The Sentinel=record., 1914-05-10
GERMAN STUDENTS
 COMMIT SUICIDE
FAILURE TO PASS EXAMlNA. TONS CAUSE THEM TO SEEK
 SELF DESTRUCTION.
Failure to Make Grades in Germany is a seriuos Handicap to Boy in After Years.

Berlin. May 10.-The recent exam nations at the German schools were again, as each year, accompanied with numerous instances of boys kill 1 ing themselves, either through fear l that they would not pass or because
 of modification at failure. On a sim gle day three suicides of students, all
 less than eighteen years old, were re- | ported, and the body of one who had
 drowned himself some days earlier
 was recovered. These instances were
 in greater Berlin alone.
 One of the boys threw himself in front of a train because he had not been promoted to a higher class 4
 suicide by drowning was that of l7-year-od boy who was shortly to
 try the examination entitling him to discharge his military duties with one years service. According to his teachers there was no doubt that he would have passed, as he was unusu- ally capable and intelligent
 ally capable and intelligent.
 life for the average German, while not explaining such suicides, throws some light on the youths actions. Failure to be graduated from school is a very serious thing, To become a "Beamter,' that is, a public off | cial, is the goal of a great percentage of young Germans. for the official enjoys many privileges not granted
 to the non-official German He has certain tenure, a retiring pension and other material advantages, and enjoys special protection under the law of insults, it being a much graver crime to insult an official than pri-
 vate citizen.
 But for those who have failed in their school work there is no chance 10 become state officials. Even in private life they find it almost im- possible to secure responsible posi- tions with mercantile firms, and they are, of course, debarred from entering the learned professions. It is not al- | together strange that the German youth is disposed to take a grave view of his failure.
 I It is not only students in the schools who kill themselves before or after
 examination. A man of 22 who had been studying a legal procedure, had reached the point where he was to take his examination for advancement
 to court clerk ire repeatedly told his friends that he was sure he should not pass the examination. The night before the examination he threw him
 self from the window of his third story room and was crushed to death.
 The general indignation in Ger many over the Zabern affair of last fall has finally borne fruit in the shape of new regulation governing
 the conduct of military forces in caes of internal disorders.
 The regulation, which has already received the approval of the Emperor does away with the famous cabinet order of 1920. under which Colonel
 yon Reuter- justified his intervention
 in local affairs and his imprisonment of Zabern citizens. This ancient or der provided that if the commander
 of troops decides, according to du-
 ty and conscience, that the civil au-
 thorities are delaying too long their requisition for troops, in view of the
 fact that they are no longer able to
 restore order, it is his duty and his
 right to intervene without the requi-
 sition of the civil authorities. and to
 assume command, and the civil au-
 thoriues must obey his orders.'
 The new regulation provides that
 the military forces may not inter-
 vene without acquisition except in
 cases of pressing danger for the pub-
 lie safety when the civil authorities,
 as 8 result Of uncomfortable ciroum