The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-09-13
THE MODERN GENERAL STAFF.

rs. PART |. IN TIME OF PEACE.


count of their adaptability for the
purpose. They must be of taciturn
disposition and very reserved in their
habits. A loquacious officer, or one
fond of good living and of jovial COM
pany. is absolutely unfit for staff
service.
The staff controls every branch of
the army. Tho the emperor is COM
mander-in-chief, and appoints the
chief OF staff and, at least nominally,
every member of it. he never inter-
feres with its work, tho he takes a
most lively interest in all its consulta-
tions. The numerical strength of the
army is determined by the staff. 1t
supervises the training, disciplining,
armament, provision, equipment, mob
ilization, transportation and disposi-
ton of the troops, and it directs all
movements in times of peace and of
war, and every commander of an army
receives his orders from the staff,
member of which is always attached
to such commander; even to the
commander of each single corps (4O,-
600 mem.
Every new invention made in any
country, that may possibly be of use
to the army, is at once minutely ex-
amined and tried by the staff. In any
country bordering on Germany, there
is not road, bridge, ETC., old OF new,
that is not known, with its topograph-
ical positions, ETC., to the staff men,
bers, who are also thoroughly familiar
with the biography, ability and ante
cedents not only of the French, Rus
sian, ETC., military commanders, but
also of the statesmen in power,
and of those most likely to be called to
power in case of emergency. The
staff has to calculate on everything
that may possibly affect the issues of a
war; therefore, study of foreign poll
tics, public opinion and all similar
matters is of the greatest Importance.
Hundreds of secret agents are con-
stantly in foreign countries studying
affairs in the interest of the staff.
Occasionally these agents are under
direct supervision of staff officer, and
it does not happen infrequently that
such an officer is away for weeks and
months, while not even his nearest
relatives know where he is. He may
be somewhere in his own or in some
foreign country, studying conditions
or he may be supervising the work OF
the secret agents and, for all he knows
every one of his own movements may
be watched by another member of the
staff. ltspeaks volumes for the efficiency
, of the staff, that in thirty-five years
not single officer, and only two
! agents, have been caught spying in {
foreign country.
t Everything that can tend to make
: the army efficient is done, while every
thing that does not tend to this end il
l strictly eliminated. Even in the train
l ing of the soldier, every movement il
? calculated ON. In spite of what w
4 sometimes read in newspapers, thef'
is no such thing as "overdrill'' in tn
Q German army. This expression i
b sometimes used in reference to tn
Q German step Qifting the bended lei
Q and then throwing it straight forward
r with toes pointed downward and out
J, ward); but this step, tho appearing
!, forced to the uninitiated, has prove,
9 to promote extraordinary MARCHING
J, Icapacity.
o The reader may be surprised to lear
i. that the German general staff neve
) calculates on the bravery of their ow