New-York tribune., 1910-11-06

The practice of hazing as carried on by
college students in America and by Uncle
Sans military and naval cadets has been
q frequent subject for condemnation lateiy'
but Germany is, of all countries, the one
in which the science of hazing has at
tained the greatest development. rms is
not TO be wondered at. nor snoulo u DE
attributed 10 any particularly brutal olspo-
sitien in young Germans of the "acaoefny
age.
The army plays in the Fatherland's life
a part The importance of which can hardly
he realized by an untravelled American
Military service is compulsory and in time
of peace $500 900 men are kept armed. uni
formed and drilled. To command that
huge contingent 10000 commissioned officers
are necessary. Thirty thousand Officers.
Nearly one-half of the minimum footing OF
the American army!
This large officer corps has developed
customs, ethics, even a morality or ITS
own. Those customs and ethics are lmi-
tated at an early age by the boy VINO
aspires to enjoy the venerauon whlch
German officers generally receive from the
popplace.
Imitation in young man usually means
exaggerat ton, and some of the little mill
tary snobs are on their first day at school
2 ioy TO behold Very soon, however, the
precocious stiffness is taken out of them.
some youngster may pride himself on his
feats in pedestrianism. He is taken at
his word and ordered to march around the
drill grounds for sevaral hours at a urile.
Then he is sent to his room, where ne
generally falls to sleep. When his breath-
ing has become regular and a htue
sonorous, second year man rises from MS
ambush under a neighboring bed, fastens
20 the point of the sleeper shoe piece
of rcd rubber or of celluloid and sets fire
10 II. Either of those substances emlts a
good deal of heat and the exhausted plebe
awskens with a howl. He removes his
shoe and generally finds a blister OF gen
erous size. which will conspire with his
brand new regirentaI shoes to make him
avoid the subject of pedesuianism for
many days 20 come.
Footwear is also the accessory in PRANK
which is common TO students Of French ana
German military academies alike IN
France, where hazing has practically dlsap-
peared il is one of the few irregular prac-
tices" which the authorities consent TO ig-
more 1t is called the ''shoe SALAD IN the
dead of night some time during the nrsl
week of the term, several second year
cadets sneak with the caution or lndlah
hunters into the plebes' dormitory ana col
mixed and gathered in a heap in the centre
of the parade ground. The next morning
each plebe, wild with worry, endeavors to
find in a heap of one thousand pieces of
footgear a pair of shoes which will fit him
Drum 'taps" announce the rollcall; they
cannot miss it without incurring punish
ment On the other hand, they know that
prison doors will close upon them II they
appear before the inspecting ofilcer IN liie'i
stocking feet. Hobbling on one foot limp
ing in shoes that are too tight or too wide
some sneezing on the cold stone floor, they
line up with discounted countenances
Oh. wonder! The inspector appears to be
in q great hurry and not to notice any part
of the wearing apparel located below the
cadets belt They do not notice his efforts
TO keep his face straight. bugie calls;
the inspection is terminated. With a sigh
of relief they return to the mound and for
hours will try on shoe after shoe. barter
and exchange. until they finally recover
their original pair or one like it.
A harmless though repulsive form Of
hszing cadets whose appetite verges on
gluttony is called bacon swallowing" The
plebes to be victimized are lined up on the
grounds surrounded by a group of second
year men. A slice OF raw bacon is tied to
piece Of string and the plebe whose name
IS drawn first is made TO swallow the un-
appetizing morsel When the sickening sen
sation OF the tWine tickling his throat
threatens 10 nauseate him the bacon is
pulled out The name of another unfort-
unate is drawn, and he is III turn obliged 10
swallow the bacon. the appearance of which
has not been improved by the first mans
chewing. On ii goes along the line 10 the
next man and up to the last one. and for
days and days the sight Of bacon, a staple
article in German cuisine, will. if it does
not spoil the healthy youngsters appetites
at least remind them that undue haste in
assimilating food lacks refinement.
After few hours spent in frogs squat"
the most digniied and snobbish plebes as
sumo the good natured and perfectly
chummy attitude which means that they
have been tanned. Swei1ed heads are