The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-14
IA Little Garrison Book
About the German Army
That Made a Sensation,
Translated by Won
Sutherland.
ANOTHER VIRGINIA STORY

t5faa8t llull INI dl al
dents OF Historic Interest Re
called-Pleasant Allusions to
Mrs. Boshcr's New Novel.
Notes About Books and Att
thors.
~ LITTLE GARRISON. BY Fritz Won
Der kyburg. Introduction and trans
& lation by Wolf Won Schierbrand. pub
llshed BY the Frederick A. Stokes
Company. New York. For sale by the
Bell Book and Stationery Company.
"a Little Garrison Is a harmless
r enough looking little book, but Its pub
4 licatlon caused IN extraordinary sensation
IN Germany Its author Lieutenant Bi)se,
q OF the German army, was court
rnartialed. sentenced to six months I'M
prisonment and dismissal from the ser
vice for what was characterized as
a'llbelling his superior and commanding
officers by the publication of writings
y IN d peculiarly offensive and damaging
X form, and also Tor Dredcn u SeiV'ee
regulations.
The breach OF service regulations re-
ferred to lay In tho fact that an army
official Is debarred in Germany from
writing for publication over nom de
plume. which Lieutenant Bilse did, More
over, he failed in another requirement.
y that Of gaining the consent and approval
of the military authorities In regard 10
what he had written.
& II what Lieutenant Bilse has done IN
the way of authorship is true. II tho pic
+ ture drawn by him of garrison life Isl.
rs It claims to be. uneNaggerated and
realistic In every respect then the ue-
Eeneracy of the German army life must
be complete.
Lieutenant Bilse has taken the petty
round of occupation and diversion which
goes on In q remote army post to eX.
e1nplify his experiences and observations
II on ajax condition OF official morals and
4 discipline, the realizatio of which. as
he stated on his trial. had deprived him
of all illusions In regard to military
and official calling.
According to Lieutenant Bilse, the ma
jority of officers in the German army, on
4 account of the insufticiency of their sala-
ries and their extravaganza In lv1ng-to
say nothing of their prediction for the
universal vices of gaming and drinking
find themselves, after a time SO entirely
in the power OF the army usurer, so
heavily burdened with debt and so lost
4 to a sense Of manly independence that, to
Il save themselves from army dismissal
y they marry for money, their rank and
+ their gambling debts representing the
4 dowry that vile must bring TO them.1
Domestic life begun under such auspices
4 as these cannot, according to Lieutenant
Bilse, be either happy or refined. The
N account, indeed. given by him OF SUCH
is too revolving to be dwet upon Cor
moment unless the motive Of reform
y and the desire to cure deep rooted evil
has been tho principle which animated
the author Of "a Little Garrison" in his
portrayal of the lack Of homes and home
influences, as Americans understand such
things, In the German military and Off
cial household.
Lieutenant Bisle has turned his search
light indeed upon a horrible and dis
graceful condition of affairs. Not only
has he described low state of morals
ana consequent loose living. but. in adj
dition to the evils resulting from gamb-
ling and loveless wedlock. he has not
& hesitated to cnumerate brutality to sub
5 al dnates, drunkenness gluttony and
neglect Of duty as universally charac-
"a teristic of the German officer when in
garrison.
The absurd obligations imposed upon
6 n man by the dueGng code Of the Ger
man army and the ..extrabrdinary exac-
tions required by the maintenance of the
army standards of honor are brought
out with great force.
3 II the claim that has been made for
"A Little Garrison" that it Is a piece
OF unbiased realism and that the truth
OF Its statements has compelled the at
tention of the kaiser-then the esprit
1 du corps of Germany's military organic
oft l,n itn
Americans must by force OF contrast,
i have great reason to congratulate them
selves on the undoubted vantage ground
occupied by the soldiers and officers in
the service OF the United States,
2loRAH. "A story of old Virginia, by
Rev. W. Asbury Christian, author OF
Lynchburg land It's People. Published
by L. H. Jenkins, Richmond, Va.
This is, indeed a STORY of old vir-
y ginia." Indeed, 1t might appropriately be
entitled stories Of old Virginia. The story
begins with the year 1856, and introduces
the reader to Virginia gentleman and
his wife living at Liberty Hail." in tho
county Of Orange. The wife is the daugh.
ter Of Norfolk physician, and one day
when expecting a visit from her father
and mother, receives instead letter
telling her that yellow fever has broken
out In that city, and that they must
stay where duty calls. The story of the
yellow fever epidemic In Norfolk Is then
Il related and before the ulsease Is stamp
ed out the old doctor and his wife fall
victims to II and die,
Mention is then made OF the great
snow-storm which prevailed in Virginia
< In 1866, in which the young heir OF
Liberty Hail Is lost: but found and
resuscitated. This boy, Thornton Nelson.
Is the hero OF the tale, and manages IN.
der the skllful direction Of the author
to figure In many Il thrilling historic
incident. He was al lIarper's Ferry dur
Ing the John Brown raid, and his father
being captured, he runs away and gives
the alarm. Mr. Christian then gives an
Interesting account Of the capture OF
John Brown and OF his execution.
About this time distinguished guests