The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-26
GERMAN ARMY
IN BIG PARADE
Three Hundred Thousand Men to
March Before the Kaiser
In Grand Re-
view.
FIFTY THOUSAND HORSES
Airships and AeropIanes Also to be
Used in the Worlds
Greatest War
Game.
FIFTY THOUSAND HORSES

by Karl H. Won Wiegend. Berlin cor
respondent of the United Press.1
BERLIN, April 25-Battle problems
arc being drawn up and preparations
made by the PROSE Generalstab" or
Great General Staff" Of Germany's
vast army, for the worlds largest mill
tary manoeuvers ever held in time of
peace. Approximately 100000 men,
or almost one half OF Germans stand
ing army, will participate.
For weeks already the various de.
partments of the army, all of which
center in the Great General STAFF
often called the brains Of the army
have been working out the details for
the "Kaiser manoeuvres' to be held
in September. Count Won Moltke,
who has succeeded his uncle, the fam.
GUS late field marshal and great STRAIT.
egist OF the victorious war with
France in 1870, as chief of the German
general staff, is personally directing
the work of the strategical experts in
planning the situations and battle
problems to be solved.
No less than six full army corps
several cavalry divisions, twelve bri
gades of artillery, four railway regi
ments, the entire military aerial fleet
of Zeppelins and many squadrons OF
aeroplanes, are to be In the field
III ,,.,,oy u,{11 ipo1,,do ,prroxi q al N
$4,000 horses. An idea Of this army
may be gathered when it is said that
in marching formation it would make
a column 229 miles long.
The purpose OF the unprecedented
manoeuvres, is to give the German
other commanders, actual field prac
tice in handling huge armies which
they would be called upon to command
and direct in the event Of war. "A:
there Is sure to follow a "weedins
out" after the big manoeuvres, il
which those who fail to make good
on the field of mimic battles and dc
not show the necessary skill, ability
strategy, and resourcefallness In tight
places, will certainly suffer, many s
general and lesser commander is hav
ing sleepless nights. The kaiser
himself will be chief umpire and he il
not known for the softness Of his crit
icism of commanders who make mis-
takes in battle. 1t is safe to say tina
the star Of more than one general viii
wane.
The conditions, situations and prob
lens, are to approximate actual wal
as nearly as it is possible. Ever!
branch and service of the army in the
field is to be given severe test. The
matter of keeping 100000 men ant
$4,000 horses in good shape as woult
have to be done in war, is problem
never before attempted by the com
missary service in time of peace. Wire
less telegraphy and telephones a:
means of conveying orders to thu
fighting line miles in length, and II
making reports to headquarters, arr
to be thoroughly tried out. For thi'
purpose the men assigned to Sigma
Service, will carry a newly invented
wireless pocket receiver" not mucl
larger than a watch. By sticking ;
rod into the ground and stretchin,
out few feet Of thin wire, they will
be able to catch wireless wave order:
from headquarters far in the rear. /
is said that even the skirmish line
will thus be kept in touch with thei
commanders.
Just what the transportation or rail
road branch of the army has for 1T
problem, may be seen from the fac
it is to show how quickly it can trans
port such vast number of troops ant
horses to their home stations. From
this is to be deduced how quickly the,
could be sent to the 'front.' if war were
suddenly declared. For this purpose
it is planned to use 600 special trains
The field of operation will be ovei
a large area of country, somewhat tri
angular in shape, lying between
Frankfort, Giesen and Codlenz. The
railroad center will be Kinzenbach
1t is presumed that the general prob
lem and situation will be that war ha:
been declared and that the French ar
my has invaded Germany and succeed
ed in crossing the Rhine. To checl
and defeat the French will be thu
task, given the commanders of thu
army representing the Germans.
The climax of the operations will b.
a three days battle. No less than l.
OS2 cannon and between $50 and 4S'
machine guns, will thunder in the reg
ular and volunteer pilots Of the mill
tary flying corps" will be given practl
cal service, in scouting as well as OF
fensive tactics in dropping bombs t
dispense troops.
All the foreign military attaches Il
Berlin have made reports upon tn
forthcoming manoeuvres to their coun
tries. 1t is expected that virtuall'
every country will ask permission t
send high officers as observers.