The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-04
NEWS OF THE BOOK WoRLD
Corruption and ,VuuarIty In aarrIson Life
Won der kyrbura's "a Little Garrison
book Which Created a Sensation in
German Is TRANSLATED Into English.

The Dreyfus trial showed that there
was something rotten in France; A Little
Garrison shows that there Is something
rotten in Germany; and that something is
In the German army. The word rotten
is offensive, but anyone who will take the
trouble to read Fritz Won der Kyrburg's
Gieutenant Bilse's) little book will see
that it is not misapplied in this case; the
conditions are rankly offensive.
"A Little Garrison is a story Of life at
frontier post in Germany. It shows cor
ruption (tO be more euphemistic) in high
places and in low places. The book caused
the Imprisonment of the author for six
months and his dismissal from the service
yet 1t is pronounced by the conservative
German press a true picture of conditions.
! 1t carries conviction with every line be-
cause Of it's moderation. There Is no
straining after effects. The plain purpose
OF the author is to tell clearly and briefly
ugly facts in the hope that exposure may
lead to eradication. His reward was the
loss of his commission
The man who would dare take such a
step as the publication of such a book even
under an assumed name, it would seem,
would be the kind of man the emperor
would want in his service, the kind of
man who would keep the army up to a
proper standard of efficiency and char
acter. But he was allowed to 60 And
just the conditions that made his fate in
|
robblng the German army Of much of it's
best blood. If the book reveals one fact
that would seem to be of more Importance
than another to the empire it is that the
best men in the army are quitting it, re-
signing their commissions, because gar
rison life is becoming so revoltingly vul-
gar, so devoid of anything that appeals to
a true mans manlier qualities, so given
to contemplate and heartless gossip, to
scandals contracting debts which are
never paid and to forms of graft that
would put an American aldermanc CRATER
| to shame.
A shocking commentary on the stand
ards Of honesty in the German army in
this suggestion of one Of the characters of
the story. Lieutenant Bleibtreu, for a rem
edy for the retirement of officers because
OF unpaid and unpayable debts: IF
H. NJ. would simply issue a degree to the
effect that no debts Of army officers up
to captains rank shall be recoverable in
court, that would be the end of army
usury.' In other words the money lenders
would have no business with officers un-
der the rank Of captain if they had to de-
pend on the common honesty of the Of
fcers to get their pay.
Then there is that atrocious council
Of dishonor which goes by the name OF
kahle, whose wife has scandalized even
an unfeeling German garrison is expected
to save the honor Of his wife, by morta
| combat; he must :eXpose to blind chance
not only the fruits of his own arduous
life, but also the future of his son. merely
because another man has acted in q
desplcable manner" By the same code
even if he does the prescribed duty anG
escapes being wounded or killed. tern
OF confinement in fortress awaits him
lie complies with the code, is wounded
ana disabled Tor service as a result an(
is forced to resign his commission, tt
be thrown upon the world broken II
health, without a pension of sufficien
amount to preserve life and unqualified
for any other line of activity. On the
other hand. the man who has ruined
kahle's home is reinstated, tho at low
en- rank, and allowed the privilege of con
t1nuing in the emperor's service. Condi
lions which prevail among the commits
stoned. officers exist in the ranks, for the
man apes the master.
i One does not wonder after reading the
book that the writer Of the introduction
Wolf Won Schierbrand asks:
rs another Jena coming?''