Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-01-23
GERMAN ARMY AND NAVY.
Rules and Regulations That Govern
Officers and Men Of That
Country.

are nOU dllONcu W marry uIlCSS GlcJ
have a certain private income and
must make deposit of 10000 marks
cash (S7,5OO) with the government be-
fore the marriage can take place,
writes William E. Curtis, in the Chi
cago Record-Herald. This is depos-
tied to their credit in the public treas
ury, and they receive three per cent.
interest a year. At the death of the
officer the principal is refunded to his
family. The purpose of this rule is to
protect the government from the bur-
den of destitute officers families, and
also to protect the officer against
court-martial, for the regulations pro-
hibit him from mourning debts. When
an officer gets into debt he must re-
sign or 20 before a court-martial, and
if he cannot show that his misfortune
was unavoidable and due to circum-
stances over which he had no 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 deduct
ed 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, although he
is liable to be called upon at the COM
pletion of his seventeenth year. Of
these six years, two must be spent in
active service in the infantry and ar
tillery, and three in the cavalry, and
the remaining years in the army of
the reserve. During this time the sol
der receives allowances 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 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.
The pay of the officers of the Ger
man army is very small, and no one
can obtain commission unless he
has sufficient private fortune to
yield him an income of at least 500
marks ($125) year. Captains re.
ceive about the same compensation as
second lieutenants of infantry in the
United States, and officers of the low
err grades even less in proportion. A
second lieutenant in the German army
receives less than a commissary SER
geant or hospital steward in the
United States. The Germans get
marks where our officers get dollars
a mark being 25 cents. Army officers
in Germany, however, have privileges
that civilians do not enjoy. They are
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 dis
count from the regular prices at the
shops, usually from 10 to 30 per cent.
They have half rates at the theaters
and operas, but at the royal opera no
officer is allowed to appear in uniform
unless he occupies box or seat in the
parquet or in the first row of the first
balcony.
The regular garrison of Berlin is
10000 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 uniform.
During an hours walk on the prin
cipal streets the other day met 2S
generals.