The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-17

! SO think thousands of other fathers in
/ Germany. When the Emperor refers to
himself he uses the majestic we; so
do the officers in the army. The Emper-
! or believes he has n divine right to rule;
so DO the officers in the army. The En-
peror says of his army, 1T is first in
/ Germany; so do the officers in the army.
/ The Emperor gives honor to the citizen;
all, but that's where the officers IN the
army draw the line Honor the citizen?
IN their arrogant self-consequence the Of
/ fcers in the army have framed this rule:
IF citizen offends you, take your sword
land kill him on the spot" Only a few
officers fail to follow the rule.
l wish / could find other than dark col
ors for my picture. but, much as that
would please me. it is impossible. All
that has been said about the officers in
general holds good to a greater degree
with the officers Of the Guard; for the ar
Togance and insolence of the former class
is. to some extent. but the rejection of
the arrogance and insolence of the latter.
1t is the ability to write the little word
won before his name than gives the
possessor the right to become an officer
of The Guard. 1t is this little word that
entities him to be considered an aristo-
crat and enables him to act like an auto
crat. 1t is this little word that acts as
a Chinese wall between him and his
, brother officer.
The regiment of the Prussian Guard is
the pride of the army. One might natur-
ally expect TO find the rank and file of
these regiments composed of the best
stock Of Prussia. Such is not the case
however. It is true that the stock is
good. but it is not TO take special pains
to enroll in these regiments as common
soldiers the sons of Polish and Alsat;an
families Why? Well. Poland and Asace
are conquered states of Prussia. and the
theory is that the pride of belonging to
the Imperial Guard will transform these
non-Prussians into good Prussians. This
policy would be ali right If it We're real
lied But as a system Of pedagogy It is
a failure.
All Guard regiments are stationed in or
ensr Berlin. The must-be Prussian who
enters Guard regiment as a common
soldier IS subject 10 influences from capt.
tai lie that are essentially degrading.
and SO Ear Tram transforming him into
is usually simply 10 make Of him de-
moralized Pole or Alsatiar His COM
maaders being officers with the little
word Won before their names. regard
him with no more consideration than II
he were q beast ! none hour he viii
hear from the hcuths az his superiors
more curses than he would hear in a life
time in his own country. Far away from
his friends and relatives ard forced daily
10 submit TO treatment such as no self
respecting man would stand for one mo-
meat. his character steadily deteriorates.
and from being regarded as a beast he
al last comes 10 act like beast
And another thing upon which the pol
icy OF Prussia failed to count. CuGed
and cursed daily by the officers who 70
hiTa are TIE representatives q the In
perial Government, tie soldier Of the
Guard becomes a ready listener 70 revo-
lutionary ideas whispered BY the agents
Of the Social Democratic party who.
percesvirg their advantage. are ever CT
the alert "a 70 work among these diSsatis-
fed subjects. with the result, that hun
dreis or them are now enrolled under
the Sociailsttc banner. Despite al the
orders and fore;housht % thu Imperial
government thousands 81 revolutionary
pamphlets are circulated In the Perrin
a-nories are greedily read. Every month
patrols search Tire srno-ies for this rev.
clutionary literature. ard & IS an open
secret that after each inspection hundreds
of pounds Of such pamphlets are burned