GERMAN ARMY BILL.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 141, 19 June 1880, Page 3

GERMAN ARMY BILL.

The debate - on the new Army Bill commenced on March 1 in the Imperial Parliament; and though it will ■ be a disappointment to the world that Prince Bismarck was u »ab!o to be present, the occasion was made scarcely less interesting by a speech fiom Count von Moltke. The peace-footing strength of the army (based on the eesus of 1867) is now about 427,274 men of all arms ; but the present measure, if passed, will add to the ranks in their normal state about 26,000 combatants, nnd thus increase the Imperial hosts, when called out' for war, by something like 90,000, or just'about as many fighting men as took part altogether in the battle of Salamanca and won for Napoleon the field of Austerlitz. In requesting Parliament to grant him these military reforms, Prince Bismarck really asks uo more than the Constitution entitles him to receive, though the time of the demand, and the peculiar way in ■which it is urged have all tended to invest the measure with an interest not far short of a political sensation. In the absence of Prince Bismarck, General von Kameke, the Prussian Minister for War, introduced the Bill. He said, that the Gorman Government regarded it as their duty to maintain the relative strengthof the German army at the point attained by the Military Bill of 1874. Germany's neighbours having since then considerably added to their military forces there remained nothing for this country but to follow suit. Germany was arming not for any immediate hostilities but to niaintain the balance of power. He was sure that Parliament, remembering their duty to protect the country, would endorse the Ministerial proposals. Theiiextspeaker rose for the Opposition in the person of the irrepressible Herr Ilickter von Hagan, a Progressist, who averred that the declarations of the Minister had allayed all apprehensions of the Bill being occasioned by the present state of the political constellation, and essayed to administer a sound castigation to the official Press, headed by the Norddeutsehe Allgeineiuo Zeitung, for ruffling men's minds by articles " horribly stuffed with epithets of war." That Germany must be made capable of self-defence 'no man denied, but he argued vigorously in favour of two year's service, and tried to show how severely trade and manufacture suffered by the triennial system. Ho contended for a Government compromise on this head, and ended by u vague and general peroration on the inter-relation of Parliament and the. army, those main pillars of the national unity. No sooner had Herr Richtor v«u Hagan resumed his scat than the President auuuuneed Count von Moltke as tin; next speaker. At the mention of the illustrious name the House with one accord rose, and, •i lined a dense ring round the venerafod soldier. Count Mtdtke said that while the present distrust prevailed Governments would be obliged to add to their military preparations. Government, it should be remembered, were not exclusively responsible for the present state of things. "Wars were not always kindled by the child's of the State. Party leaders frequently .stirred up the people to engage in some rash enterprise, more especially if domestic discord sought, to vent itself in foreign adveuture. Then there was also the endeavour iuhcront in some nationalities to annex cognate races, or to take revenge for disasters sustained in previous campaigns. From all those national proclivities the German Empire suffered more severely than any other State. Though the most, ancient Empire iu Europe, its revival in a new form, and with increased strength, made others look upon it as an intruder that should be ■distrusted, or, at any rate, vigilantly, observed. Add to this that Germany was surrounded by warlike neighbours, while all her neighbours had one or several flanks exempt from attack, and it was evident that Germany had to put up with heavier military pressure than any other country. Was the House aware- that the military array of Franco and Russia was to a very large extent disposed along the German frontisr? This was not necessarily a symptom of warlike intentions,yet it had to be taken into account in organizing and distributing the German forces. Again, there was a steady increase of neighbouring armies. In 1870 France had a field force of 336,000 men; at present shu had 070,000, without the formidable numbers included in the territorial army. To render these figures still more telling, France, including the gendarmerie, had a peace footing of 407,000 men, while Germany, though more populous by several millions, has only 401,000 under arms, As regards Russia, her recent augmentations amounted to no less than tii reserve infantry divisions, 24 reserve artillery brigades, and 152 infantry battalions. When it was further taken into consideration that the liability to bo called out lasted.onlv twelve years in Germany, against seventeen years in Russia ami twenty years in Franco, and that the power of forming reserves depended upon the duration of this liability, >t must Ira admitted that it was not Germany'whose attitude could be called martial or provoking. As regarded tho adoption of a two years' service in the line; tb«ro would bo no diminution of exponse u iba battalions were maintained at their present strength, while there mutt aosoe a'deterioration in tho fighting qualities of tho force. But this latter contingency was to bo deprecated above all things, considering that Germany, being weaker than hor neighbours, had to mako up by quality for quantity, iluserves to bo inserted in cadres con-

• sistihg of fully-trained saldiers might be drilled in. twenty, weeks, as propose:) in the Bill; but no entire army could bo organized on such a reduced plan; It was most unfortunate that'a'fresh claim should have to be made on the patriotism of the German people. But if this count rv, <o often the battle-field of neighbouring nations wished to guard against a recurrence of foreign invasion, there was no alternative' but to arm in time. The ■ House was further addressed by Heir von Reicheusperger and by Ilerr vou Lenliigsei], leader of the National Liberals. No inconsidorable amusement, and) indeed, commotion was caused when Ilerr von Rubier—the gentleman of millennial tendencies who last session moved for a disarmament mounted the tribune to oppose the measure and unfold a plan for the attainment of universal peace. Their regiments ought not to be increased, but depleted. Germany, as the strongest, should doff her armour first, and thus she would acquire a fame and glory more immortal than could lie conferred by a hundred victories. Europe panted after peace ; they should, therefore, reject the Bill before them, and issue imitations for a universal congress to deliberate on general disarmament! The debate was then closed by Professor Treitsehke, the brilliant historian, who ■wound up his patriotic remarks with the stirring words—" AVe will threaten no one, but our neighbours must know that, if anyone should dare to attack us, we are all one, a host valiant in arms, a strong people." The debate was continued on March 1, ending iii the Mill being handed over to a committee of -2, which is ;iiniost tantamount, to its final aoeuplance. — , European Mail. *