The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-11-16
A VERY HUMAN
INSTITUTION IS
KAISER'S ARMY
IRON DISCIPLINE OF THE BAR
RACKS AND THE CASTE SPIRIT
WHICH DIVIDES OFFICER FROM
RANK AND FILE NOT MUCH IN
EVIDENCE NOW.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

/ fACoCCI<A Ell INI4A1b0s
Berlin, Nov. 15.-The German army
| is very human institution just NV.
The iron discipline of the barracks and
the caste spirit which divides the off,
Ger from the rank and file are not so
much in evidence.
In one Of the better restaurants of
Berlin sat two officers of the line.
The worn look of the field-gray uni
form Of one showed that ne had seen
service. That the other had been at
the front was made clear by a ban
dage over his head.
Following an animated recital the
officer in the worn uniform picked up
bundle which had lain beside him
on the table and proceeded to unwrap
elk mouthorgans.
You see," he said to his GONZALES
cent companion, Life in the trenches
and there will be much of 1t, I
fear-is rather slow. There are eev-
eral men in my company who can
play these things and I am taking
these back to them. little music
helps them pass the time and keeps
them in good humor."
IT gave my captain five boiled po-
tatoes and the half Of q salt herring
Inc JULIET udy 1S lO1u HE hS aP-
preciated it," said a private wher
asked to explain to what extent life in
the barracks resembled life in the FIR
ing line.
To the remark that hunger comes to
all men regardless of station in life,
the private commented:
THAT is so, of course. But the
officer did not have to thank me for
it." 1t would have served no purpose
to argue this point with the man so
another question was ASKED.
This Is the time when everybody
must do his duty" replied the man,
and then added slowly and with en-
phasis, land that duty right now seems
to be the same for all alike-every-
body within his place, of course. The
officer is as likely to be shot as we
are, and sometimes more so, and that,
believe, evens things up consider
ably"
"a sort Of democracy Of ceath," sug-
gested the interviewer.
But the word democracy" is in |
Germany principally associated with |
the social democrats"-the German |
socialist party. For that reason the |
private had nothing more to say.
1t is as difficult to interview a Ger |
man private as it is to get informa
ton from one Of the few officers who |
inhabit the large rambling General |
Staff building across the Reichstas |
building. It seems to be as much the |
duty of the soldier to be silent as to |
fight.
There is no doubt that the Ger
man army in the field is a more liberal |
institution than the German army in !
the barracks. One reads almost daily !
Of men carrying their officers to the |
dressing station behind the trench or |
firing line, and of officers who after
the fighting is over make frantic effort
to succor their wounded men. Letters
which speak of officers dividing their
parcels from home with their mcn
have ceased to be a novelty.
On the whole it is a rare thing for
A German private to get the iron cross
Of the second and first-classes to-
gether. So far there are three cases:
Tnfantrist Maurer SLIDER, of Querfurth,
Reserve Corporal Carl Frank of Sine
helm, and Infantrist Henry Mueller of
Geestemuende, the latter also earning
promotion to sergeant
Mueller serves with a machine gun
section. In a recent enga cement the
crew of the section was shot down,
Mueller alone escaping. Instead Of
cover Mueller carried his