Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-11-27
By Dr. Armgaard Karl GraOes
tcODyrishi. IOl.. - ths wheeler Syndicate. Inol


most important base and military post
In the emperor's domain.
There Is no man alive who knows
one-half as much about the strategical
position Of Metz and the surrounding
country as General Won Heeringen.
Often on stormy, bitter cold winter
nights, sentries on outposts stationed
,, at and guarding the approaches Of
Metz have been startled to find a
gaunt, limping figure, covered by q
gray army greatcoat with no distin-
gushing marks. stalking along. Ac-
companied by orderlies carrying camp
stools and table, night glasses and
electric torches, hating repeatedly.
his men taking down in writing the
short, croaking sentences escaping be-
tween the thin, compressed lips, the
"Geist of Meta" has prowled round,
measuring every foot OF ground fifty
miles east, west, north and south Of
his beloved Metz.
The visible head OF this vast organi-
zation is called Der Crosse General
Stab, with headquarters in Berlin.
Each army corps has a ''Kleine Gen.
eral Stab" which sends its most able
officers to Berlin. These officers. In
conjunction with the most able sci
entists, engineers and architects the
empire can produce, compose the
great general star. The virtual head
10 the German emperor. The actual
executive is called "Chef des Grossen
Ganaral Qtaha
The Maker Of War.
There Is small. dingy, unpreten-
tious room in the General Stabs Ge-
baude where, at moments of stress
and tension or international compiled
tions, assemble I'VE men-his majesty,
at the head OF the table: to the right
the chef des Grossen General Slabs;
to the left his minister Of war; then
the minister of railways and the chief
of the naval STAFF. You will notice
the total absence Of the ministers OF
finance and diplomacy. When these
Ave men meet the influence of diplo-
matte and financial affairs has ceased.
They are there to act. The scratch
ing of the emperor's pen in that room
means war. the setting In motion Of a
fighting force or 100000 men.
In order 70 give the reader q fairly
correct view of this mighty organixa-
ton have to explain each group sep
arately. The whole system rests on
the question OF mobilization, meaning
the ability to arm, transport, clothe
and feed a lighting force OF 100000
men In the shortest possible time ct
any given point in either eastern or
western Europe. For let 1t be clearly
understood that the main point of the
training of the German armies Is the
readiness to launch the entire lighting
force like a thunderbolt 10 any given
point Of the compass. Germany knows
through past experience the advisable
ity and necessity Of conducting war
in an enemy's country. The German
army is built for aggression. There
are four main groups:
L Organization.
2. transportation
g. LIBERALIZATION
4. Intelligence.
Each of these groups Is, of course,
subdiYided into numerous branches,
which we shall go into under each in
dividual head
First comes organization. The Ger
man army is composed Of three dis
tinct parts-the standing army. the
reserves and LandBehr, or militia.
The standing army comprises $780,
900 officers and men. This body OF
men Is ready at an instant It is the
reserves who need an elaborate sys-
tenn of mobilization. The reserves are
divided into two classes. first and sec
ond reserves. So is the Landwehr,
having two ievies-the first and sec
on Aufgebot.
Every able-bodied man on reaching
the age OF twenty-one may be called
upon to serve the colors. One in five
only is taken, as there Is more ma
terial than the country needs-the
fifth being selected for one OF i've
branches-infantry, cavalry, artillery,
Genie corps or the navy. The time OF
service In the infantry Ia two years I;
in the cavalry three, In the artillery
three, in the Genie corps two, and In
the navy three.
The real backbone and stiffening OF
the German army and navy are the
noneommissioned officers recruited
from the rank and file. In fact, this
body Of men Is the mainstay OF the
thrones In the German empire, espe-
cially Of Prussia. These men, after
about twelve years Of service in an
army where discipline, obedience and
efficiency are the first and last word
are then drafted anto all the minor
administrative slices Of the state.
such az minor railway, post, excise
municipal and police The reader will
see the significance Of this when 1t Il
pointed out that not only the empire
but the war machine has these we'll
trained men at its beck and call. The
same thing applies to the drafting Of
officers to most of the higher and
highest administrative positions IL
the state
There are twenty-five army corps
all placed in strategical positions.
The control of the army In peace
or in war lies with the emperor. Hs
is the sole arbiter and head. No DO
Iiticsl or social body of men has an.
control in army matters. No politica
jealousies would be permitted. Obe
dience and efficiency are demanded
Mutual iealousies and political trick
such as we have seen in the Russian