A very great change will, it is believed, shortly take
place in the German military system. According to the new Berlin correspondent of the Times, who, we may remark, draws up. his telegrams with unusual clearness, the experiments made in reducing the period of military service to two years have been singularly successful. This is owing to the general increase in the intelligence of recruits—perhaps also a little to here- ditary habit—and it has encouraged the military authorities to propose the reduction of service with the colours to two years, 50,000 additional men a year, now exempted, being at the same time swept into the net. The total result, therefore, will be a reduction of service in barracks by one-third, without any reduction in the regular army. The change will be introduced, it is said, in 1893, and will be immensely popular, being, in fact, the change suggested before 1866, but then deemed unadvisable by the King of Prussia. As the German Staff makes few mistakes, one cannot help wondering whether the general intelligence of Germans has increased, or whether they are developing under the influence of hereditary habit a special aptitude for drill. The latter is by no means inconceivable, and would explain some very curious facts about the aptitude of different races for discipline. All experienced officers, even in England, recog- nise the special aptitude of the hereditary soldier-families, of whom there are many.
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