The reader will see the significance of this when it is pointed out
that not only the Empire but the War Machine has these well-trained
men at its beck and call. The same thing applies to the drafting of
officers to hold the highest administrative positions in the state.
There are twenty-five army corps all placed in strategical position.
The strongest is in Alsace-Lorraine and along the Rhine; the second in
importance garrisoning the Prussian-Russian border. The whole country
is subdivided into Bezirks commandos (districts posts) whose business
is to have on record not only every able-bodied man--reservists--but
every motor, horse, and vehicle available; also food and coal
supply--in fact, everything likely to be wanted or useful to the army.
Every German reservist, or otherwise, knows the reporting place of his
district and has to report there when notified within twenty-four
hours. The penalties for noncompliance are high even in peace times.
In the event of war or martial law they are absolutely stringent. The
commandos are so placed that they could forward their drafts of men
and material to their provincial concentration points at the quickest
possible notice. These provincial concentration points, being railway
centers, are so located that the masses of men and materials pouring
in from all sides can be handled and sent in the wanted and needed
direction without any congestion.
Pages:
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230