The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-08-14
IAN INTIMATE VIEW OF FRENCH AND GERMAN
ARMIES BY WRITER JUST BACK FROM EUROPE

1870 after a terrific bombardment
in which the garrison WAS almost
annihilated and the wonderful ca,
thedral. one OF the fines, in Europe.
badly damaged Germany has
therefore held Strasburg "a years
You would suppose the city
would have been aHslmllated ere
this. but only a few weeks before !
was there. the mayor, superior
Judge and $50 leading citizens were
arrested for insulting tho German
troops quartered there.
The crown prince had been re
called by the kaiser and sharply re-
proved for his brutal telegram TO
the commander AT strasburg. and
martial law prevailed all through
Alsace and Lorraine,
A few weeks later all tho troops
we're Transferred and Prussian
troops were ordered to AlsRce with
orders 10 shoot at the first sign OF
disaffection,
| stopped three days nj tho home
, OF n Prussian mill manager In
Karlsruhe. prosperous city OF
Baden. about 20 miles from the
French frontier.
My friend told me that the 200
men under him cordially hated all
Prnssians. that they had no use
for the emperor and that this feel.
ing was almost universal through.
out Baden. Bavaria and Wurtem.
berg
My hosts son. an officer in the
German aviation corps, told me
that In n general European war, all
Germany would stand together for
the fatherland.
But" he added. "of course. our
generals will be careful TO place
troops from Bavaria and the South
where they VIII not be called upon
TO fire directly at the French
troops. for We can't deny that the
Bavarians and Alsatians are some
how friendly 10 France and espe.
cially the poorer classes, for they
think they would like a republic,"
These are but two OF n dozen sim
liar instances and conversations
which convincted mo that, so far
as loyalty TO the German kaiser is
concerned, South Germany, with It's
100000 people. must be watched.
Frence didn't want TO fight.
The French army Ia the most
democratic institution in the world
OF It's kind, guess. and the army Is
simply horeycombed with social.
ism. but they have one central
thought or emotion in common, and
that Is hatred OF the German royal
family and imperial government.
They do not seem to hate the
German citizen ut all. for there
were 100000 Germans living in
peace and comfort at Paris at the
outbreak OF the war, but the aver.
age Frenchman honestly believes
that the imperial government is n
menace to the peace OF the world.
predict that in this war the
French soldier will fight with or
ders or without orders. with or
without officers or direction OF any
kind. but with great efficiency.
The British army is utterly DIFF.
ferent from that of either France
or Germany. being a professional
army Just as ours is In America,
instead ~ citizen army.
For instance. no "well-to-do"
American or Englishman ever en-
lists as n soldier IN the standing
army. so that the rank and file OF
the standing armies OF English.
speaking countries are merely
made up OF men who prefer sol
dlering" for some reason.
In continental Europe, however.
every adult male must serve the
years from 20 to % In Germany.
about the same In Austria and
from the Goth to 23rd years in
France.
Rich and poor. poet and peasant,
university boy and farm laborer, all
must serve with the colors. There
are no favorites and the army is
truly n citizen force.