Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31
AND Is

spend as much on its war department, in
GLIDING pensions, as we do upon our War
department and pension. In 1902 the total
cost of the German army was about s14O,-
100000 and it's pension account about S2,-
o 1900, making a total of $l65, O0O, 900. Dur
ing the same year we spent In round num-
bers SIP, 600, 900 upon our War department
and S1SS, 100000 for pensions or In all &c.,
100000 more than the Germans.
The actual expense here, however, is
equal to two or three times what the gov
eminent pays. There are 100000 private
soldiers in Germany who receive from 6 to
II cents a day outside their rations. The
rations are poor. and they must have more
to supplement them.
The res alt is that every family which has
q son in the army supplies him with a
weekly or monthly as great as
it can afford, and the total Of these allow
ances amounts to hundreds of millions of
dollars a year. 1 have seen it estimated at
two hundred millions, but 1t is probably
more. This sum includes the sons of Of
hcers, who must spend proportionately
more than the private soldiers.
AT the same time the standard of living
among the military is more expensive from
year to year. Germany is a much richer
nation than 1t was a few years ago and all
classes are living more extravagantly than
In the past. The military class especially
Is spending much more. Many of the Of
hcers are club men and in the best clubs
gambling is common Indeed, it is said
that some of the old families of Germany
have been ruined by the play of their sons
who belong to the army.
Germany has undoubtedly the best trained
AOldtnFG nf TrrnNaL NH -Ir -
longs to the army, and the country is a
vast military camp. There are military
clubs in every village, and a constant drill
Ing goes on in every province. According
TO law every able-bodied man must spend
seven years In the army. 1t is not possible
10 send a substitute, and this is so of rich
and poor, Of noble and peasant. There are
some who get on on account of undersize
or delicate physique and some because they
are the sole bread winners of the family
but as a rule every German belongs TO the
army until he is As years Of age and can
be called out at almost any time.
There are over 300, 900 new recruits each
year, and the drilling which goes on everv-
where makes 1t so that 5000, 900 soldiers can
De called to the support of the kaiser at an
hours notice. In the reserve and Land
wehr alone there are 5000, 900 men and mora
than 5000 officers.
In other words. there are more officers
than we had soldiers and officers in our
regular army before our war with tha
Spaniards. There are about 1000. 600 mon an
me Ersatz reserve and the Landstrum. ana
these can be called out in case of the in
vasion OF Germany.
the most of this enormous force Is such
that 1t can be worked as one machine.
Everything Is prepared to feed it and MOVE
II from place to place. The government
mas control of the railroads. II has its
military lines, its secret telegraphs and its
fortresses at every weak spot along ita
boundaries. The German frontier has a
total length of 1870 miles and 1t must
guard it all. 1t has Ss miles to fortifv
against Russia, 22 miles against France.
seventy miles against Belgium and S7
miles against Holland. It divides its from
tier defenses into ten great fortress dis
tricts, each of which has it's own organiza-
lions and troops. 1t has altogether sew
enteen fortified places which serve as camps
and nineteen other fortresses. The for-
tresses are all connected by underground
telegraphs and there are military railroads
from the chief military centers to the
frontier.
army. and 1t could double or treble this
number in time OF war. I have seen thu
cavalry at the maneuvers. The horses
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