of bearing
arms is enrolled in the standing army or
navy for six years from the twentieth to
the twenty-seventh year of his age, al
though he is liable to be called upon at the
completion of his seventeenth year. OF
these six years, two must be spent in ac-
tive service in the infantry and artillery,
and three in the cavalry, and the remain
ing years in the army of the reserve. Dur
ing this time the soldier receives allow
ances for food and clothing and the other
necessaries of life He is also given beer
and tobacco from the commissary, and if
he is economical can commute his rations
into cash and thus acquire a little spending
money. The soldiers Of the United States
army, who receive $13 a month, are the best
paid in the world. Those Of the British
army, who receive Shilling day, are
next. - A..
The pay of the ofnoear-s OF the German
army is very small, and no one can obtain
a commission unless he has sufficient pri-i
vate fortune to yield him an income of at
least 500 marks ($125) a year. Captains
second lieutenants CT infantry in the United
States, and officers Of the lower grades
even less in proportion. second lieuten-
ant in the German army receives less than
commissary sergeant or hospital stew
ard in the United States. The Germans
get marks where our officers get dollars
mark being 25 cents. Army officers in
Germany, however. have privileges that ci-
villains do not enjoy. They are entitled to
half fare for themselves and their families
on all the railways, like clergymen in the
United States; they are given half rates at
most of the hotels and restaurants, and
discount from the regular prices at the
shops, usually from 10 to 80 per cent They
but at the royal opera no officer is allowed
to appear in uniform unless he occupies a
box or seat in the parquet or in the first
row of the first balcony.
The regular garrison Of Berlin is %, 600
troops, which, with the general staff and
the various bureaus gives the city large
military population, and nearly every third
person you meet on the street wears a uni-
form. During an hours walk on the prin-
cipal streets the other day 1 met twenty
eight generals.