The Cairo bulletin., 1914-07-13
GERMAN RECRUITS
N|STRE ATED BY
THEIR SUPERIORS
Many Officers Convicted for Brutal
ity But Punishments Are
Light.

Berlin, July 12--The unceasinG
criticism of press and parliament Is
slowly reducing the number OF cases
mistreatment OF soldiers by their
but recent report shows
non- commissioned officers
GERS were convicted of such
last year. This was re-
/. ION of ninety cases from the
figures of five years ago.
These 400 convictions by NJ
means indicate, however, that only
that number of private soldiers
were brutally handled during the
year. A recent case, and one by
no means unusual, was the conyic-
ton of a nou- commissioned officer
Of the Third Bavarian Regiment,
who was charged with no less than
ninety offenses against the men UNI
der him. One soldier was famed by
being struck on the kneecap with a
gunbutt, and there were dozens of
cases in which recruits were choked
and struck in the face. 1t It not
long since captain was forced to
leave the service after his third
conviction for mistreating recruits
The charges against him covered
brutal treatment in 40 cases.
Complaints of these conditions
made in the Reichstag, have from
time to time moved the minister Of
war to declare that the government
was equally concerned and was do
ing its best to put stop TO them
Figures have been quoted to show
that cases Of mistreatment are grad
ually growing less common and II
has been declared that the govern
ment desired that punishment Of
the offenders be exemplary,
With all credit to the minister O.
war it must nevertheless be sair
that sentences in the majority o
these cases are extremely mild arC
by no means calculated to discour
age brutal officers from repetition
of their offenses. The uon-commis
stoned officer just mentioned wa
sentenced to three months and fiji
teen days Imprisonment and de
graded. This Is j really severe sen
tence, but it is at the same time {;
most unusual one, Not only is i'm
prisonment fo" such a term rarely
melted out but DEGRADATION is stu
rarer.
The following case Is typical OF
the nearly ten cases occurring on
an average each week A non-com.
missioncd officer of the Third Guard
Field Artillery Regiment command
ed recruit to clean harnesses. Ht
was not satisfied with the recruit,
work and started expressing his dis
satisfaction by striking the MAJ
over the head with a bride. II,
then forced him to march up ant
down in the stables and 10 do settin.
up exercises, including the fatig
uing knee bend, until the recruit
fell from exhaustion He kicket
him on the thigh and ON the knee
and otherwise maltreated him. Til
recruit was removed to tho field hos
pital suffering among other thInft
with conclusion Of the brain. Th
court-martial condemned the off
Ger to five weeks light arrest.
1t is only certain officers VIII
mistreat recruits. The latter. in tn
absence of officers, are subject to ii
older prvates, and many eases
mishandling involve these old,
men. In recent case, one of the.
was sentenced to nine weeks In
prisonment for mistreating a recru
in such a manner that the victim
eardrums were ruptured. causir
partial deafness
On the other hand there is sho
shrift for the recruit who raises
hand to defend himself against eve
the most brutal assault from a S
perior. He Is certain of impriso
ment for long term.
A Hint fn the Wisa L. Cnffirient