The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-10-14

armament and sought to place ma
chinery in the service of our army.
Among new creations, the very first
place is taken by the heavy artillery
of the army in the field. In bringing
this into being, l was obliged to over
come much opposition particularly
strange to relate, in the ranks Of the
artillery itself 1t is a source of great
satisfaction to me that put this mat
ter through. 1t laid the foundations for
the carrying out of operations on a
large scale, and it was long before
our foes could catch up with US in
this direction.
Better Military Equipment
Mention must also be made Of the
machine gun, which developed from
modest beginnings to being the back
bone of the infantry's fighting powers;
the replacement of the rifle by the
machine gun multiplied the firing
power of the infantry while, at the
same time diminishing its losses.
Nor can pass over without mention
the introduction of the movable field
kitchen, which ] had seen for the first
time at some manloeuyres of the Rus
sian Army. 1t was of the greatest
value in maintaining the fighting ef-
| ficiency of the army, since the pos
sibility Of getting sufficient nourish-
ment kept. our troops fresh and
healthy
All human work remains unfinished.
Nevertheless, it may be said, without
exageration, that the German Army
whiched marched to battle in 1914, was
an instrument of warefare without an
equal.
Whereas, at my accession to the
throne, had found the army in con-
dition which merely required develop
ment upon the foundations already
laid, the navy, on the other hand, was
in the first stage of development.
After the failure of all the attempts
of Admiral Holman to move the re-
calcitrant Reichstag to adopt slowly
progressing, systematic strengthening
! of German sea power-largely due to
the cheap catch-words of Deputy Rich
ter and the lack of understanding of
| the Liberals of the Left. who were
fooled by them-the Admiral request
| ed me to retire him. Deeply moved,
| acceded to his request; this plain,
| loyal man. the son of genuine Berlin
bourgeois family, had become dear to
me through his upright character, his
devotion to duty and his attachment
to me. My friendship with him, based
upon this estimate, lasted for many
years up to the moment of the Admir-
ais sudden death; it often caused me
to visit this faithful man, endowed
with the fine Berlin wit, at his home,
and there to associate with him as
head of the German Oriental Society,"
as well as to see him, in a small circle
| OF inmates, at my own home, or to
take him with me as a treasured trav
cling companion. He was one of the
most faithful of my faithful friends,
always remaining the same in his
disinterestedness never asking any,
thing for himself Happy the city
which can produce such citizens.
preserve grateful memory of this
| tried and trusted friend.
| Admiral TirpitZ succeeded Holman
In his very first reports, which laid
the foundation of the first naval law,
he showed himself thoroughly in ac-
cord with me in the belief that the
sanction of the Reichstag for the build
ing of warships was not to be gained
! by the old form of procedure As
l have already pointed out, the oppo-
sition was not to be convinced; the
tone of the debates conducted by Rich
ter was unworthy of the importance
of the subject; for instance, the gun
boat obtained in the Reiehstag by the
Poles, under Herr Won Koscielsky, was
jokingly dubbed "Koscielska." Ridi-
cule was the weapon used, though the
/ future of the Fatherland was in ques-
/ tion.
1t was necessary that the represent
ative of the navy, should have q
solid phalanx behind him, both among
the Ministers of State and in the
Reichstag, and that it should, from
absolute conviction, energeti C al y
/ support him and the cause. Therefore
there was need of communicating to
the Reiehstag members, still rather
! ignorant in naval matters, the details
of the great work; moreover, a great
movement must be engineered among
i the people, among the general pub
lic,' indifferent as yet, to the navy,
/ in order that pressure from the people
itself might be brought to bear upon
/ the Reichstag members. To this end
an energetic propaganda was needed,
through a well-organized and we'll
directed press, as well as through en-
inent men of science at the univer-
p SUES anu teCuulCdl ulSH ScnOO1S.
Fight in the Reichstaq
There was need of a complete
change in the whole method of hand
/ ling the matter in the Reichstag.
There must be no more chickering's
about individual ships and docks. In
making up the military budget. no
arguments arose over the strength Of
the army, unless it was a matter Of
new formations. The makeup of the
navy, like that of the army, must be
settled by law once for all, its right
of existence recognized and protected.
The units composing it must no longer
be matter for debate. Moreover,
not only the officer corps but that Of
non-commissioned officers must be
strengthened and trained. in order to
be ready for service on the new ships.
At the beginning of my reign, sixty
/ to eighty cadets, at the most, were en-
rolled every year; in the last few
years before the war several hundred
asked admission. Twelve precious
years, never to be retrieved, were lost
by the failure of the Reichstag: it
is even harder to create a navy over
night than an army.
The goal to be striven for was i'm
piled in the law. which expressed the
idea of risk; the aim was to cause
even the StroppeSt hoSfi1o fIoof 70