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

all but baggared thousands Of worthy
families which might otherwise have
lived in peace and contentment.
A young man of say, eighteen years
enters the army as a common soldier with
the knowledge that at the expiration of
one year he is to be advanced. During
this first year he IS protected" against
his less fortunate common comrades. and
at the end of the year he is made an I'M
der officer for 4 short time only; then he
becomes a lieutenant From this time on
he is az officer of the army-a commander
over his illiterate brother who entered
the service 1T the same time. Now he
possesses might; now he has a great re
sponsibility. His military education shows
him the world in two classes only-one
that commands and ore that obeys. He
sees that thousands -of people look upon
him in awe. and his character absorbs the
influence of such adulation. He sees that
his rank gives him the opportunity to 90
q great deal more than the common peo-
PIE. and that his uniform covers him
with a halo He makes his own laws:
and where citizen would be punished by
Imprisonment for certain misdeeds he
might commit. the honor of the army will
protect the officer from such a fate if it
is possible 70 do so If impossible, then
he has two courses open TO him-either
blow out his brains or cross the great
body of water separating this country
from the Fatherland.
What crimes can bring a noffcer into
such trouble? In the regiment it is the
first rule for every officer TO be as lavish
and ostentatious in his expenditure Of
money as possible. even If at home the
members Of the officers family are deny
ing themselves comforts and even neces-
stiles in order that he may maintain Ills
position in the atmosphere OF luxury and
false pride made necessary when he don
ned the uniform of his Emperor. 1t Is
an open secret in Germany that her Off
GERS arc financially involved to an amount
to an amount greater than the national
debt. True. the state forbids the officer
TO make debts, but It is impossible for
the state TO enforce this rule. The in
significant sum allowed him barely pays
the expenses Of his barber l know a
number of poor officers who must depend
solely upon this meagre salary. and ex-
istence with their mere fortunate fel-
lows renders their lives like unto an
earthly he'll
The Emperor knows all this Has he
not the right to change it? No he has
not Were he 10 do So his officers would
not obey him. because they could not
Life in the German army today is enc 81
Of luxury. The sinpleness and frgalIty
OF the Prussian army OF the time OF
Frederick the Great is thing Of the
past Gone from the army IS the Demo-
cratic spirit Of Frederick The Greats off,
GERS. Only few elements in the army
remain unchanged.
I am certain that 50 per cent OF the
German officers have not sufficient money
70 live in the way that Their positions
demand. The plant OF wife of Z Iu-
5heran minister is illustrative Of many
other cases. After her son had been an
officer for six months, one day found
her il tears Upon inquiring into the
cause she said:
oh. we haven't enough money even &c
pay for our sons white Gloves
She showed me a bin for white groves
amounting TO more than $3.50 And the
income Of the young officers father was
S.Ico q year. But the son was an officer
IN the army. and in that son cen dereEa
IN the army. and in thu, son. centsred al
the fathers pride. said he:
If il is necessary. viii sell my shirt
70 keep my sen in the army
Such foolish pride. All the reasoning
in the world could not induce that father
TO change his opinion. And Is he thought.