Show THE GERMAN A perfect and military organization every getman la liable to service after he beaches the age of seventeen method of and maintaining the army the german emperor may declare war though such declaration is subject to the consent of the federal council if however the country is invaded then what the emperor says prevails without federal ratification an american may think that the young kaiser talks a good deal about ha function as war lord and takes a good deal of room in discharging it but by the imperial constitution of 1871 after the franco prussian war had ended in german unity the emperor la rightfully the first soldier in the empire abo entire forces of which in war and peace ara under his cor mand it is his to see that the army is kept in fighting trim and his to secure this end by imperial legislation the bavarian army is however a distinctive tive contingent by itself though practically coordinated and subordinated in the imperial army system saxony and also preserve a certain military identity in that each puts up an army corps for itself it is provided that the entire land forces of the empire shall consist of 21 army corps every german Is liable to service no substitute is allowed no one escapes unless a member of a sovereign house and he would deem it proper to serve voluntarily so the army of germany is the peoples army when a german boy has finished his year he finds a drill master waiting for him when be guts away the tools of war for good he is 46 years old but practically his service will begin in his and close in his year during this period he will serve actively three years in the ganhs four in the reserve five in the first levy of the lanwehr then until he is 39 in the second levy of the landwehr and finally until he is 45 in the A young fellow however and education who bears all expenses and passes an examination gets til one years service in the ranks The duty of the Lanus is to defense of tha country i ether the nor the secondI eivy of the landwehr is called out in peace but the men in the ersatz relief reserve share in annual exercises covering 20 weeks the institution of the one year vol is an advantageous exception to what an american might call a military despotism I 1 under this exception young men of professional inclinations sot only receive the military training that prepares them for duty in the reserve but also continue their studies with less detriment to their educator edu caton than if they devoted three valuable years to a soldiers life exclusively but a fellow must pay for this one year privilege his legitimate military expenses amounting to from to the military forces of the several german states are administered own war which are all subject to the prussian war ministry to control this vast military system there are besides the war ministries the emperors military cabinet the commission for the defense of the country the general staff the head of which is directly responsible to the emperor and the great general staff which in the most scientific sense is in trusted with the defense of the empire generally speaking an army corps is recruited in the district where it is garrisoned but the prussian guard corps is recruited through out the country in the case of alsace lorriane the province taken from the french germany discreetly takes no chances of disaffection among her troops there garrisoned the men she raises in this province of french antecedents are eol diers of unquestioned the cavalry of the german army is the only branch which has been increased since the french war its i strength is 03 regiments or squad j rons france has 45 squadrons less but of field matternes mat teries she has 45 more germanas germanys Germ anys field batteries is smaller than that of any standing army As regards uniform the infantry artillery dragoons and pioneers wear the helmet the officers the kaeppe ka eppi the uhland the czapka the hussary hussars the fur cap the cuirassiers the steel helmet the cuirass nowadays is only worn on parade the infantry coat is dark I 1 blue in color style and equipment there is much dissimilarity in the geri man army but there is complete uniformity in marks of rank distinction A german officer finds a private income 0 useful adjunct A second lieu tenants monthly income is about 30 when a anan lias nothing he may perhaps get a stipend from special funds or from the emperor A captain of the first class draws annually about a major or lieutenant colonel 1650 a colonel 2250 there is also an al lowance for outside lodgings A young officer cannot possibly live dp to his social station if he has a family to support if a young officer wants to marry he must get the emperors permission and satisfactorily prove that his income is at leant in prussia a year the future wife of an officer must be worthy the army she must be of unblemished reputation and be of a family of unquestioned respectability there are pensions for the old and infirm though no age limitation exists as with us when a german recruit takes the oath the act is made aa solemn as possible no criminal is allowed to near n ear the uniform of the german army A german soldiers pay is between seven and eight cents a day and he is allowed one and two thirds pounds ot bread chicago inte ocean |