HOW GERMAN NAVY OFFICERS TRAIN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 23 December 1913, Page 7

HOW GERMAN NAVY OFFICERS TRAIN.

(John Leyland, in the Chronicle.)

I have just had a most favourable opportunity of visiting the German Maval Academy, situated at Murwik, near Flensbury, which stands high above the Ipng, deep bay opening to the Baltic. Tills noble establishment is the Dartmouth of Germany—the German navy has no Osborne—and compares well with the school of the British Navy. The situation is not dissimilar. In the fine architectural character of the buildings, the specious common rooms,* .well-equipped/ class rooms, sailing and rowing facilities, golf links, tennis courts, and other sports grounds, the institution is worthy of the German navy; The old naval academy at Kiel, which 1 have also visited, has been outgrown, and is now used for special war and o,ther causes". ■■'..' The Flensburg establishment was planned before..the requirements of the' existing fleet' were fully understood, and though it provides for some 220 cadets, divided into a number of units, known as inspections, does not ..'satisfy all requirements, for the number of officers has largely increasecf. Additional to the original' buildings is,a new and spacious block devoted to theoretical and practical engine work. The German provision for engineer officers ;is hot-on the same lines: as the. British* ihere being a special entry,: but all "officers receive a general knowledge of. marine engineering, and the German navy will certain go further in this direction. .

'Everything at Flensburg emphasises the thorough-going character of the Germans. The young officers have been brought to a fine situation for training. Tljey could not have more beautiful or healthful surroundings, and they are near enough to visit the dockyard at%Kiel and to see the new ships they are- building there, Captain Lutzow, who is an officer of the school, and who explained the whole system... to me, kas written a little book, for the edification of parents, in which he describes the qualities required' and the course of study enforc&s the need of knowing languages, especially English, and says that me young officers inust be "officers and gentlemen." That description seems ib me aptly to describe them. In character and manner they hardly differ from the British midshipman. They are much more given to horsemanship .than, are their Krftish comrades, and steeple-' chasihgjvand'-a- game analogous to bur' old "tilting at the ring," are among their diversions. . •'- *

AH I will say.here about the system of training is that it seems to cover every necessity for the development of the young German officer, who, oh first entry, . spends at j the school five weeks in infantry.training, and, after twelve months in a training cruiser, returns to the school for a year, and then joins the fleet, coming to Flensburg for torpedo courses at the torpedo school, which is also at.this place. Above the main entrance of the school i<s a window displaying the German eagle, with an inscription, which young naval officers may read, if they will, every day.* It tells them that German strips, clad in iron and fluttering colours, are .to preserve peace, and'tcj'carry through the world this message of Germany. I" am bound to say that.in all my.connections with German officers—and they, have been many—or with German diplomatic and financial authorities this is the message that I have received. Germany, they insist,- has never sought and never can seek war. Other great nations , it is true, doubtless entertain the same sentiment.

Above all things, Germans are prepared. They judge everything from the military standpoint. Thus their railways, except local lines, may not be electrified because the source of power might he destroyed by the enemy. They do not look or wish for wai\ but jf war should come they wi|L certainly give a good account of trrroiselves.