Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-04

derstand. DO not constitute the whole
duty OF IL soldier.
When the dead man trick is played
. upon Il young cOnscript the sergeant,
who should stOp such proceeding, has
of course to be taken into the conf
'ience of the conspiyators, and he gen
orally agrees to let the men do as they
please. provided in the end he is al
lowed tn have a large share OF the
wine which il is the object of the trick
In eXtort frcm the recruit. The recruit
who has been chosen as the victim Of
the hazing generally is kept under his
bogus arrest all night. and one can
imagine what pleasant thoughts NIL
mis- mind on this his second night in
,hc service to which he has brought his
youth ana his enthusiasm for La
Belle France The old folk at home
in fair Provence or peaceful Brittany
come before his vision. and all the hor-
rihle ;hange which a few hours have
wrought in his condition appears TO
him in his anguish.
The next day he is brought before
the bogus court-martial. which he is
told, is to try him for the murder OF
his comrade. If the poor wretch has
stood the torture so far he generally
weakens when he is brought into the
presence of the court. which is ar
ranged with all sorts Of bogus pomp
and circumstance. All about he sees
armed soldiers. and sitting at a table
the stern-faced judge and the recorder
of the court. He is brought in between
two soldiers with drawn swords. The
accusation against him is read, and he
is asked what he has to say why SEN
fence of death should not be pro-
nounced. The poor man makes his plea
for mercy, which is denied sternly by
the court, and he is told that death
and nothing but death can wipe out
his crime. He is then solemnly sem
fenced to be shot ut sunrise the next
morning.
1t is seldom that a conscript can en-
dure more than this without breaking
down. 1t he does break down, his mis-
cry and agony are hugely enjoyed by
his comrades. The long strain which
he has been under generally will break
down young man with the strongest
nerves. Finally. when the young man
has been tortured So far that there is
really no fun in torturing him any
more, ne is told that it is all joke.
but that he must smuggle wine into the
barracks that night or suffer further
hazins. The reaction is so great from
absolute and blank despair to joy that
he readily promises anything: and thar
night. the third he has spent in the SER
vice of his country. he devotes to
smuggling wine into the barracks in
order that there may be merry ca
| rouse. # at the end OF this initiation
into the service of his beloved country
the young conscript does not go TO the
hospital he is pretty tough young
| man. He generally goes on the sick
| list and is not worth much as SOL
der for some time after his introduc-
ton
1t readily will be seen that though
the non-cOmmisSiOned officers are pri-
marily responsible for such proceedings
| in The barracks. the commissioned Off
GERS must know Of them and should
put stop to them. The trick of max
ing n young conscript believe that ne
has murdered Il man and then giving
him bogus trial for his life is only
one OF the many ways which the
French soldier has invented to worry
and haze the newly joined man. There
are many other ways, but the one de-
scribed is the favorite. and is more ex-
tensively practiced than any other No
one trick can be found, though many
have been invented and given a fair
trial. which will infiict quite so much
mental suffering upon the victim as
this one. The French soldier in his
h3yfnU does tn
means and methods to cause his vic
tins physical suffering. 1t is mental
suffering which he is ingenious in find
ing methods for causing. 1t is safer
than trying 10 afflict a conscript with
physical suffering, for the young man
is generally fresh from his fathers
fields and might turn the tables upon
his tormentorS.
IT must be remembered that in
France all males have to serve with the
colors between certain ages. unless
they belong to one of the few exempt
classes. Therefore in the French army
are brought together all sorts of young
men, from the hardened Paris tough to
the well-brought up and GOD fearing
youth OF some of the wealthy proyin-
cial families. All must serve. whether
they want to or not, and so they do
II with half heart. Forced into the
army and met at the threshold OF his
military life by such experiences as
nave been described, the chances are
that the conscript will conceive n dis
taste Cor military life and a hatred
OF the army which will last forever.
When he goes out into the world
again he has been behind the scenes
land he knows. He cannot be deceived
10Y loud talk of glory or by the glamour
iof brilliant uniforms and the pomp Of
generals. But what is France to do?
ne couldn't get an army large enough
1or her needs If she depended upon vol
4ntary enlistments. The only thing re-
rnaining is the Institution of radica,
Teforms in the French service in ali