File:Seen in Germany (1902) (14783301872).jpg

Identifier: seeningermany00bakerich (find matches)
Title: Seen in Germany
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Baker, Ray Stannard, 1870-1946
Subjects: Germany -- Social life and customs
Publisher: London, Harper
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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n aslong a step as possible, and up with the other. Thisseems simple enough, but when a recruit has been atit half an hour or more he wishes devoutly for some-thing else. The long step is said to make the Ger-mans good marchers, to assist in giving them thatquality of strength and endurance which, during theFranco-Prussian war, marched the French to death.It is a favorite punishment for petty misdemeanorsto force a soldier to go through these exercises for somany minutes or hours. A little later, and, indeed, all through the serviceof the German soldier, there is constant drilling in allmanner of athletic feats, particularly in jumping andclimbing. I saw a squad of recruits practising therunning high jump. They were all clad in old canvasuniforms of cheap make, their working clothes, andthey stood in a line and jumped at the order of theofficer. Everv one of them was a strapping, round-faced tellow of evident strength, and yet some ofthem actually could not jump over a string two feet
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Drill oti the Horizontal Bar The German Private Soldier y^ high. They had had no training, and they possessedno idea of how to utiHze their muscles. But witha year or two of steady training they make goodjumpers. More advanced squads are set to work onthe horizontal bar; the training here is very practical,with little attempt to teach the high swings and fancymovements. Then there are vaulting exercises andscaling exercises, in which a squad of men are sentcharging at a sheer board wall fifteen or twenty feethigh, made to represent a fort, and up they go onone anothers knees and backs, rifles and all, untilevery man is on top; and it is astonishing to seehow well and how quickly it is all done. In watch-ing these men at their work, one is impressed withthe sober earnestness with which every task is per-formed. There is rarely a smile, never anything likea cheer, and no apparent appreciation of the fact thatthese exercises are sometimes practised as sport. Tothese men it is a serious d

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