Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-11-13

Military Staff College an Institutipr
Long Established.
Prominent German Omcers Have
been Instructors Impdrtana
Features Of the CurricuIMn
and Its Success.

The United States staff college is
now an established part OF our mill
tary educational system. and in the
opinion OF the army it is one of the
greatest of all the great improvements
effected by the present secretary OF
war, says Washington report
In this connection it Is Interesting
to note that Japan, in spite Of the fact
that she entered the international
arena in competition with the worlds
great nations only within decade or
since 1882.
1t was modelled originally after the
Prussian staff college, and has had
some prominent German officers on
duty as instrut~rs Three years after
its organization the great German m
thority on tactics, Maj. tnow Nj
GEM Nickel came In that ca
ity and remained for four years, G
ing which time he placed the insii,
tion on firm foundation and intro.
duced Kriegsspiel and general staff
rides of instruction, besides reorgan-
izing the entire japanese army. He
was followed by the two German Off.
GERS who afterward rose to the rank
of major general.
Its directors have also been prom
inent men in the japanese army;
among them the present minister OF
war and governor general of FormoSa,
the late Chief Of the General Staff
Kowakami, the present commanders
OF the Eighth and Ninth divisions. and
the present assistant chief Of the gen.
eral staff.
The course Is three years and orig
inally only is lieutenants were admit
led in a class, but this number has
been gradually increased, until tod
50 are admitted annually
One Of the important features Is
return Of staff officers and students O.
line duty. The course each year begins
on December ! and ends early in June,
but from August till the end OF Octe
Der the students are sent to the Va
rious arms OF the service to learn the
duties Of branches other than the
own and to take part In the fall n
neuvers, besides doing duty at for
flcations and artillery target practii
and on bnttleships. At the end Of u
hree years course all the student
AXE part in the general staff rides
instruction, and are then ordered hN
to their own arm of the service
The graduates receive medal worN
Ike an order, on the uniform and th
first Ave or six are presented by the
emperor with sword Of honor
Even the military instructors are or
dered to serve for time with the vac
rious arms OF the service.
After years service with troupa
the best Of the graduates are ordered
to duty in the general staff and aft
one or two years are permanently a.
$ signed to the general staff corps.
The subjects OF study are tactics
euding naval tactics), military HI
tory, general staff duty (organiaatioi
mobilization. supply
rmies, transportation Of troops, ct
iitary geography artillery
anl arms, Notifications, attaci
tense Of fortifcations, admin
ion, military hygiene, law, rio
anguages, general history. genesA
mathematics and topog
'aphy, and sketching.
The general staff rides cover 40 or
10 miles.
The interest taken In this school Is
by the fact that, althouPi
mis- ofFicers Of at least two years scry
&c with their regiments are eligible
nd then only upon the recommends
ion of their immediate superiors, at
east 100 come up annually for the en-
rance examinations, although only is
an enter.