Children of my guard, to-day you have become incorporated into my army; you now stand under my command and have the privilege of wearing my uniform. Wear it honorably. Think of the famous history of your Fatherland; remember that the German army must be armed against the internal as well as the external foe. More and more unbelief and discontent raise their heads in the Fatherland, and it may come to pass that you will have to shoot down or stab your own relatives and brothers. Then seal your loyalty with your heart's blood! And now go to your homes and fulfil your duties. --(According to the _Breslauer Lokalanzeiger_ of December 8.) According to the _Neisser Zeitung_, the second paragraph ran as follows: Recruits! You have now before the consecrated servant of the Lord and before His altar, sworn fealty to me. You are still too young to understand the true meaning of what has just been said; but be diligent now and follow the directions and instructions given you. You have sworn loyalty to me; that means, children of my guard, that you are now my soldiers, you have given yourselves up to me, body and soul; there is for you but one enemy, and that is my enemy. In view of the present Socialistic agitations it may come to pass that I shall command you to shoot your own relatives, brothers, yes, parents--which God forbid--but even then you must follow my command without a murmur. Entirely similar, but shorter, is a clipping from the Berlin paper _Das Volk_, according to the account of one who heard the speech. You have sworn to me the oath of loyalty; that means, from now on you know only one command, and that is my most high command; you have only one enemy, and that is my enemy! And so I may sometime--which God forbid--have to bid you to shoot upon your own relatives, yes, brothers and parents--then remember your oath! THE EMPEROR'S FIRST ARMY BILL BERLIN, JULY 4, 1893