of our ships of war on coaling days-in our cruisers of weekly recurrence. It is difficult to say who work hardest, the men who wheel their heavy loads along the hampered decks, always at the run, or the bandsmen, whose cheering strains are sustained hour by hour. England expects that every man will do his duty.' The famous signal is not forgotten. It is still the note and inspiration of the British Navy. BRASSEY. THE GERMAN ARMY SYSTEM AND HOW IT WORKS AT the Hague Conference Germany's representative stated that ‘the people of Germany do not by any means look upon universal service (allgemeine Wehrpflicht) as a burden, but as a sacred duty; and they feel that they owe to the fulfilment of this duty their present prosperity, and that their prosperity in the future will also be due to it.' The law of the land prescribes that the obligation to serve the country is a duty of honour which citizens who do not bear a fair and unblemished name-i.e., who have suffered punishment to which dishonour is attached-are not permitted to perform. It is only the outcasts of society who are not deemed worthy to serve the Fatherland. The obligation of every citizen to defend his country (allgemeine Wehrpflicht), which had obtained by statute in the kingdom of Prussia since the 13th of September, 1814, was inscribed on the first pages of the national code of the new German Empire on the 16th of April, 1871. The fundamental principle of the German army system is that it is the bounden duty of each and every able-bodied male inhabitant of the State to defend his country. Every German is in duty bound to defend his country, and he cannot discharge this duty through a substitute.' These last words, of course, eliminated the possibility of abuses such as those connected with the old system of French 'conscription.' The only exceptions admitted in the German system are in favour of certain specified reigning families, whose members are exempt as such from compulsory service, but seldom or never avail themselves of the privilege; and in favour of special cases, which will be referred to lower down. A study of the history of Prussia from the days of the Great Elector shows that no country in the world owes so much to its army as does Prussia; and as this army has always, since the introduction of universal service, been made up of the whole able-bodied and virile male population of the land, just as is the army of the German Empire to-day, the people of Prussia and the people of the German Empire may incontestably claim that their present position in the world is due to no special caste or class, but to the sacrifices and hard work of the whole people. The law enjoining universal service has necessarily involved, and still does involve, immense sacrifices upon the individual; but it encouraged in the population of Prussia that military spirit that already existed in the people, and imbued the latter with energy and readiness to submit to any privation necessary for the maintenance of the Fatherland. What Prussia derived from this law has been participated in by the whole German Empire since April 1871. The law regulating military organisation for the German Empire stipulates that the Wehrpflicht, or duty to defend the country, begins with the completed seventeenth year, and lasts till the conscript has completed his forty-fifth year. The Wehrpflicht is subdivided into: (a) the duty to serve in the army or navy (the Dienstpflicht); (b) the duty to serve in the Landsturm. Every German may be called upon to serve in the army or navyin actual practice from the age of twenty to the age of forty-five-and every German between the age of seventeen and the age of forty-five is liable to be called out to defend his country in war time if he be not already serving in the army or navy. The general obligation to serve in the army or navy is subdivided as follows: 7 years Infantry, &c., as above. Cavalry and Horse Artillery (reitende Artillerie) • Landwehr: First Levy Second Levy (until end of 89th year) Landsturm (all not in the army from 17th to 45th year): 12 years Seewehr (corresponding to Landwehr): First Levy Second Levy. Naval Ersatz-Reserve (Supernumeraries).—This is composed . 12 years In war time the Reserves are called in to supplement the active army. Men in the infantry, field artillery (fahrende Artillerie), and military train who volunteer to serve for three years with the colours, and men of the cavalry and horse artillery who have served for three years, according to the regulations, with the colours, and cavalry men who volunteer to serve in the cavalry for four years are only required to serve in the first levy of the Landwehr for three years. A number of exceptions are admitted as regards the time when the men are required to join the colours and as regards the duration of active service. These deal with the professions and the condition of life of the respective conscripts. For example, under certain conditions men may volunteer after attaining the age of seventeen for one year, two years, three years, or (for the cavalry) for four years. In order to be able to volunteer for one year a recruit must have acquired a certain amount of general education, the test for which is his having passed an examination qualifying him to be moved from the lower second to the upper second class of a State gymnasium. Such volunteers must also have the consent of their fathers or guardians. The period for entering the service may also be postponed under certain conditions to the twenty-third, and even exceptionally to the twenty-seventh year-that is to say, in the case of individuals preparing for any particular profession, whereby an interference in their studies would injure their future career. Further, a man may be passed over for a year, or perhaps for longer, if he is physically insufficiently developed; or, if owing to family reasons those depending on him would suffer on account of his serving, he may be passed over altogether and be handed over to the Landsturm. In regard to exceptional cases, such as those above mentioned, the military authorities display very liberal consideration. In fact, they have no reason for not doing so, as in time of peace the supply of men is a good deal in advance of the demand, and there is no difficulty whatever in obtaining the number of recruits required for the year. One year volunteers have to lodge, feed, and equip themselves. When possible, they are allowed to live in barracks. In the cavalry and horse artillery they receive a horse for their use, but are required to pay down a' sum equivalent to 201. for wear and tear, and about 36s. per month for the feed of the horse, veterinary expenses, &c. ; in the Field Artillery and Military Train the sum paid for wear and tear is 71. 10s. Their work is very heavy for the first month in all branches of the service, especially in the mounted branches. The privilege of serving for a year accorded to men of higher education does not expunge the liability to serve, and in return for the privilege they have to acquire the requisite amount of military knowledge and to pay all expenses. The actual sum required by a one-year volunteer varies of course according to the young man's tastes and habits. It may be said that, on an average, a one-year volunteer requires in the infantry a minimum allowance of 1501.; in the artillery of 2001.; and in the cavalry of 3001., to take him through his year's service. These sums naturally vary also with the garrison as well as with the individual tastes of the volunteers. For example, the minimum cost to a oneyear volunteer in the cavalry or horse artillery in Berlin may be estimated at 3001. After the year's service one-year volunteers are classed for six years in the Reserves, and are required in the earlier years of this period to join twice for from four to eight weeks' training each time. In general the years selected are the two immediately following their year of service with the colours; and they may be called upon to undergo a third period of training. Those who wish to become officers of the Reserve-i.e., officers who in time of war would be called in to serve as officers with the army on its war footing-will have received a certificate at the close of their year's service, and in the first eight weeks' training they will do non-commissioned officers' duty, obtaining rank, after passing an examination, as Vice-Feldwebel or Vice-Wachtmeister of the Reserve. During the second eight weeks' training, a one year's service man of this class does officer's duty, and if he obtains the necessary approval of his commanding officer his name is sent up to the Kaiser to be elected as officer of the Reserve or the Landwehr. Twice a year, whilst in the Reserve, the one-year volunteers have to put in an appearance (in April and November) before the Board of Control (Control-Versammlung) to report themselves and to hear matters of military interest. The rank and file, after concluding their period of service, are transferred to the Reserve. In case of war they would be called in to supplement the active army. They go by the name of 'Reservists,' and are classified according to their year and length of service. They also are required to take part in two periods of training, not exceeding eight weeks each, during the time they are classed in the Reserve, and to appear twice a year before the Board of Control, the object being to keep alive in them the sense that they belong to the army. The first levy of the Landwehr are only required to attend once a year before the Board, as it is supposed that when they have arrived at this age their domicile is more likely to be fixed. The Landsturm are dispensed from the duty of reporting themselves. The penalties for not |