Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-27
kAISER'S ARMY
4 WELL-O|[ED
WAR MAC H|NE
Every German Knows His Place
and Takes 1t When Call to
the Nations COlors
Comes.

peror to mass a great body of we'll
trained men, fully equipped and ready
for offensive or defensive work against
both France and Russia, has aroused the
admiration of those versed In military
affairs.
The methods employed to call the re-
serve forces of the empire into active
service are explained in the following
article. which has been written by a
former German soldier, who is now a res
dent of Rhode Island.
whether the whole or only a part Of
the German army Is mobilized, the meth
DDS are the same and the following ex-
perience may give an idea what has
been going on recently in Germany, and
how the enormous task Of equipping
100000 men is accomplished, with but
very little excitement.
In 1886 Prince Bismarck asked the
Reichstag for a large annual army APP
preparation for a period of seven sue
Cessive years, known as the septenat.
As the deputies were not very enthus-
iastic over this measure Bismarck got
up a little war scare with France al
ways handy for such purpose.
When German soldier has served his
time he is Immediately assigned to a
regiment of the reserve, and it is his
business that the government can find
him at any time. not the government s
business to look after him. AS the con-
sequences are anything but pleasant if
he Is not found, the reservist is very
careful that the "offce for the reserve"
(BczirkS- is always correctly
informed of his whereabo
One morning while al breakfast my
landlady handed me a postal card, which
simply stated that on the next day at
II o'clock ! had to report for service
to the adjutant of the &c. on the north
west corner at the Neumarkt a large
square in Cologne. That was all.
If | had an engagement for luncheon
that hour-it was off. If I mad to make
an important business trip stayed
home. Yes, even If | We're going to ge
married at that hour, I either woult
have got married before or postponed
the ceremony. I was still a soldier anc
my duty was to obey, "Attention, rich
about face, forward, march"
There is something overwhelming II
the discipline of the German army
First, it makes you feel kind of unim
portant and small and Ike kicking, hu
soon YOU are filled with wonderful con
ndence which the smooth running 0
this large machine instills into you.
You learn that as you have to obey
so the serg ant in turn obeys Others
the lieutenant. captain and so up and u
to the highest general. The rank is DIFF
ferent, the principle the same.
Of course ! was on hand, anG niue
before the appointed hour. For whe
the army order says that the reserve
of the Forteth regiment report at II, tn
line is formed at 1890 and that at
o'clock the regiment is in line to be re
ported.
So ! reported, standing at attention be
fore the proper officer, and was given
slip Of paper with the number of m
company.
The whole square was laid out in sec
tions, and all | had to do was to find m
COMPANY and report to the officer |
charge. No confusion, no excitement, n
questions to ask, simply a little buzzin
like the smooth purring of welloile
and worked engine.
PETRIFIED IN THE RANKS.
If | remember rightly, I was assigne
to the Fifth company, where I found tn
officer in charge to be a most intimat
friend
Did | go up to him, slap him on I'll
shoulder and say, Hello, August, VIVA
are you here. too?" I guess not
walked up to him, knocked my heels t
gether stood at attention and SAID
Corporal So-and-so assigned TO tn
Fifth company of the Fortieth regiment,
and never batted an eye or moved
muscle.
He acknowledged my report just a
eravely, and l was given place In III
ranks with the others
The same process was gone through n
over the square unit! 1t was completed
closed in BY a mass o: civilians lined II
three deep. In the center of the squaI
stood the higher officers talking Il
Sether until all ct once the whole grou
moved toward the south end where II
military commander OF the city and II
brigade general appeared In full uniforr
followed by the adjutants and suite.
"Stillgesanden" (stand stilD which
he German army takes the place OF "a
.ention."
Instantly the whole mass of men stoC
as If petrfed, for when in the Germs
army this command comes you not aiol
stand still" but you are motionles
statuelke, and II in that sublime nome
your derby became dslocated. or. wh'
in uniform, your helmet should slide dow
toward your nose, you let her slide, "
may reach it only once, but that motto
will never be repeated enough to becon
habit for the nhibitory centers a
stimulated to an extent as not TO forget
and forever prevent 1t to be made agai
Should at this moment a busy bumh
bee try to extract honey from your pr
hoscis, and not find any introduce h
business end into it for revenge, you mi
think of the noble Spartan boy and t
fox and of Coopers noble Indians und
torture, but you do not move. You G
think lot you may think thoughts tn
are lcse majestic but you don't move,
"Stillgcstanden!'
The general received the report III
the regiment was complete. and it WI
1t stood there formed in battalion, col
panies with full complement OF office
Sergeants lieutenants. captains, majc
and colonel, and all this was accomplis
ed merely by the sending of 50 ma
postal cards. and about an hours time
assemble Some machinery!
There was little war fever in the a
so the general made few appropriate
marks, hollering with all his might,
that he could be heard all over the squa
and finished with calling for three HI
rahs for the Kaiser, which were enthu
astically given, partly out OF patriot