The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-03-26
0DED|ENT SOLDIERS.
An Illustration of Military Disci-
pline In Germany.
A JOKE TAKEN IN EARNEST.
The Story an Englishman Tells Of an
Amusing Incident In Which He Par
ticipated During a Visit to the Bat
tlefeld Of Worth.


tioipated During a Visit to the Bat
tlefied Of Worth.
The docillty and blind obedience Of
the German soldier have long been an
object Of comment. The Germans
themselves recognize that 1t 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
tramplng about the battlefield Of
Worth. He was dressed, It should be
noted, In regular civilian clothes and
carried an umbrella:
Emerging from a wood, came upon
plot OF grass where about a dozen
German soldiers were resting. The
spirit moved me to stop and speak
to these men-emphasizing my mean
Ing by signs when my scant German
vocabulary failed me.
i asked, "Are you Prussians" The
Indignant answer in chorus, was: "NO!
SaXons!
"Oh," said J. wishing to concillate,
81 am Anglo-SaXon."
Much to my astonishment, 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 had made the grand tour OF the
battlefield on foot and had been walk
ing since 8 o'clock in the morning, 1t
then being in the afternoon.
Quite casually | remarked that al
though mot military, but naval Of
fcer," the study of battlefelds inter
ested me.
At the mention Of the word "oGiccr'
all the men sat up, buttoned their tu-
MICS and buckled on their swords or
bayonets-I forget which.
"Are you going to Niederbronn p 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.
az, too, am going to Niederbronn
You are my regiment. l am your colo
nelv'
Up they sprang to their feet, fell in
two deep and kept quite silent as If on
parade Fright turnw and off we
| carrying my umbrella as If
It were sword.
Breasting n grassy slope, we marched |
up to the top at n swinging pace, still |
observing perfect silence and in step |
A short distance off was a solitary sol !
lier OF the same regiment lying at !
'ull length on bench near the en-
rance to 'wood-tunic unbuttOned, !
sword unbuckled, and so forth.
On catching sight OF the approaching !
squad up he Jumped, buttoned his !
unic. buckled on his weapon, stood |
'igidly at attention and when the "rcg- !
ment" came by "tailed on" as If 1t |
vas the most natural thing in the
world to do.
Please note that not a word passed
)clWttu Tue Ildlll DbhN anu INC IL
On entering the wood
he leading file began to sing n march
ng song, the others joining I'm chorus.
BY this time we were nearing NiCdcr-
'ronn and passed man and his wife,
Who were evidently much astonishcd
o see disciplined body OF men
marching In strict military fashion un-
er the command Of a foreigner armed
With an umbrela--not even silk one!
A disconccrting thought arose.
What will happen If we chance across
German officer, and how, In my
roken German, can ever hope TO eX-
lain this extraordinary assumption OF
ommand Of the forces Of the kaiscrY
70 without n moments further delay
said to the men, "I must go to my
otel which is over there" and bade
hem goodby.
These docile and amiable Saxons
nth one accord. taking time by the
,ading file, saluted, and l. having re-
urned their salute, got out OF sight as
npidly as possible. on peeping round
be corner OF a house there was my
lte regiment still marching with
he regularity of clOckWOrk.