Places such as enumerated are invariably provincial commandos, having
garrisons, arsenals, and depots on a large scale.
The capacity of the railroad yards for handling large bodies of men
and vast amounts of goods swiftly is judiciously studied. At any
given time, especially at tense political moments, at every large
strategical railway center in Germany there are a certain number of
trucks and engines kept for military purposes only--sometimes, as in
the Rhine division during the acute period of the Morocco question,
with steam up.
As previously related, 90 per cent. of all the railway officials are
ex-soldiers. Five minutes after the signing of the mobilization
orders by the Emperor, the whole of the railway system would be under
direct military control. Specially trained transportation and railway
experts on the General Staff would take over the direction of affairs.
Besides this, there exists in the German standing army a number of
Eisenbahn Regimenter (railway corps)--all trained railroad builders
and mechanics. Elaborate time-tables and transportation cards are in
readiness to be put into operation on the instant of mobilization,
superseding the civil time-tables of peace. Theoretically and
practically the schedules are tested twice a year during the big
maneuvers.
The same applies to the waterways and highroads of the Empire. A keen
observer will often wonder at the broadness, solidness, and excellent
state of repair of the chaussees and country roads, out of all
proportion to the little traffic passing along.
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