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Show GERMAN ARMY CRUELTIES. The Socialists In the German Reichstag Reichs-tag are having a fruitful theme to comment com-ment upon disparagingly In the army abuses. The great Socialist leader, Hcrr Eebel, after reciting a long list of abuses of the men by officers, from Corporals to Generals, said ho didn't see how the men Btood It; he would have a go at tho man who would do such things to him, even at tho cost of his life. Hcrr Bebcl docs not understand. The prlvato la wholly defenseless. True, he. has his gun, but Is only permitted to load It on certain occasions, as at target tar-get practice, and the one who might have maltreated him would not bo where he could be shot. On the other hand, the ofilcer Is always armed when he does his cowardly and brutal acts. The opportunity for a private to get revenge re-venge upon an officer Is too rare to bo worth consideration. This gives the officers a practical Immunity. Im-munity. This Immunity is the cause, again of Increasing brutalities and misdeeds. mis-deeds. A recent report of a court-mar. tlal shows that a Lieutenant was sentenced sen-tenced for C9S Instances of maltreating his men, and a non-commissioned officer offi-cer for 1520 instances. A frightful record, that, and most suggestive. Tho most painful reflection In connection with It is tho apparent immunity of the officers, even Including Includ-ing tho non-commIs3loncd, until their offenses have accumulated to frightful numbers; and It also suggests that an officer of any grade may be "reasonably cruel" (according to the German standpoint) stand-point) without incurring any penalty at all, not even the inconvenience of being called to account. Thtfse dreadful cruelties, far better known to tho German Socialists than to Americans, give them a terrible weapon wea-pon with which to fight militarism. And It is no wonder, in view of them, that the dismissal of the Electoral Prince of Saxe-Melnlngen from the command of the Sixth Army Corps Immediately after af-ter ho had Issued an order against the maltreatment of soldiers, 13 used as an evidence that this maltreatment la approved ap-proved by the Emperor. The army situation In Germany Is evidently acute, and thero Is fast growing grow-ing a sentiment that will end the officials' offi-cials' brutalities, or stir up a storm that must be reckoned with. |