THE GERMAN ARMY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 134, 24 April 1880, Page 2

THE GERMAN ARMY.

Tin: German military law is a very simplfi one ; it obliges every man to bo enrolled for three years on active service, and to puss four years in the reserves and five in (lie lnnilwelir. After that the soldier enters the landslurin and remains in it for so long as ho can hear arms; but ho is only liable to be called out in case his country is invaded. The annual contingent for which subsidies arc 'voted is of about 144,000 men; and the 'troops aiv divided into four groat inspectorates, which are again subdivided into seventeen army corps. In time of peace Iho military establishment consists, broadlv speaking of 870,000 infantrv, 04,000 cavalry, 4!),000 artillery, and 34,000 engineers ; but when the imperial armies are mobilized for war \vn gel a grand total of nearly 1,500,000 soldiors. On the war footing the infantry nlonn is reclamed at 050,000 men, awl'tho Cavalry ut 140,000. These are paper computation)); but under the direction of the iron-lmi'ded men who have ruled Prussia for the last, fifty years the military mechanism has attained such perfootion that it performs all it pin ports to do. It inotildsr.o many thousands of men into ollleers and soldiors everv year with the precision of a niachinu •■"ining metnl intoniooiwof gold and wlvev

Not only Prussia, but Bavaria, Wiirtem |,or", Saxony, and a crowd of smallei States supply the raw material out o which the Imperial soldier is made; fm s juca IS7J (here is hut one military commandarin Germany—the Emperor, whnst Chief of tha Stali' is Marshal von Moltko Tlii* extraordinary man has his head quarters at the Palace of tha Stall" "ii th« Koyal-sqnare where tha triumphal column stands at Berlin ; and here, he rcgulateeverything that concerns his apparently iw vi complicated department. ][•■ hoi under his direction the academy of War. ihe schools of nrtillory and engineering the school of cadets,'(he Stall' College : ,iid the schools of military telegraphy dra.ving, modelling, and gymnastics; and also the department of military history, which is employed in writing the alli.ial chronicles of German campaigns. ,\dd to this that four sections of tin Stnlf Office, each comprising a great number of officers thoroughly versed in linguistry are appointed to study all that 'DOS on with respect .to foreign armies. In the i■ -section that deals with ;!■.:■ jjritisl • ■ von may meet with shrewd o'i«ervi'!-.- • '.;.• spent many years in Englftl - ' ''•'■ are us well acquainted

with the :-i;ils or our sorvieo as any of iJiy oilieiais in l'all Mall. Tiiey know iX;;f:tly how many men wo have under arms; what is the worth of our armaments, the quality of our cannons and,rides, the capabilities of our commissariat; and, what is more, they are. in possession of information touching the talents and experience of our genornjs. If a war l>etween England aud Germany • were declared to-morrow the Germans would know to a nicety (ho strength of their foes; ami wore a landing contemplated (which we do not say is probable) they would be supplied with little lists telling Uicm tbo population of each EnL'iidi village, the names of the principal .and owners, fanners, &0., aud this sums which might be wrung out of each county, borough, or parish by means of reqiusiThoy would have all the doctrinal aiv-rs necessary for overrunning Eng- !:: ; ■-. i spoiling it as they did France; i. : •■• would get a memorable thrashing anin if tha torpedo and the rifle v - ' (rusted; for though England :.... ifoi'kr, if. would in the event of a collision wiili Get many probably reduce that weak-kneed empire to its original '.•'■■ ".•-■nkness of Gormanv resides, lbs:. ~.: al isolation as a Great Power, ami .:■-;( in the discontent of its people. I! fought a dud single-handed with bVa-ic and was victorious; but it could never go to war again without having, several enemies to contend with and consequently large odds against, it. If it fought Austria, France would declare against it ; if it al- ! kicked France Russia would move; if.it quarrelled with ICnglnnd it might possibly iiavo tonontei'id •-vitli a coalition of hali .: flown Powers. As to the martial sentiments of the Germans individually, (bey have no very anient exist 'iice e: .•■•;.: ani'ing the aristocracy, whose members hold the best commissions in the iirmv . and fill all Hie Slate posts worth having. The ordinary German—the tradesman, professor, peasant, or workman—!■■ .t'e's ; f sen) to war returns to grumble that I. has wit -:. d his (inc. lost 1 '■ 'i Hi:: . :i 1 earned no adequate, remnneraiion. In somedistricts of Germany where Socialist papers are much read military s-rvio-inspires such horror that every ye.u- n! the approach of conscription-day young men start.off by the hundred !■- [•Vance En if! and, or emigrate '■> Amoro.-:. ■ henee thev send tantalizing letters lo •,.;;■ 'Vc ids at home describing the I bare '■' land 'bat is reallv fro-!. In | :h" U-e .i ■.-:■; that preceded the war with France the annual average of emigrants from t I.Tinany was above 20ll,(HM; which mad" liismarck. say with his blunt

