GERMAN OBEDIENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8354, 6 September 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

GERMAN OBEDIENCE.

M. Paul Blookt (Max O'Rell) gives the following illustrations of German " obedience" which remain to him as souvenirs of prison clays spent in a German fortress in 1870 :—The chief of the canteen had a way of calling his wife, which, novel as it seemed to me, was clearly quite effective. When he wanted her, if she was within hearing he sinipy whistled and she came. The first time I was witness of this little Teutonic scene, I stared in amazement, the second and third times it still interested mo ; but the novelty wore off as novelties will, and I ceased to wonder why the good frau did not slap her husband's face. The second illustration may be called literally a striking one. A company of Landwehr were being drilled in the fortress, and up and down the line went t.he officer commanding. Among the rest was ono good roundabout fellow whose circumference near the waist line was not much under two yards. He had ranged himself well ,in lino in front, and waß oblivious of the back view. Presently the officer passed along the rear, and, quick as lightning, the protuberance there caught his eye. Ho hesitates not an instant, no superfluous words does he trouble himself to utter, but bang comes a neat application of the sole of his foot, which promptly brings the too luxuriant form of Fritz into line with the others ! A French soldier so treated would have turned and knocked his superior down, even if he had had to die for it. The good fellow had neither turned nor shown signs of turning. And these were no raw recruits fresh from school either, but middle-aged men, fathers of families, men of standing, very likely, in their own town. Looking at them thus reduced to a mass of machinery, I said to my fellow-prisoner, a captain of my regiment, " The sooner France concludes peace the better. With our regular army in prison, our young levied masses can never hope to compete with this,"