sense of honour, and absolute, iron, blind obedience. That is my wish which I address to you and with you to the whole army."

The Emperor began the year 1899 in military respects by an act of piety. He revived the traditions of the Hanoverian and Hessian regiments, which disappeared in consequence of the annexation of the two countries in the year 1866 and the incorporation of their contingents in the Prussian Army.

On January 24th, 1899, on the Waterloo Square in Hanover, the Emperor held a review of the troops in garrison there, and issued to them the following Cabinet Order of January 24th.

"To the Staff of the Tenth Army Corps.

"When my grandfather, now resting in God, in the year 1870 drew the sword to repel the enemy's invasion, the brave sons of Hanover stood loyally by their new King and their German Fatherland, and displayed the old Hanoverian bravery on bloody fields of battle. On the imperishable scrolls of honour of the past they inscribed the new names of Spichern, Metz, Beaune la Rolande, Le Mans. Thus did they show themselves worthy of their ancestors, the victors of Krefeld, Minden, and Waterloo, as well as the brave warriors on the Spanish Peninsula. I have resolved to revive the memories which are so dear to you and to the whole Province of Hanover, and which on the dissolution of the Hanoverian Army lost the chief centre where they were cherished. From henceforth the Prussian troops, among whom the old Hanoverian warriors were incorporated, are to be the bearers of the traditions of the former Hanoverian regiments and to perpetuate their distinctions. I will thereby give to the warriors of 1870 and 1871 both a new token of my royal gratitude, and also a recognition of the many specially eminent services which have won for the Hanoverian soldiers at all times an honourable name. At the same time, I cherish the hope that now all former members of the Hanoverian Army will find once more the centre so long missed, round which, in the circle of their younger comrades, they can cherish the proud memories of their ancestors."

At the subsequent lunch given in the officers' mess-room of the Prince Albert Regiment of Fusiliers at Hanover, the Emperor,

according to the Hanover Courier, delivered the following speech :

"One of the main principles which, so long as I have had the honour to be at the head of my army, I have in all places proclaimed and upheld, is tradition, and this thought led me to form the resolution which has been carried into execution to-day. I believe that I can rely upon the approval of all if I assume that the honours ordered by me to-day have filled the hearts of all of you with joy, because by their means tradition is preserved and the glorious names of the past are revived. With all my heart do I congratulate the Tenth Army Corps, that it can now look back with pride on the glorious days of the Hanoverian Army, the days of Krefeld, Minden, and Waterloo. But I have been, above all, influenced by this aspect of the case, that I have regarded it as a special hardship to the old soldier living in retirement, that he no longer has the privilege of sharing joy and sorrow with his comrades in the army. I deemed it desirable to fill this void for you to-day by reviving the traditions of the Hanoverian regiments in the new regiments of the Tenth Army Corps, and thereby reawakening in the minds of these gentlemen the memory of the military days of their youth. The members of the old Hanoverian Army may now find themselves quite at home in the regiments of the Tenth Army Corps and the other Hanoverian troops. And may the Tenth Army Corps ever remain conscious of the proud exploits of the old Hanoverian Army."

A great gambling trial and various scandals revealed the fact that usury was systematically practised on officers. In order to check this evil, the Emperor issued the following Cabinet Order on February 23rd, 1899:

"I have repeatedly had my attention drawn by occurrences of late to the frequency with which the sordid offers of professional money-lenders are sent to the officers of my army. The thoughtlessness of youth and want of experience in monetary affairs frequently result in the opportunity thus presented giving rise to grievous distress, nay, even to absolute ruin. I wish to be assured that all possible means have been taken to remove temptations of this kind from my officers. My Order of July 5th,

1888, which sought to effect this, must always be regarded by every officer as my earnest will. I decree that for the future every officer has to report to his superiors without delay all such sordid offers of money as are forwarded to him. I require the general staffs and other competent military authorities, when once the punishable nature of the offer is established, and if possible a judicial verdict obtained from the courts, to communicate all such cases forthwith to the Ministry of War. The latter has then to take the necessary steps to publish the names of the men who carry on this kind of business and details of the case. This, my Order, is to be published in the Army Gazette."

At the command of the Emperor, the commencement of the twentieth century was celebrated on January 1st, 1900.

