New-York tribune., 1905-01-15
i of Anna IONS.

greater benefit would term Of service IN the
non-combatant branches of the army be to the
women of the masses. for everything that they
would have 70 be taught for the public service,
whether nursing. clerical work or the manu-
facture Of supplies of kind and another
would afterward prove useful and reInuneratlNe
to them in civil life. while the moral influence of
proper discipline. order. cleanliness. ETC., could
not fail to prove of incalculable advantage to
them in their home and family life.
OF course. there Will be many who will protest
against the idea OF women beng subjected to the
same sort OF military servitude as men, ana VIII
argue that the scheme is calculated to enslave.
and consequently degrade, the fair sex But
against this it may be advanced that in Europe
where the women are restricted to more suDor-
dinate role than in Anne; 'ca-especialiy those of
the masses-the knowledge impaired of a re-
munerative calling will bring with it corre-
spending increase in independence and the con-
sciousness OF being not merely a unit Of the de-
fences or the Fatherland, but likewise Of ma
tional life.
1t remains to be seen how Emperor William
will elaborate his remarkable project, which can
not fail to become topic of much discussion
There are many problems to be solved in coEnec-
tion with the details of the scheme before 1t can
be put into execution VIII girls be debarred
from marrying until they have fulfilled their
motherhood be regarded as constituting an ex-
emption. and in that case would mature spin
sters and childless married women be required to
DO extra duty? These are only few of the
questions which are likely to arise, and, while
the benefits of the Kaiser's proposal are ap-
parent it cannot be denied that II will tend to
revolutionize life in Germany and also elsewhere
in Europe. for if Germany adopts the scheme all
the other great military powers Of the Old World
will be compelled TO follow suit. If so the eff
cheney of the existing armies will be enormously
increased. since immense numbers of soldiers
now employed in work that could equally well
be done by women If properly trained would in
that case be transferred to the combatant ranks,
have referred above TO the Kaisers body
guard Of amazons The latter is composed. not
Of dusky hued damses Of his possessions in
Africa where royal bodyguards of this kind are
the rule rather than the exception but OF Ger
man girls, hailing from the extreme eastern
provinces of his empire. The corps consists OF
about eight hundred young women, mostly
daughters of well-to-do Lithuanian peasants and
farmers the officers being women OF rank. who
spend the summer and autumn the great
lands owned by the Lithuanian aristocracy.
Some years ago the Kaiser. when about to make
a prolonged stay on his favorite hunting estates
tion. which ran somewhat follows:
we girls of Lithuania desirous to show
our respect and loyalty toward our duke Cthe
Emperor among other titles bears that of Duke
OF Lithuania) by forming ourselves into a regi-
nent of mounted guards. uniformed. armed
and equipped exactly in the same fashion as
any other corps OF the same description in
charge Of his majesty's safety. We however,
make the following condition: Our duke shall
be accompanied during his sojourn in Lithuania
by no other bodyguard than ourselves For
during his stay among insist upon being
his only soldiers We WILL therefore, garrison
his castle, attend him on all his trips and see
him safely to our boundary lines when he
leaves US"
The late Count William Bismarck. then Gov
ernor Of Eastern Prussia, was ordered by the
Emperor to report the matter and held Il
review Of the girls at TrakeEen. The corps pre-
sented most picturesque spectacle Lthuania
has always been celebrated for it's horses and
its people for their riding The horses of the
corps were superb while the girls rode like
centaurs, their uniform consisting of a smartIy
fitting tunic Of dark blue cloth, short petticoat
to the knees revealing scarlet cloth kncker-
bockers. finished off by top boots and silver
spurs. The headdress is the Polish lancer cap
ska. adorned with heron's plume. surmounting
luxuriant hair. tightly plated in a sort Of
CLOTHING c,o,-,,,~,