Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-05

10 ~ NEW ioIh vi. ldl'i' III "ih'h NV -
scrts the training given German officer,
promotes c%ruelties and points out other
evils of the German military system. The
article follows:
Much has been written on the subject Of
atrocities. German sympathizers insist
that British soldiers have been charged.
during the Boer war, with having perpetrat- |
cd similar crimes To those now placed to
the account of the German armies. Fur
thermnrc, ii j. pointed out that w do not
hear of atrocities committed by British and
French soldiers simply because these sol
dicrS are among friends. while the Ger
mans have to deal with n hostile civilian
population in the occupied territories; hat
the average German soldier j. Just n hu-
man ~ the average British or French sol
der. and - forth.
Taking these matters into serious ron
~idcTation. | wish 10 emphasize the point
that nothing II further from my mind than
10 accuse the German soldier Of brutality.
| consider him no better an,Lno worse than
the British or French soldier-if left to
himself. Vi the individual German soldier
could have followed his own inclinationS,
ia Belgium, FOR instance, there would have
been 40 material for i Rry : report on
atrocities.
The men responsible for atrocitics ON
mitted in the territories occupied by the
Germans are the German officers, and the
iron discipline makes the German soldier
do things al the beheSt of his officers
against which every ounce Of his better
self revoIts. The British and French Off
Gers are NOR humane than the German OIL
GERS are more humane than German Off
attic training for efficiency in hrutalitic~
and atrocities beginning with early child
hood. I
Originally only sons of noblemen could
become Officers. and there are still Ger
tain regiments in the German army of to-
day which are exclusively oflicered by no
Llcmcn. However. n the regular army be-
comes larger and larger. and the nobility
could no longer supply all the officer the
sons of plain Germans citizens. Of means
and i certain social >tanding-that j.. the
sons of high government officials, of uni
vcrsity trained professional men. Of rich
merchants, Of educated land owncrs-werc
allowed to enter the exalted and sacred
ranks OF the German olTicerdom. But even
today the bulk Of the army officer hail
from "%oiiicer famiIicS"-;hat j.. from fam
ilics whose able bodied male member for
generations have made soldering their life
profession.
81 -. .. a.. the I..ta. .f savR- n ftgp
man officer family. and what j. presented
10 orr cycse Here are two baby boys on
the floor. and they have toy soldier, but
look closer. what else IL on the floor! II
looks Ike a hig map. Here " q city and
anyone acquainted with London recognize
ST. PAUL. Cathedral. the Crystal Palace.
Buckingham Palace. the Tower. and other
landmarks. over here i another easily rec
o.nized ~ Paris. and away over there ST.
PotCrsburg. now known ~ Pctrogrdd-the
capitals Of three countries with which Ger
many l. at war. Nowhere are the cities Of
Berlin or Vienna or Con~tantinople. Bat
look closer nj the map. The prominent
places stand out plainly. There are trains
Oh the railroads, buSSeS. taxiS and people
on the streets. steamboats, on the river.
etc: presently there IL \ buzzing sound
one If the boys has lei loose 4 toy Zeppc-
lin; he Jerks q string and there In 2 little
flash. and some of the figures fall over.
II have killed 50r' shouts the boy, while
the other replies II killed 100: beat YOU"
and - the game goes on. Thus the little
baby boy and ufIirer-to-be ~ inoculatcd
81 u N A. g. -
ity, which grows IN the years 70 on.
Usually ii the age Of 10 the future of
ficcr /, taken care of by the state and
educated free ~ charge III the expense "
the German taxpayer. The latter j. ex-
pectcd 10 contribute his share to educate
oiriccr-' sons, while the doors Of the acad-
envy are closed 10 his own sons, no matter
how able and intelligent his boys may hc.
What 4 mockcry on the part Of the Ger
man emperor "a call his army a democratic
institution in the face Of absolute lack Of
equal opportunity for the high and low. the
rich and the poor, The little cadet j. be
ing taught that the officers, the exalted
defenders Of the faihcrland. outrank every
Imam ~ civilian clothes. He j. made to con
slider himself exalted above MI other. lIi~
uniform. "thc coat VI the king, practically
places him above The laws uf the land. lIc
looks with contempt at the civilian pnpula
ton. Imagine this young hoy IF 10 ON
ing home on his first Christmas vacation
IA his well fitting. STUART uniform the yonn.
cadet walks alon' NE streets of his home
town. lie meet boys ne used "a know he
fore he entered the academy. lIc does
not look M them now. III acco@tcd hi~ re