The San Francisco call., 1903-12-12
Kaiser's War Minister
Scores Brutality in
the Army.

BERLIN, Dec. lin the Reichstag
to-day War Minister Won Einem en-
tered earnestly into the charges Of bru-
tality and immortality brought against
German army officers, without attempt
ing to exculpate them He admitted
there had been abuses. and declared the
army administration was determined to
correct them so far as possible. No
body regretted the evils more than EN-
peror william, who never lost an op-
portunity TO impress the seriousness OF
the offenses that had been brought to
light
Referring to Lieutenant Bilzen's
book. a Little Garrison (telling OF
alleged actions discreditable to officers.
for writing which the lieutenant was
sentenced to six months Imprisonment
and to dismissal from the army. the
War Minister said it contained a GER
tain amount Of truth. but 1t was not
true that every lieutenant in the small
garrisons lived as Bilzen had described.
The Minister did not deny the pOssibil-
ity Of corrupt relations between officers
and women in a few eases, but the as
sertion that such was the rule was a
slander against German wOmanhOOd-
The speaker said he recalled with
pride and joy the friendships he formed
as q young officer with the wives and
DAUGHTERS of his superi0rs. They threw
home influences around the young off,
GERS. often earning the gratitude OF dis
tant mothers by affOrdinG the former
good counsel and refining surroundings
Regarding the brutalities. the Min
lister declared that such incidents we're
not wholly inezplicable. There was the
bad private soldier, as well as the bad
sergeant. and the bad private was
largely responsible for the whole difi-
Guilty, succeeding by the most devil
ish ingenuity to so embitter the nom
commissioned officers that the latter
finally vented their anger upon the
weaklings."
This type OF private had always ex-
listed and was more common under So
cia1 Democratic influence. The Social
Democrats asserted that miIitarism en-
shaved. brutalized and stupef1ed the
people and suppressed freedom OF
thought If this were true Germany
should be in a sad condition. since
Germany was a universal military serv-
ltE Dul THIS was nOL true. dS
Germany had succeeded by cOmbina-
ticn OF industry. telligence and en-
ergy unparalleled IN conquering a large
part of the markets OF the world
During the year ending IN June. the
War Minister continued. fifty officers
and 577 non-commissioned officers and
coed service men were punished for
mistreatment Of private soldiers. Reck-
oning percentages. one officer in 400 and
one nOn-cOmmissiOned officer in 120 had
been found guilty Of the misuse Of au-
thority. The convictions were really
fewer during the recent agitation than
in some other years However. the
army administration had determined to
stop mistreatment altogether. Even 100
cases a year would be intolerable.
Discussing Herr Bebels charge that
the German artillery was inefficient and
that the German gun was frferior TO
the French gun. the Minister entered
into a technical explanation of why the
German gun Of the model OF 1855 was
better than the French gun Of the 1908
model.
Some one had asked a question about
the alleged proposal to rearm the Ger
n 60