ARMY DUELS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 32, 9 August 1890, Page 7

ARMY DUELS.

In France the officer insulted by a person outside of the army is inspired simply by his own feelings in thematter. He goes to his superior, or chef de cor/is, and explains the case. The latter, after having looked carefully into the matter, advises him only to fight or not fight, as the ease may be. • In Germany an officer insulted under the same conditions is not free to give to the affair the sequel that he might desire. There exists in each regiment a tribunal ofhonour to whose decision he must submit. If this tribunal permits him to fight, the officer, without further hesitation, goes ahead ; but, if the decision forbids him to go upon the duelling ground, the case becomes serious for die insulted officer, because every officer who does not obtain satisfaction for an insult is obliged to quit the army. And it is the same if the insuiter refuses reparation. I’nder these eon ditions, the German officer may be compelled, in spite of himself, to hand in his resignation. Even if the tribunal decides that the insuiter is not worthy to cross swords with an officer, the latter, finding himself m the impossibility of exacting satisfaction, has no other resource than to resign. And if he does not resign in twenty-four hours, lie will be compelled to do so by the tribunal of honour. We remember the dramatic suicide of the youno officei of the cavalry of the guard who could not force a student to fight him. The officer was the first insuiter, and the student avenged himself by horsewhipping him in public, and refused the cartel. Then the young officer did not wish to survive what he believed to be a dishonour for him and for his family. All efforts to bring the student to the battle ground were vain. He insisted that, inasmuch as he was insulted in the first instance by the officer, and that the latter, having refused reparation to him, he had avenged himself, and hail therefore no need to fight. Even the father of the young officer, a general in the army, begged the student to come to terms ; but on the latter’s final refusal the old man went himself to his son and handed him the pistol with which he was to blow away the stain on the family name ; ami thereupon the young man blew out his own brains.