The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-10-15

nam, the King of Italy, and the French
minister Of war know to their cost
And all the personages just mentioned
deserve great deal OF credit for over
coming the obstacles placed in their
way. The opposition comes mainly from
| the older generation of officeys, espe-
| cially the veteran generals, who seem
TO De unable to appreciate that condi-
lions of warfare have changed since
they won their laurels on the battle
held. and that the methods with which
they wooed victory are no longer up TO
date.
1t is this that has led the Kaiser to
eliminate as far as possible from the
German army nearly all the generals
who had won field rank in active
service under his grandfather
The old Emperor himself was bitterly
opposed to every reform. In his mem
oirs, just published, that grand old vet
eran, Albert Won Stosch. who held at the
same time the rank of general in the
German army and admiral in the Ger
man navy. gives an amusing account of
the difficulties encountered by General
Count Won Room, the reforming minister
of war, to whom the victories of the wars
of 1866 and 1870 were due, in providing
neither undergarments for the soldiers.
1t seems that the old Kaiser was bit
terly opposed to any such luxury, add
ing, II have all my life regarded
these articles of wear as superfuous.
The fight between the minister of war
and the monarch became fast and flu
rious, and General Count Won Room act
ually threatened to resign his place at
the head of the War Department II he
was prevented from having his way in
this matter of neither underwear, which
he considered indispensable to the
soldiers on sanitary and other grounds.
Finally, when the matter was trem-
bling in the balance, old Emperor Will
liam happened to hold an inspection of
dam, that is to say, the crack regiment
of German infantry. Having just come
from a violent discussion with his min
lister of war, it occurred to him to ask
the first man at the extreme end of the
front rank:
Are you wearing 'unterhosen' tnether
under garments).
Yes, your majesty
Where did you get them
Il bought them
Tho cacopd man uhor, ba actad
that they had been given to him by
the members of his company. The third
made similar answer. and. after find
ing that all of the first twelve men
whom he questioned were wearing these |
particular garments. he declared that !
it was useless to offer any further op-
position. and allowed his minister of |
war to have his way.
This is only a sample of the difficulty !
experienced in introducing reforms in
the German army, and it may safely lie
asserted that since the present Emperor
has been on the throne there is not a
single branch of the German army that
he has not entirely reorganized and
brought UP to date.
1t has been the same in France. and
Gambetta at the time when he was
chairman Of the budget committee, and
as such held the national purse strings.
used to wax eloquent over the difficulty
he experienced In introducing certain
with regard to the COM
forts Of the soldiers, declining to pass
the army estimates unless his demands
in the matter were granted.
Until he interviewed. in 1878. there was
Tot one OF the military barracks through
The soldiers were expected to wash
in the horse troughs, in the
open yard-all very we'll in summer, but
In the winter, when the snow was on
the ground and the water in the trough
frozen, 1t was too much to expect a
man to strip to the waist and wash
himself in the open air
Gambetta succeeded in having an or
Ter passed for the establishment of law
atories in all the barracks. with a basin
10 every ten men.
But" he used to add. chose old
culottes de peau' Marshals MacMahon
and Canrobert. together with Generals
r D. and F.. absolutely decline to al
ow any towels. stating that in their
line they had done without any such
nonsense So I fear that all my efforts +
Will be Of no avail. since the men will s
lot use the basins in winter unless they l
lave something with which TO dry them 1
elves" +
II has needed the bitter and costly ex-
erience Of the war In South Africa to e
onvince the war department In Pail
fall of the necessity of inaugurating al n
east some elementary reforms.
Few people are aware that 1t was at
the late Ferdinand de Roth q
child's beautiful country seat in Buck
ow in power. had It's birth. 1t was on 8
he occasion of a house party the mem =
ers OF which consisted OF Admiral Lord 6
,harles Beresford, who is now In this
ountry. his friend and crony. Lord Rib
lesdale, whom he has nicknamed 'Drih >,
lesquash,'' the late Lord Randolph =
Joseph Chamberlain, the pres ;,
mt secretary of state for the colonies.
nd Arthur Balfour. the present premier. :,
'alfour and Chamberlain spent almost