Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-18

nent headquarters, and also for oeneri
way confidential. This Is the third nj
coded by Belgium and France. Throui
terial is available for readers Of the S.
Population, 100000 Germany, or
derstood, was formed in 1871 by vir.
tue of the treaties between the North
German Confederation and the South
German States, and by the acquisition
in the peace CT Frankfort fMay 10.
1871 of Alsace-Lorrain. and embraces
all the countries of the former Ger
man Confederation. with the exception
of Austria, Luxembourg, Limburg and
ILiechtenstein. The sole addition to
the empire proper since that date
Is the island of Heligoland, coded by
Great Britain in 1890, but Germany
has acquired extensive colonies In
Africa and the Pacific.
Notwithstanding: 1t was with an
army and military system that fully
represented the idea of the nation in
arms" that Prussia created the pow
erfu1 Germany of later days, and the
same system was extended by de-
grees over all the other states of the
empire But these very successes
contained in themselves the germ OF
new troubles. Increased prosperity,
a still greater increase in population
and the social and economic disturb
ances incidental to the conversion OF
an agricultural into a manufacturing
community. led to the practical aban-
donment of the principle of universal
service More men came before the
recruiting officer than there was mon
ey to train. and in 1895 the period Of
service with the eolors was reduced
from three to two years--a step since
followed by other military powers, the
idea being that with the same peace
effective and financial grants half as
many men again could be passed
through the ranks as before.
Only half the men on whom the
government has an effective hold go
to the colors in the end. Moreover,
a few of them nut back. etc." who
figure On both sides of the account
for anv enc year. and seem to average
$4,000. are really "put back Thew
are in the main those who have failed
or fail to present themselves and
whose names are retained on the liza
bility lists against the day Of their
return Many of these have emigrat-
ed. .
BY the constitution Of the 18th Of
April, 1871, every former German IS
liable to service and no substitution
is allowed Liability begins at the,
age Of IL. and actual service as rule.
from the age of 90. The men serve in
the active army and the army reserve
seven years, of which two years three
in the case Of cavalry and horse ar
tillery recruits) are spent with the
colors. During bis four or five years
in the reserve. the soldier is called
cut for training twice, for a maximum
Of eight weeks Tin practice usually
for sixl. After quitting the reserve
the soldier is drafted into the first
ban of the Iandwehr for FIVE years
mere. in which Except in the cavalry.
which is net called out in peace time)
he undergoes two trainings of from
eight to IA davs. Thence he masses
into the second ban and remains in
it until he has COMPLETED bis thirty.
ninth year. J. e.. from SIX to seven
years more. the whole period ct armv
and Landwehr service being thus ~
wears. FINALLY all soldiers are passed
into the Iandstrum. in the first ban
of which they remain until the com
pfetiun of their forty-fiftli year. The
second ban consists of unframed men
between the ages of SO and As. Young
men who reach a certain standard of
education, however, are onlv Obliged
to serve for one year In the active
army. They are called One Year Vol
unteers, defrav their own expenses
and are the chief source Of supply of
reserve and Landwehr officers. That
proportion of the annual contingents
which is dismissed unframed g0es
either to the Ersatz reserve or to the
first ban of which the Landsturm (the
Landwehr, it will be observed contains
only men who have served with the
eolors). Ersatz consists exclusively
of young men who would in war time
be drafted to the regimental depots
and thence sent, with what training
circumstances in the meantime had
allowed. to the front. Some men OF
the Ersatz receive short preliminary
training in peace time. ."t -.
Peace and War Strengths.-German
policy is revised every five
years: thus law of April. 1905, fixes
the strength and establishments to be
attained on March 81, 1910, the neces-
sarv augmentations. ETC., being car
ried out gradually in the intervening
years The peace strength for the
latter date was fixed at 509,S39 men
fnot including officers, non-eommis-
stoned officers and one-year volun-
teers), forming: 633 battalions of in
fantry. SO sduadrons Of cavalry. 574
batteries of field and horse artillery.
40 battalions Of foot artillery. 90 bat
tslions of pioneers. ~ battalions OF
communicates troops, % train bat
talions, etc.
The addition of about $4,000 officers
and $4,000 non-commissioned officers,
one-year men. ETC., brings the peace
footing of the German army in 1910 to
a total of about $4,000 of all ranks.
As for war. the total lighting
strength of the German nation (includ-