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THE DOMINION. THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1914. MILITARY CASTE IN GERMANY

The sensational outburst of public indignation which was provoked in Germany by, the attempt of a set of military officers to establish dictatorial control over civilians at Zabern, in Alsace-Lorraine, seems to have tapered off. disappointingly. This is all the more regrettable since it has been clear from the first that the question at stake was whether the military power should continue to dominate the civil authority or should be made- subject to that authority. There has been hardly any dispute as to what actually occurred at Zabern. It is admitted that the officers of the garrison, relying upon the force at their command, arrested citizens and imprisoned them in the most high-handed way without trial and without a vestige of legal authority. The military officers are accused of< having, provoked civilians by wanton insults and one of them at least (Lieutekast von Foerstner) was convicted of turning his sword upon an unarmed man. The position has from the first been aggravated by the fact that the scene of these outrages upon civil liberty is a conquered province in which the spirit of French nationality has not by any means died out. Both in France and in Germany, however, pains •> have been taken to discourage any outbreak of racial feeling in connection with the Zabern incidents. The agitation raised in Germany was an assertion of civil liberty and a protest against military tyranny. It ran like a great wave through the country and was strongly felt even in Prussia where the roots of the military power strike deep. In the Reichstag a vote of censure upon the Imperial Chancellor (Herr von Bethmann-Holmveg) _ was passed by an overwhelming majority because he had failed to grant that redress, inconnection with the Zabern incidents, which the people and their 'representatives demanded. In any British country such an expression of the popular will would have led to.the fall of the Government, but the Imperial Chancellor, as he was careful to point out to the representatives of the people, is responsible solely to the Emperor. _ The.-events,: at Zabern and the agitation to which they gave rise are bound to bear fruit, but for the time being military' arrogance has triumphed .and ■■ civil liberty and authority have suffered .a; corresponding eclip«<>. -.'Cablegrams' which were published si* day., or two' ago indicate that the- oflicers implicated in the Zabern affair have been solemn!' whitewashed and . tin-re--.is no mention as yet of a ny' -Kef fee live' protest against this inglorious..tor' :v mination of a struggle■ on behalf./of: popular rights and liberties?;',-'.i-'-^V' A very brief survey o£ the. hapne'n-'' ingß n.t Zabern will servo toconvir.ee' any unprejudiced porsGn'-.that-V-tho:

■Germa'iivsystehv^ niinatibnys^dccidcdlyliinsatis'fa'ctoryl iand .;that!lits'^siilts|ai^ ..cpntrastjt^thusej.-bfc^te $ni^'ndeT!^\^ dihate? tb-'the'civil tpowei'?* The/first .intimatipnJpffcthe'jZafe iaj#n i in oiiiKemeii t.,|:to ward s-ft I jeyc hd ; ibf asj^^a^ :TEKAKT;%6NiIi!FbEnsTN'EJt^''; nn^jufiicers dift bee n; :se nto n ced. ■; toTcbn ft liejine nt> iib,?lyarracks; gHii/^bnttqucn&JoM iferin'g^his^men^ ■eyery;p ; JAlsatia;fe/^ ■ stabbcd^£ltiis.'h"ar"dly''^ .tliekcircumstanccs^hat^qs.:..EoKnsT ; : : : KER|was ! -mobbed:Hn*his^qiiartersla'nd ; ; that-!ineerised''citizens.£th^ . lynch'.. h'im. , .fi I Th*o^ i : nek't°j^deyel6pm'ent', military; :authoritiesStbok:*it ; :"up6riStlienisclvesjJ to.-;.suppress'by:.armed4.forcc; without ; giving: thejpolicefa;-..chance|toynte'rf ■vene.'.;. : The*n'atu're''bf,;theVpc.ourren'ces'' that the ; pcrsbris.\arrestcd jbyMtherfsbldicrs includeditw'oimagistrates;arid:a'nuni;;; iber/.of^lawycrs.^yho'^were^lcavingia; ..CourKih^ompahyl-withf^^ ■One ofj;thc-lawyers"(thevCrpwnjrl^'Or'. ■secntor) .wa3;;arrested;for.; merely- saj% 'ing/toi; you sixfof ,■ the- personsfined for'Hhe%night?in;:cbld/Ydam'p coal-cellars/ 5 On-the following'morning they were- taken before 'theiCivil Tribunal, which immediately ordered their, discharge..:. There.; was another, disturbance: a> day.'b'rtwQ^later,-;Some, workmen ■'shouted art-, at; Lieutenant vox-■■FoERSTNERj.wdio-;.: thereupon sent a patrol.:toJ:arrcst,;thcm: All the workmen escaped except, .'a lame shoemaker.;whom'yoN;jFoEnsTNEß'str.uck his sword, inflicting''a. dangerous wound. Evidence at; a subsequent:court-mar-tial showed that while-the shoemaker was being held by: four'soldiers, and being pounded by':an ensign with a- rifle-uutt,£v6N:'FoEHSTNER stabbed him. - : ; i ; S^i&C?'/' i ;; : '' ■'■ \/'^ ; -;\'.., \ Deeds of this kind speak for thenv selves, and it-is on-,that account all the more significant that the Imperial Chancellors-found ;it impossible to take up such an attitude in refer l enco to the events at Zabern as would satisfy the Reichstag.'' He declared that he.fully,recogniscdthe sacredness of civil law,'hut offered no real satisfaction and Hire .■:■ weight which j the Reichstag attached to his declaration may be gathered; from the fact 'that it passed:a vote of censure upon him by 293 vote's to 54.V;Von FoerstI nek was tried before a"court-martial at- Strasburg for. his-.assault upon the shoemaker.and was sentenced to forty-three days', imprisonment. The latest news to hand is that, this conviction 1 hasvbeen quashed-; on ' the ground that vox'Foer'stneb had reason to fear that the lame, shoemaker (who was being held by-four men and.pounded ..with a:rifle-butt by a fifth) was about to-.attack him with a knife !'■ Colonel''von Ebuteh (commander of the:Zabern garrison), who had the effrontery, in giving evidence befpre .a- court-martial, to compare civilians ■to - r "game-.- that- must be brought down" in-case of emergency. and who was responsible for the setting aside, of civil.authority in the town, was acquitted.'-'.A similar immunity was extended,to others, who have identified themselves more or less closely, in this disgraceful'affair, with the cause .of military tyranny. In view of these cynical perversions of justice, it. is..a. little' .difficult to attach credence..-to:' the'.-. Imperial Chancellor-S'-'-" assurances that ■...- ho frishes to see r the- fullest''"respect shown to the law by soldiers as well ai civilians—a."wish' shared,. he- declares, 'in V'the highest ,' quarters." The lesson'of Zabern certainly does not give much support to this assertion. The present hour in Germany is grave, ■ the Chancellor says, ''because put of the profound excitement has- arisen tho. peril of a cleavage between,. tho Army and the people." The peril can'. only be averted, he considers, by . the creation of: "harmony between the military and the civil authorities." How this harmony ."is to be assisted by, the w-hitewashing of the soldiers who have disgraced their cloth at Zabern. even Herr . von Bethmank-Hoewegg might .well be puzzled to explain,..

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140115.2.11

Bibliographic details
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1958, 15 January 1914, Page 4

Word count
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950

THE DOMINION. THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1914. MILITARY CASTE IN GERMANY Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1958, 15 January 1914, Page 4

THE DOMINION. THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1914. MILITARY CASTE IN GERMANY Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1958, 15 January 1914, Page 4

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