Eeciev? of Remi'ws, 1/12/01. 



Leading Articles. 



S&7 



A BRITISH VIEW OF GERMAN 

 MANffiUVRES. 



Mr. Howari! HeiisniiUi, in the United Scrvnc 

 Magazine, gi\es some impressions of the German 

 nianoeuN'res. Thev were -this year directed to the 

 ■defence ot Silesia. The Kaiser's belief that in- 

 vasion threatens only from the West seems to ha\e 

 been overridden by the newlv-appointed head of the 

 General Staff. General Von Moltke. The same in- 

 fluence is seen hv the writer in the abandonment of 

 ' those sweeping charges of cavalry brigades and 

 dix'isions that are so dear to the heart of the Kaiser, 

 but which are now regarded as almost impossible in 

 modern warfare. 



OBSOLETE METHODS. 

 But in other respects German methods are still 

 •conservative. For example, the writer savs ; — 



Such lessons as foreign obse vers learnt from the armies in 

 tlie field were largely of a negative character. The lessons 

 taught both by tiie Boer war and the Russo-Japanese strug- 

 gle have apparently been ignored by those responsible for 

 the training of the German infantry. The old dense forma- 

 tion is still adhered to, and many of the assaults on the 

 trenches during tlie second day's ope'-ations were conducted 

 almost shoulder to shoulder. Tiie art of taking cover, too, 

 was almost entirely neglected, anrl the regimental officers 

 were great sinners in this respect. Even when under an 

 overwhelming artillery fire they kept their men lianging 

 about in the open, often huddled together in dense masses, 

 without making the slightest effort to entrench themselves, 

 or to take advantage of the natural cover that offered itself. 

 Tiie attack forniati-jns were open to exactly the same charge. 



In crossing the country the troops seemed to 

 a\oid cover, and only in very few cases to revert to 

 hasty shelter trenches. The writer goes on: — 



It seems clear that, so far as the German army is con- 

 cerned, the old theory of attack by a quick burst of a huge 

 body, and then, firing line and supports all jumbled hope- 

 lessly together, a blind faith in dead weight and entliusiasm, 

 still obtain a considerable amount of favour. It is to be 

 feared that the awakening will be a rude one. 



OBEDIENCE WITHOUT INITIATIVE. 



The German armv has not vet learned the lesson 

 (if invisibility. Their grevish-black uniforms are 

 conspicuous a mile away, and are extremely hot and 

 uncomfortable. The spade work in trench forma- 

 tion was well done, but the German militarv passion 

 for straight lines and geometrical exactness exposes 

 the trenches to deadly enfilading. Of the German 

 infantr) the writer speaks in the highest terms. 

 Their endurance and feats of marching could be 

 1 quailed by very few of the European armies. But, 

 says Mr. Hensman : — 



For the rest the German infantryman is still the non-dis- 

 ciplined, wooden, unthinking fighting automaton that he has 

 always been. Intelligence am mg tlie rank and file is a tiling 

 that is apparently unthouglit of in Germany, even if it be 

 not actually discouraged. For blind obedience to orders and 

 unflinching courage, the German soldier is impossible to 

 surpass. But tliink for himself he cannot. He obeys a com- 

 mand mechanically, but he could not vary it an inch though 

 lli-i life depenfled upon it. 



A MACHINE OF AN ARMY. 



The same lack of initiative is found in the regi- 

 mental officers. Enthusiastic, keen and intelligent 

 they were, but — 



Act upon their own initiative, however, tliey would not, 

 and when confronted with a crisis or a situation not pro- 

 vided for in tlie enormously long and detailed orders issued 

 by the staft'. they were as helpless as a rudderless ship. In- 

 deed, it is scarcely an e.'jaggeration to say that in the Ger- 

 man army to-day the staff does the thinking and the rest of 

 the army converts the thoughts into actions, macliine-like, 

 and without any independent consideration. 



The whole of the mancEU\res were carried out 

 strictly on text-book lines. " The cavalry was some- 

 thing of a failure." Its recklessnesss would mean 

 enormous loss in time of war, and the horsemanship 

 is greatly inferior to that of our own cavalry. The 

 honours of the campaign would go to the artillery, 

 which was uniformly good. " At picking up range 

 the Germans are unsurpassed," The engineers, by 

 means of telegraphs and telephones, kept the rival 

 commanders in touch with every part of their forces. 

 They showed, too, great ability to repair motor- 

 cars. The organisation of supply and transport was 

 admirable. " The Germans have brought the science 

 of feeding an army in the field to a pitch of per- 

 fection that is almost beyond credit," The writer 

 ccincludes : — 



To sum up, it may be said that the German manoeuvres of 

 1906 have shown that as a mechanical fighting force the 

 Kaiser's army retains its deservedly high position, but that 

 it still lacks that flexibility of action and that power and 

 initiative that should pervade all ranks, and without which 

 no army can be said to be perfect. 



HOW THE GREEK CLERGY ARE TRAINED. 



AIan\ \Vesterns who are accustomed tu think of 

 the Greek clergy as ill-educated and ignorant will 

 be surprised on reading Rev. Islay F. Burns' de- 

 scription in the Sunday at Home of Halki, "A Col- 

 lege of the Greek Church." The college is situated 

 in one of the lovely group of islands in the Sea of 

 Maiftora. The college was founded in 1844, to 

 provide "a titting education of our sacred clergy in 

 science, religion and morals." The full curriculum 

 extends over seven years : — 



The studies of the first four years are devoted to the 

 humanities, and comprise language, natural science, and 

 pliilosophy. with a wide variety of subjects under each 

 head. Thus the languages studied, and that by all. are an- 

 cient Greek. Latin. Turkish, Russian and Slavonian, and 

 French. In the study of tlie ancient languages philology has 

 a special place. The fourth year is a partial exception to 

 the above scheme, as certain of its subjects form a transition 

 to theolog.v. In the last three years the student is occupied 

 partly by some aspects of law, but mainly by theology. 



The student, who must on entry be not less than 

 seventeen and not more than nineteen years of age, 

 is tested right through his course. The education is 

 given free. The number in residence varies from 

 seventy to eighty. There are no athletics, and 

 though fasts are prescribed the students are well 

 i:ared for in the matter of food. 