On this New Year's Day, a camp service was held in the Arsenal at Berlin, after which the Emperor delivered the following speech to the assembled officers:

"The first day of the new century sees our army-that is to say, our nation in arms-gathered round its regimental colours, kneeling before the Lord of Hosts; and truly, if anyone has a special reason to kneel before God to-day, it is our army. A glance at our colours suffices to explain my meaning, for they are the embodiment of our history. How did the century just past find our army at its dawn? The glorious army of Frederick the Great had fallen asleep on its laurels, and had become fossilised in the petty details of military pedantry; its generals were decrepit with age and incapable in war; its officers had grown unaccustomed to strenuous work, and were sunk in luxury, selfindulgence, and inordinate self-esteem. In a word, the army had not only become incompetent to do its duty, it had forgotten it. Sore was the retribution from heaven which overtook it and smote our nation. It was humbled to the dust, the glory of Frederick faded away, its colours were broken to pieces. In the seven long years of bitterest servitude God taught our nation to recover its senses, and under the weight of the foot of a haughty conqueror our people evolved from its heart the noblest of thoughts, that it is the highest honour to devote life and

goods in military service to the Fatherland: universal liability to service. My great-grandfather gave it form and life, fresh laurels crowned the newly created army and its young colours. But yet universal military service only acquired its peculiar significance under the influence of our great departed Emperor. In the retirement of his study he laid his plans of reorganisation for our army, in spite of the resistance offered by ignorance. Yet victorious campaigns crowned his work in a manner never anticipated. His spirit inspired the ranks of his army, just as his trust in God spurred it on to unexampled victories. With this, his own creation, he brought the German peoples together again, and restored to us the German unity so long desired. To him we owe it that by virtue of this army the German Empire again commands respect, and resumes its appointed place in the council of the nations. Gentlemen, it now lies with you to maintain, also in the new century, the old qualities by which our forefathers made the army great, and to put them into practice: simplicity and unassuming modesty in daily life, absolute surrender of self to the service of the King, and entire devotion of all the powers of body and mind with restless energy to the perfecting and development of our troops. And as my grandfather did for his land army, so, too, will I for my navy in the same manner, without faltering, continue and carry through the work of reorganisation, so that it, too, may be able to stand with equal authority at the side of my combative forces on land, and that by its means the German Empire may be in a position to win also abroad a place it has never yet attained. With both combined, I hope to be able, with firm confidence on God's guidance, to realise the truth of the saying of Frederick William I.: "If one will decide anything in the world, the pen will not do it unless it is sustained by the power of the sword."

In a special edition the Army Gazette published the following Army Order

"To my Army.

"The century is now ended which at its commencement saw the Fatherland in its deepest humiliation, and the conclusion of which was crowned by the restoration of Emperor and Empire.

"The German Empire had collapsed under the blows of the conqueror, the might of Prussia had dwindled away, and the army of the great King, which had triumphantly bidden defiance to a world in arms, had ceased to exist.

"It is true that after seven never-to-be-forgotten years of suffering, Prussia, with marvellous recuperative power and all the strength of a people driven to despair, burst the chains of foreign domination, and thereby gave back Germany to itself. It is true that in the War of Liberation its newly created army entwined countless wreaths of glory round its banners, yet the highest reward for its self-sacrificing devotion was still denied to our Fatherland, and the inextinguishable longing for the unification of Germany still remained unsatisfied. The German peoples lived side by side amid constant bickering and estrangement, but Germany remained of slight account in the council of the

nations.

"At last God caused the men to arise in it who completed the work of unification begun on blood-drenched fields of battle. To-day our common great Fatherland stands forth, a mighty power, a bulwark of peace, protected by its army, in which prevails a spirit of unanimity.

"With a heart filled with gratitude do I, on the turning day of the century, raise my eye to the throne of the Almighty, who has done so great things for us; to Him do I and my people in arms pray that He may continue to be with us also in the future.

"Filled with pride and joy, I call to mind those whom He made the instruments of His will: my sorely tried greatgrandfather, the great Emperor of immortal memory, my dearlyloved father and their faithful allies; their counsellors and generals, who made sharp the sword of Prussia, and when the hour of battle struck led its army from victory to victory; the men who for the liberation of the Fatherland and its honour gladly and without fear sacrificed life and limb. The memory of these heroes will remain indelibly fixed in the heart of the German nation.

"I thank my army for all that it has accomplished for my House and for the Fatherland during this long period of time, for its devotion and spirit of self-sacrifice, for its bravery and