New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-14
Conditions in Alsace and Lorraine and the
Provisions Of the New Army Law Have
Bearing Upon the Episode Which
Led to the Reichstag
Thrust at the Imperial
Chancellor.

of the Vosges which the Germans cal
Wasgdu, where the great canal from
Mulhausen and Strassburg finds pas
sage through the mountains to carry the
waters of the German Rhine to the
French Aloselle and Meuse and Marine
There is no question that the people
were offensive and eXasperating. II is
not good TO shout insults. or TO throw
either stones or turf or any missiles
short of roses. at soldiers Of the King.
But. then, neither is it good for army
officers in times Of profound peace TO
ignore civil law and exercise the abrupt
and arbitrary authority of the drum
head court martial over mischievous
civilians. Least good Of all is it for an
officer. even though he be baron. graz
tutOusly TO insult the entirely iuoffensiyc
pOpulace and incite his soldiers TO treat
it with indignity. and then. when hui
man nature reyolts at such wanton out
rage. TO give orders that at every dis
pleasing demonstration of the people
the troops shall treat them indiscrimi-
nately as enemies in time of war. and
ride them down beneath their horses
hoofs and slash their faces or spit
their skulls with sabres.
OF course. it capped the climax Of dis
credit when in this charge on the crowd
the one victim whom the furious Ruprrts
of the Rhine were able TO ride down and
sabre was not some lusty ruIian. the
butchering Of whom might have made an
army holiday. but dwarfed. deformed.
Iapr.r,it III h. !,
clutches. Him. for the honor of tn,
Kings coat" they sabred. No wonGer
the gorge OF the Reichstag rose!
POLITICAL STATUS.
II is not TO be expected that the Incl
dent will compel any political change in
the status of the Reichslaud Year be-
fore last that country received new on
stitution. making it pretty nearly an equal
member of the federal empire The En-
perOr is its head, represented by gov
ernor or vicerOy and it has its own par
lament and ministry. 1t has fifteen Dep
uties In the Reichstag. and il also has
thru votes in the Bundesrath. which It
Wfuld not have had il the Socialists. Lib
erals and Centre Of the Reichstag z al
not united ia a rosoute demand thereto.
But il is not quit equal 10 other states
even yet, for it is provided that its three
votes i'm the BundeSrath shall not Ne
counted on any question involving
change of the imperial constitution, nor
Yet when. added to those Of Prussia. they
would make up a majority of the council
These provisions are i'm reality restric-
tons uron Prussia, rather than upon Al
SAGE Lorraine. but they are none the s'
a cause of humiliation and disp,e- re %
the latter sta.e.
More probable is II that an accession
of impuls, Will Toe given To the demand,
already loud ami forceful. for a revision
of the military system. perhaps in spirit
more than in letter. but SIN TO some cN-
tent in the letter of the law. There is by
far too great an inclination TO regard the
empire as existing for the sake and sup
Iort of the army. Instead of the army for
the protection and service of the empire.
THE NEW ARMY LAW.
The nation has been set to thinking
seriously upon this matter by the eN-
traordinary new army law of this year
vantage has been taken of every oppcr-
tunity and every preteXt TO increase he
military establishment The Balkan wars
afforded the latest prcteXt Acting as
though there were imminent danger OF
general European war the Emperor at
KoeLigsberg declared that the time had
come to apply integrally the principle OF
obligatory military service, and the Chan-
cellor FASTENED to add that all who could
he soldiers should join the ranks. The
sacrifices" he said. "will be heavy. But
God has assigned to the German people
a place I'm the world and "A role I'm his
tory which demand continual sacrl1ces.
our pride should make MS bear them win
a good heart" The resulting bill added
TO the peace strength Of the army 400
commissioned and 15,C0o non-commissioned
officers, 1l7,0Oo men and 1900 horses. rais-
ing the total of men from di.oO To 66l,pn.
Adding the administrative staff and the
one-year volunteers, Il brought the peace
strength up to $4,000 But the war
strength? Before this law was made
there we're $4,000 trained men in tine
re serves. When this law gets into fun
effect that number will be raised %
$4,000.
This will endow Germany with a
weapon of offence and defence to which
Europe has seen nothing comparable
since the supreme achievements OF the
first Napoleonic Empire. 1t may be added
that 4 imposes sacrifices and burdens
upon the German people which are SINH
larly unexampled. The nation bears
them cheerfuly, as SUCH But 1t kicks