GERMAN OFFICERS WITH THE BOERS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2293, 5 January 1900, Page 2

GERMAN OFFICERS WITH THE BOERS.

Mr Michael Flurscheim, of Singletax fauie, writes to the ' New Zealand Times': —" Some people seem to entertain the idea that those German officers who command thn Boer artillery belong to the German Army. One gentleman has even told me " they are the pick of the German army." Perhaps hj« is right, but it is quite certain that they no longer belonged to that army when the war began, In-cause the Emperor has issued a decree against any of his officers taking service in the Transvaal. If, for all that, I admit the possibility of their being the pick of the German army, it is lieeause I know that very often the l*st officers are dismissed from the Emperor s service. Debts are a frequent cause of dismissal, and certainly no one will claim that a poor man or even a spendthrift. may not be a good soldier. 1 have an intimate friend who wos one of the Ijest officers in the army. He was insulted in a cafr, and knocked the niAn down. He was cashiered because lie liad not made use of his sword, and instead ai expressing his rngret said that under the same circumstances he would do the saioe thing again, as be did not believe in using his weapon

against <n aii&fmed man. Such a sentiment is cqr-tainly not unsoldierly, but the present military etiquette makes it so, and one of Germany's best soldiers was relegated into private life. What are such men to do ? Most of them have learned nothing but the profession of arms, and they look for service wherever they can find it. They do the trade of the " lands knecht" or " condotieri " of the later Middle Ages, selling their sword to whoever has any use for it. These, no doubt, are the officers, the pick of the German Army, whose valor and skill render such service to the Boors."