El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-11
GERMAN DISCIPLINE, TOO
RIGID FOR HUMANS. HAS COLLAPSED

GERMAN soldiers longer obediently moving for
" ward in solid ranks to certain death They are not
doing with machine like precision the goose step
the parade ground They not obsequously obeying
every order barked at them They are not plOdding
through the while their company officers ride They
being shot down they do not instantly obey
command, matter how unjust OF how trivial They are
not being beaten fit accompaniment Of an order
The German private soldier and his non CONS are top
dog now It is they who riding in the staff automo-
bes and the officers horses while the officers walk
They taking Commands from no one beatings from no
They have stripped the badges of the empire from
their uniforms and the insignia authority from their
officers That discipline which the boast of Germany
the perfect in history has been turned upside down.
chopped to bits and scattered the winds It
Moreover the chasm which separated the officers
corps from the enlisted personnel exists only
extent that it debars the officers from enjoyment Of the
license which the enlisted have taken to themselves
It longer absolute authority social prestige and
complete personal privilege for the officers Officers
longer elbow from the sidewalk the and children
they find their path DO the women and children and
male civilians step into the street in order TO allow off
GERS clear, open path on the sidewalks
We used to think there could revolution IN Ger
many because revolution could without the army
and the army STEPPED with discipline that It would
never share in revolt The OF army who think
they are under discipline have adequate realization Of
That German discipline meant. It the most complete
utter abandonment Of ones individuality to superior
authority that could be imagined Taught for generations
vel military life, the German lived entirely by order
Inside his home his business establishment he
might enjoy slight liberty of action but the out
side every move, every smallest detail ordered There
vas rule covering everything almost in German civilian
life.
retired American army officer recently in FL Paso in
giving his impressions Of Metz before the war,
commented the perfect oIderness of the German city
where, though the streets often packed with people,
there the slightest congestion of traffic any
danger of collision for the that every individual of
the thousands walking riding by prescribed rules
which covered every possible movement.
What was true Of civilian life infinitely true
the army where there liberty Of action whatever
and where to question order meant the whip and to
fuse even momentsry, to obey order meant imme
date pistol shot.
Regulations Of the German army provided that any
officer might give any enlisted any order he chose and
the latter obliged to obey, matter what duty he
might be performing at the moment. For instance Ger
private might be guard duty al railroad station
and officer train passing through might order him
leave his post board the train and black his boots The
soldier bound to obey matter where the train
red him. As check this regulations provided that
the officer became responsible for the soldier and for the
soldiers duties but that would not prevent intoxicated
officer from ordering soldier to break his against
stone wall, from killing the soldier if he refused to
obey.
In army for officer to give orders to enlisted
under his command is rarity and for him to
interfere with duty to which the enlisted has been
assigned by officer of another command would occur