The lieutenant was undoubtedly guilty of a breach of regulations, as an officer in Germany is prohibited from publishing any printed matter except over his true name, and is required to give notice of his intention to the military authorities,—a rule which the young man had violated.
The German press, in its comments on the case, admits that it has an importance far beyond the person of the accused.
The Berlin Post, one of the chief organs of the aristocracy in Germany, said:
“In the interest of the army’s good name it is urgently requisite that abuses such as have been partly disclosed should be speedily and thoroughly eradicated.”
The Berlin Tageblatt, a leading paper, said:
“Lieutenant Bilse’s book should be seriously pondered in high places.”
The Vossische Zeitung, one of the oldest and most respected journals at the German capital, made this comment:
“That such things could be possible in German military corps would have seemed impossible to the most malevolent critic ... the public confidence must be restored.”
The Hamburg Nachrichten, Bismarck’s old organ, says:
“We regret to admit that the picture is not overdrawn.”