New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-24
KAISER AND PRINCE.
Bernard of Sare-Meiningen Forced
to Resign Command by Emperor.

Emperor Williams action in virtually driving
his brother-in-law. Prince Bernard OF sake
Meiningen out of the army is not precisely
calculated 10 increase his popularity either with
his subjects or even among the rank and file OF
his troops for inasmuch as it was the public
condemnation BY the prince of the brutality 10
which non-commssioned officers are apt TO SUB
ject the soldiers, and especially the Fecrults'
under their orders, the Kaiser is made 10 appear
in the light of indorsing and approving the NAL
treatment of the men.
Prince Bernard who served with distinction
in the struggle of 1870 with France. and won
there the Iron Cross for gallantry under hre' IS
like so many of those who have personal ex-
perience of all the horrors of war. a remarkably
humane man. and during the ten years or so
that he had been in command OF the sixth Army
CORPS. which has it's headquarters in Breslau
the ancient capital of the duchy Of Siiesia, ne
endeavored to promote the welfare, material
and moral of the immense body Of men IN
trusted to his direction and control Some eight
or ten weeks ago being alarmed at the increase
of drunkenness iii the Sixth Army corps lie
issued general order condemning the abuse Vi
stirnuIants and urging the regimental orficers 20
do all that Law in their power 20 suppress H. ana
u,ben toward the end of last month. young
soldier of the Sixth Army Corps was 1ouhd
killed by railway train near Breslau, Win
letter in his pocket addressed to his parents De-
seeching their pardon for his act Of self-destrue
+ion hut declaring that he could longer
dure the brutality OF the non-comn1issioned Off
Ger who was his immediate superior, Prince
r2arnard was so indignant that he issued
other general order to his troops couched as fol-
lows.
Officers must explain frequently to the sol
diers that il is neither the wish Of the Emperor
and their other superiors nor does it correspond
to the reasonable feeling of self-respect OF prl-
Yates that they silently tolerate i'll treatment II
soldiers do not report i'll treatment it is we'll
nigh impossible for their superiors TO take steps
for their protection and call TO responsibility the
officers guilty of cruelties- Soldiers really En-
courage through their silence the rough treat
ment given them contrary TO the rules OF the
service. and in course of time this becomes force
of habit"
Although the cases of brutality the part of
non-commissioned officers have frequently Of late
been a subject Of discussion in the Reichstag 1T
Berlin as well as in the German and foreign
press the extraordinary number of suicides OF
young soldiers constituting a tragicany eio-
quent confederation of the stories Of maltreat-
n1ent of soldiers which one finds in almost every
issue of the German newspapers. yet Emperor
William took exception to Prince Bernard's gen
eral order declaring that it constituted an ad-
rissior m tbe public and to the world in general
that i'll treatment OF soldiers in the German
army was sufficiently prevalent to call for Wig
orous denunciation on the part Of one Of It's
principal commanders and wound up by de-
handing in such peremptOry and offensive terms
that his brother-in-law should at once withdraw
the general order in question that the prince
had no alternative but to resign and 70 sever ms
connection with the army, at any rate as gen
eraI of the active list
The prince and the Kaiser have never got on
particularly well together. and the Emperor
does NOT relish The disposition TO satire the keen
sense of ridicule and the sometimes rather
pointed witticisms of his clever and brilliant
eldest sister II was, indeed. because they
found il impossible to agree with the Kaiser
that the prince and princess gave up their
charming palace al Berlin 70 establish them
selves at Breslau, where the prince was given
the command Of the Sixth Army Corps The
prince and princess have made themselves
nonuIar there as they were at Berlin, where
indeed the princess was the acknowledged
leader OF feminine society, and not only the ter
rftoriaI nobility Of Sesia. but also the people
~ Breslau the soldiers and especially the poor
Of the place keenIy regret their departure
Under any circumstances. however. their stay
at Breslau would have been brought TO close
ere long. as the prince would have been
forced 10 resign his command on succeeding 10
the throne OF his father. the present reigning
Duke of saxe-Meiningen. who is very old. and so
aiifng and infirrn that his death may take place
at any time When that occurs Prince Bernard
will become a fellow sovereign OF his brother-in-
law and an ally. and such II would be inn
possible for him TO continue TO hold the active
command Of . Prussian srnY ooEp> AAafssSe<.