cynicism ti mil iplomatistwho was bewailing the loss of iivrs in war: " "We shall lose no lives ; for we should have; lost more men liy emigration this year than can be killed on the hattlc-fiekU." Tho German Government has often tried' to stop emi- | gration but in vain; for the iildoeemcnts which the Kaiser's subjects havj to Icavo their poverty-stricken, servant- majorridden land are too numerous. Another great cause for discontent in Cicrmauy is the excessive severity' of military discipline. To he a soldier by compulsion as in Switzerland, where men elect their own officers and are ealh-d out occasionally to do a month's service in a iollysortofway—this might bo endurable; ' to bo forced to servo against one's will ! in army eonmianded by haughty arix- ' erats who despise every Immnn being "' having eight quarters of nobility—■ ! is a different affair altogether. It is .«liiii"l in proof of General von Moltlo'.s MuootiiiH'-i of temper that lm only ';noi: struck a soldier, and this was a man whom he found smoking in some stables, •■"•noli self-command is rare. The young- ' ■ who has not got tho varnish off his '■nit opanlot will sereum at his soldiers "': parade, threaten them, and stroke thorn over tho shins or knuckles with n

cane or sword scabbard. In war tiinn tlm ! discipline is extremely harsh. Fraucfi-1 "ii>n an ofton shocked to see German Boldiera shot for trifles or bobibourod with colli savagery. Flogging is nominally' abolished in tho army; but each officer "■•'ins to have eartt Kttmtht about correcting his men with his own hand. The : w uudor is that tho men should stand it. I he Oorman army is u capital host, well ' ollioorod, uniH'il, and superintended ; and : t ho Gorman Empire will hoi 1 together, so I ong as tho statesmanship of its rnli wean fcloor it between the two rocks of r-,,,1i ' Uan at homo at:'! war abroad. A m\nulion would probably show that rnoul »f| (Am pcoploaro at lionrt L'arttculariataj aud '

a newwar would demonstrate, lha fa t that Germany has no allies who v. .! i care to arrest her ruin. German officers :ui undoubtedly the most highly educated in the world. They can only get promotion by assiduous j study, and they take a professional pride . in a culture which places them immeasurably above their men. In tlii:, respect they truly form an aristocracy-. A«.iin, they have a strict code of honour which is kep: iii f.cee by dualling, and which lays up ,n tlium the necessity of being very. i et in their behaviour not only towor is . ....'u .itlur but towards civilians. V Herman officer can only light a due] .\ith a man who is socially hi.-, equal, and lie is expected to light wii-m-ver ii„ i> in-suited;'so thai it he ■- ■ .Ir.igjvd into n disreputable brawl .vita :.,i i: fwi-.r, he I ■ls himself in a 'i una 'ran -uc i there is no escape fc.vep; by throwing up hiscouiinission. Suiwveii si." hi Prussian oli'ecrhad his face sla'. pel in the streets of CoblauU by a Laker; he drew out his

