The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-29
GERMANY IN AMERICA.

General Franz sigeI on the European War.
A reporter of the N. Y. Times lately called
upon General Franz Sigel and received the fol-
lowing views from him on the European war;
The General stated that he would like to go
to Germany, and to be with the German army
as agent of the German Patriotic Aid Society of
this city and country. But If going there he
would go as an American citizen, not desiring to
give up his American citizenship and to enter
foreign military service. He believed that the
war would not last very long, and that
it would be concluded either by
next winter or early in the spring. AS reasons
for this opinion he said that the war would
absorb too many men and too much means for
two European nations like those engaged in it,
with their heavy burdens of public debts, with
which especially France was saddled to stand
it any longer.
In the present war no experiments would be
made, but all known great principles of strategy
would be brought to bear against each other by
both beigerents at once, and in the main only
decisive battles would be fought. These battles
would he fonght on the Rhine. The war would
doubtless be very bloody, and o decisive battle
mig Int cost either side from 40 600 to so, 900 men.
As to the relative superiority of the Chassepot
or needle-gun, the General stated that the
former had more simple mechanism and would
be fred four times whe the latter was fred
only three times, but the latter would shoot
further, and could be kept more easily in order.
1t could not be said which of the two arms was
the superior. While Germany (the German
part of Austria eXcluded) and France were
about equal in their populations (each number
ing about IS, 600, 900 inhabitants) the number
of men able to bear arms was Ia Germany
iarger than in France. - Z
The war would be won by that one of the bel
ligerent parties that could in the shortest time
rally the largest number of troops aud would
show the greatest galiantry and skill. Thus the
war would be decided. If the Germans should
win they could more easily 60 into the interior
of France toward Paris than the French could
go, If victorious, into the interior of Germany
toward Berlin, The reason for this was that in
France in that direction the course of the rivers
flowing from east to west and the liues of opera
tion we're alike while in Germany the rivers,
with the exception of the Moselle, flowing from
south to north, were natural barriers for defense
nstanciDg the Rhine, Weser, and Elbe.
As to the Germans in this country who in
tended to go back to Germany in order to join
the German army, the General knew no particu-
lars. He stated that those who were natural
lied citizens and intended to do SO had to re-
emigrate to Germany.
1t France is victorious in the struggle, she
will have made one great step forward in the
conquest of England. She will be able at some
auspicious moment to surprise and beat the
English before any other nation will have time
to interfere. France will then realize the Napo-
| leonic idea of a great centralized Empire OF
Western Europe, and substitute that Empire to
| the proposed constitutional republican con-
federation of the "United States of Western
| Europe" If, on the other hand Prussia, that
| is Germany, comes out victorious, such CEN
tralized empire will not be possible, or at least
! probable, because it would be against the
! Germanic and American idea of self-govern-
| ment, as represented in Switzerland, the Free
! Cities, the North German Confederation and the
| United States of America Germany will be
united, but will preserve political life in all her
parts, and will never be cut up in unnatural
fractions, like they are presented by the De-
partments in France. .s