GERMANY’S GENERAL STAFF.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 11 August 1916, Page 5

GERMANY’S GENERAL STAFF.

BRAINS DEPARTMENT OF MUM

TAEY MACHINE

That Germany’s military organisation is as perfect as it is possible for any country td make it is generally admitted, by both the friends and enemies .of the Huns. The secret of its success and power really lies in the fact that specialisation and centralisation in the Gemma Army are carried out to an extraordinary degree. Unlike the War Office in England, which controls everything concerning the Army, in Germany there are really two distinct war departments—one the German War Office, and the other the 11 Grosser Generalstab, ’ ’ or General Staff.

The solo business of the former is to arise, equip and keep up to the highest possible standard, both in regard to men, supplies, and general organisation, the German army; but it is the exclusive prerogative of the ‘ ‘ Grosser Generalstab ’ ’ to use the armies so furnished and equipped as it wishes and decrees. That is to say, the War Office in no way interferes with the control of the armies once they have been placed in the field. \

In his book, “Who’s Who in Hunland, ” Mr Frederick Wile gives some interesting facts regarding the German General Staff —the “brains department” of the German military machine, as he terms it. The “Grosser Generalstab’’ was brought to its present state of perfection by the great Von Moltke during the Danish and Austrian Wars and the campaign of 1870. It is a law unto itself, both in pence and war, and is responsible to the Kaiser, and to him alone, in ids' capacity of “Supreme War Lord.” In peace it occupies itself with working out to tlie smallest detail every possible contingency of war. Only ‘bine ribbon ’ men -of the army can attain to positions on the General Staff, for the places are rewards for proved merit, either in the line or at the War Academy. “In Avar the Staff has the absolute and unqualified direction of operations in the field and all matters of tactics and strategy. It is the last word in centralised authority. ’ ’

The Germans believe that only by this system of centralisation is it possible to organise victory, and although, as Mr Wile points out, the staff’s plans in the present war have grieviously miscarried on numerous occasions. the soundness of the system cannot be questioned.