Imperial Valley press., 1914-09-07
GERMAN MILITARY SERVICE
MOST SEVERE IN WORLD

As q result of Germanv's rigid COM
pulsocy military service laws, there
is not now an able-bodied mcn in the
city Of Berlin, according to tourists
arriving from The Gormsn capital.
Tho mobilization order= of The kais-
er called out every male in Berlin eX-
cept those too old, crippl2s ord boys.
These now are doing police duty and
guarding roads and bridges. At all
the approaches to the city end around
the bridges and public buildings boys
OF II and Ia years cf age may be
seen, wearing uniforms aad standing
Guard will. fixed bayoGots.
Since this war began much has been
card of Germany's military regula-
ions and much misinformation has
been disseminated. Milita,y service in
Germany is compulsory. Liability be-
gins ct IL and ends 1T the age of
Is, but actual service begins at 20.
There are nc exceptions to the rule;
no ways to dodge duty except by
leaving the county. The rigorous
law applies to all, rich and poor,
aristocrat and laborer.
The term of compulsory service in
the German army is seven syears in
The first line or active army; two of
these in the ranks and five IN the
reserves, except in the cavalry and
horse artillery, where the periods are
three and four years During this
reserve service the soldier is regarded
rs belonging to his corps and joins
it twice in the five Tor FOUR year
period for six weeks of training.
After being in the first line army
the German soldier passes into the
Landwehr or second line army. He
serves five years in the infantry, OF
three years for cavalrymen and horse
artillerymen, in the first ban of the
Landwehr. Infantrymen are called out
for training twice in this period, each
time for eight or fourteen days. Land
wehr cavalry and horse artillery are
I7ot ca--7DNs@r in time OF pescc.
The soldier then is passed into the
second ban of the Landwehr, until
he ~eachcs his fortieth year. There
is no training during this period of
service.
At 40 the German soldic~ is not
through. He goes then into the
Landsturm, or third reserve body, in
which he is liable for military duty
until he is 45 years old. In ordinary
times the Landsturm is strictly a
home defense, but in this war the
Kaiser finally called out the Lard
sturm for active duty. After 45 the
German soldier i3 exempt from mo-
bilization, but it is said that many
Gernlors past As joined the colors
at the beginning of the great con-
flagration.
The German army, in normal times.
consists Of twenty-six army corps of
s,bout $4,000 men each. as well as
independent cavalry-a total of about
100000 combatants. Besides this
vast array is the Landwehr of 6OO,-
600, bringing the total mobile force
of Germany in peace times up to
1,850,000. In addition there are. ac-
eording TO some coHnutation about
100000 men, wholly or partially
trained, 10 supply the waste of war.
These figures do not include garri-
son units nor any part of the Land
sturm. Estimates of the total pos
sible German hosts, men who will
take the field in this greatest of all
wars range from 100000 to $780, /
coo. The German peace establish
ment last year consisted of 36.304 Of /
eerr, 754,381 non-commissioned Of
GERS and men, and 1886 horses.
The German navy is manned by the
obligatory service of the marine pop-
citation, these men being exempt from
military duty. In normal times the (
navy personnel is about $4,000 men.
supplemented by a reserve of about
10000.
Vote California Dry
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