The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-04-09
OBED|ENT SOLDIERS,
An Illustration of Military Disci.
pline In Germany.
A JOKE TAKEN IN EARNEST
The Story an EneIishman Tells of an
Amusing Incident In Which He Par
ticipated During Visit to the Bat
tIefield of Worth.

|
Amusing Incident In Which He Par
ticipated During a Visit to the Bat
tIefield of Worth.
The docility and blind obedience of
the German soldier have long been an
object of comment. The Germans
| themselves recognize that it sometimes
goes so far as to be absurd An Eng
lishman, writing in the London Times,
describes an amusing incident which
occurred after he had spent a day
tramping about the battlefield of
Worth. He was dressed, it should be
noted, in regular civilian clothes and
carried an umbrella:
Emerging from a wood, l came upon
plot of grass where about a dozen
German soldiers were restlng. The
spirit moved me to stop and speak
to these men-emphasizing my mean
ing by signs when my scant German
vocabulary failed me.
l asked, "Are you PrussiansY The
indignant answer. in chorus. was: mo!
SaXonsv
ooh" said l, wishing to conciliate,
81 am Anglo-Saxon."
Much to my establishment, one of
them got up and shook me warmly by
the hand. Pointing to my dusty boots
and flannel shirt, unbuttoned at the
neck, | then, in vile German, explained
to my friends of five minutes standing
that l had made the grand tour of the
battlefield on foot and had been walk
ing since o'clock in the morning, it
then being in the afternoon.
Quite casually | remarked that al
though mot a military, but a naval of
ficer," the study of battlefields inter-
ested me.
At the mention of tine word Officer
all the men sat up, buttoned their tu-
mics and buckled on their swords or
bayonets-I forget which.
"Are you going to NiederbronnT was
my next question.
"Yes," they replied; 1--WE are going to
walk to Niederbronn and there take
the train to Bitsch."
What evil genius prompted me to
make the next remark | cannot tell,
but although uttered in joke its con-
sequences were perfectly astounding.
81, too, am going to Niederbronn.
You are my regiment. l am your colo
nel,'
Up they sprang to their feet, fell in
two deep and kept quite silent as If on
parade Right turn and off we
marched, carrying my umbrella as If
1t were sword.
Breasting a grassy slope, we marched
up to the top at a swinging pace. still
observing perfect silence and in step.
A short distance off was a solitary sol
der of the same regiment lying at
full length on a bench near the en-
trance to wood-tunic unbuttoned.
sword unbuckled. and so forth.
On catching sight of the approaching
squad up he jumped. buttoned his
tunic. buckled on his weapon, stood
rigidly at attention and when the reg
iment" came by tailed on" as if 1t
was the most natural thing in the
world to do.
Please note that not word passed
between the main body and the re-
enforcement On entering the wood
the leading file began to sing a march,
ing song. the others joining in chorus. /
BY this time we were nearing Nieder /
bronn and passed a man and his wife, /
who were evidently much astonished .
to see disciplined body Of men .
in strict military fashion un.
der the command of foreigner armed .
with an umbrella-not even a silk onel
A disconcerting thought arose
''What win happen If we chance across
a German officer, and how, In my
broken German. can | ever hope to ex.
plain this extraordinary assumption of
of the forces Of the kaiserT
So without a moments further delay
! said to the men, 81 must go to my
hotel. which is over there" and babe
them goodby.
These docile and amiable Saxons
with one accord, taking time by the
leading file, saluted, and l. having re
turned their salute, got out of sight as
rapidly as possible. On peeping round
he corner Of a house there was my
ate regiment" still marching with
he regularity Of clockwork.