sword and cut down his a •.■-..■. • ,;■ like ;. ; dog there and then. Public opinion took 'his si. le, for bad he let the ali'roiit puss i!i; must have left the army; as it was | he got, tried by court-martial, and- was J sentenced to amonlh's iniprisonmentinot . for killing a baker, but for having a street brawl with such a person. ■ A moiic officers duels are pretty fr*|m-ut,Hiid yet not quite so freque tas seems to l.e inmgined. A punctilious respect for hierarchy, a close observance of the forms of social etiquette, tend to minimi/.e the chances of quarrel; and then there are cmuts of honour'before which, disputes must be laid before the permission to fight is given, so that a mere truculent bravo could not win himself a reputation at the sword's point, nor' tease his comrades bv his imperii"-, res Gc-nerally speaking Gcnmn ,; : ]i, v „ a .„:. while tuwan'.s civilians -t'-.cv prae'tise' -i refinement or etiquette whirl, is intended to put a proper distance between them-! selves and interlopers. In Germany the 1 uniform -of an officer is more respected Hutu it is. in any other iwimiry exi-eo!

England: and it' confers jirestic? perse. E»eryhudy knows that in (Wini!! ■ •:•: epnuiut the German ollieer L'ivcs hail for Lis liuuoqr, nod may lie relied upon tr act honour.-! My i n aii ~ ....ji,i,. cmiim:i:id this is (lie ,:;■„■,-. :r. ~\\ a-Mc t-l ill ei | as no nil., i,,,! i., ~„, 1„ f., !,,<!, ~., ...,.i, aifj distinpiUied for Hi.:-: r phi i:ni ■> ,'.'-,' l 'iira concerned. The'.iarh lilti'.. tunic with rod facing ivdfmsc-nth flat li,uio-.s; Iho ro'i"d cap wiili ~, s!-.;Mi.iLT 1 «:i 1c for mil. die s. ~„,-, ,'.,, ] lr v, ( ! 10 !|„ ? | vv : t j, ~;!| spike r t rlre-.v, arc .-ill pm-foci in J'vlv wiv. r>i I'.nvnriii the tunics are lL"hi 1.1..-. -.villi r-d in- while fieinss. and Mr eMo-< of them on iwvain is vcrv limid«ornp. Private soldiers seen sim.dv.loo!: wcm-eis, wh •-1 'i •■' ■•!' with li'-n.-y tie; '"''•iira-.i-:-- : the ' aMo-l i.i,.!;,.f< ~'' fie Crnvn I'nr ./■■ IVi !■.., !| ;■-. : .„. 1 ,!,,. ,„.,,.„ ,'■,.;■:-._ ...-,.,-■,.. ,f ,-,.. Saxon I-hhns, the Ri-A-iir-.-tii 1.-ine. rs.-ir ! (he Wiirlember.' i.'imr-ls are -h linei than anything; In he seen i'. ['Vane" sin,. : . th" French fiok to remodilliii'.' their uniforms u r.allp.inando, as thev siipp ised. As regards the needle rifle on the Mauve pattern is fully c.pial to the Martini-1 lenrv used in Rutland, or th ■> Orns adopted'hv th-> French ; whilst in the wnv of artillery the FCrnpp foundry :it Essen turns nut cannon which, if not the hest, in tho world, are not far from bein<r so. As a set-oil", however, to (lie exeellenev of their weapons, the flernmns are iridiflcveiit marksmen. Their numerous viflo association' train here and there a ev>od shot anion l ..' student.?, and civilians sen-ins in the landwehr: hut theeonimon run of- soldiers shoot hadly. In hattlu thev are rarely steady in their aim, and, I.V-.US" nf th- k-W-in-r r.rnne,is.-t;..s n'l their i:.!.'s. tire from Ihe. hip ins; ■-. i ~ from th- shohler. The cavalry do nol ride well, and their hnrsos aro'not to 1... eo'nm-n le !. l-lvnnt ho charters of we.illhv ! officers are often such as would s'-urc-lv ho leased liv the colonels of cruel: Kmrlisli regiments. Tosiini tin, th . (Jrrtiinn army j has many good points which ent'll > it to j respect, hnl many had ones w ill have tn ho remedied hnfore it can rcnUv become a model army.—Pall Mall Budcet.