THE OFFICER CASTE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 7

THE OFFICER CASTE

. HOWi GERMANS OVERCOME SHORTAGE. r To ,mako good the enormous wastage in officers the Germ sin. Government (writes the British official "Eye-Wit-ness") has taken special steps which are' of interest as showing how jealously tlie military authorities seek , to retain for their 'corps of officers tho. character of an exclusive caste. Nominally the principle of promotion from the ranks is iu force, for non-commissioned officers of the rank of Feldwebol—corresponding to our sergeant-major—can for brilliant services be raised to tlio rank of acting officer, but in practice such, promotions are extremely rare. Since it is impossible to obtain the requisite number of active officers from the class from which they are drawn in peace, the practice has grown up of appointing reserve officers who will' not remain in the army after tho war and whoso inferior social status therefore will not really affect the exclusive!] ess of tlie officer caste. An official resume of the operations round Ypres from April 22 to May 4 has appeared ill the German Press. The account is in the main accuraLe, and is of valuo since it discloses the enemy's motive in attacking. Tho German commander had, so it is stated, intended to exploit the unfavourable tactical situation in which the Allies were placed by holding so pronounced a salient. Tlie British troops east of Ypres were farther from tlie passages over the Yser Canal than were tlie Gorman troops north-west of the town, and a.blow from that direction would constitute a grave menace to our communications. The mission of tho German forces east and south-cast of Ypres, therefore, was to hold us to our ground in that quarter, while the decisive, effort was to come from tho north. The general purpose underlying the operation was to throw the Allies back beyond tho Yser in Order to restrict the front occupied hy the Germans, to straighten their line, and to reduce tlie part of Belgium still held by the Allies. No mention is made in this comparatively modest programme of any desire to capture Ypres or to cut off our troops east of tho town, presumably because noith-jr of these results was attained; but a. tribute is paid to the gallantry of the British troops, notably in their defence of tlie ground about Gravenstafel on May 3. It is curious that from beginning to end of this otherwise detailed acoount up mention is made of tlie use of gas. "