, 1870-07-31
GscMGrnt Franz SfEtl on thc SSnr.

NG1AfeAAt uIC VI AAG 4&1HFN IEPQ1lElD CALI
ed upon General Franz siEel, and received the
following views iron him on the European
war:
The General stated that be won1i like to 70
to Germany, aud to ho With the German army
NJ agent Of the German Patriotic Aid Society
OF this city and country. but ii going there,
he would 50 AS an American citizen, not desit-
ing to give up his American citizenship and to
enter foreign military service. He believed
tlat the war would not last very long, aud that
it would be concluded either by ne1t winter or
early IN the spring. Az reasons fu1 this opila-
sor, TOO many men and too much mesas
for two Representations like these engaged
in it, With tll6ir heary burdens Of public debt,
with which especially France is saIllel, to
stand it any longer This opinion wonld
Prove the moro correct, betaune III the present
dlnars industries aud he engaged only in
making and preparing tools asnd supplies Of
war. In Europe armies were eaany clncen-
,1atcd on account Of tho means for transport
tafion. In time CT var it was tho aim there
to bring concentrated a1m,es close together a.
onre for fighting. In tho present war no ex-
pcrimeuts would be made, bnt all known groat
principles Of strategy would be brought to
bear against nash other by both bciligersnts
! ut once, and in The main only uec1slv c
| battlea would 10 fought. These battles
would 10 fought on tho Rhine. The
war would doubtless be very bloody, and 4
decisive battle might cost either side from 40,
! uGU 10 "a, b0v men. IA 10 the relative supe-
| rirri;y Of tue Ch1ssepot or nocdie-Euu, the
/ General stated that tho former had more
simple mechanism sHd would be fred fouE
| times while the latter wa. fred only three
I times, hut the latter wnn{l shoot further, AMI
| could be Ecpt muro easily in order. It could
not he epiu which Of tho txp arms was The
superior. While Germany {tha German part
or Austria incluaed) and Franco we're about
equal in tlieif populations leach numbering
af'oNt - .e0o, ,t00 Inlsatitantsl, the number ol
n.en allie 70 bear arms was in Germany 1srge'
THAI in France While the French GaFtlt
| Mublle aaA = new institution, established b!
law dated February !, 1865, the T'rusaiai
Iandwelr was An institution established about
ls1o., md 20, we'll organized that within
twenty.four hours it, hsstalisns .coult
be rallied. Both the LAndwehr and tht
Ga1de Mobile weTe those bodies o
troops which did belong neither to the reguls
amy nor to the reserved army any more, b1
hai in these two branches serTed before l
SaEoleon ehoufd lose the first great battle
there would doubtless be political change II
Trance. where. by the way. rasis was every
| fling ARD the provinces we're only dependeu
cieB IT tha, capital, wlule il Prussia lort it
nothing OF the kind would occuE IN Germany
and the wsr would be continued. The enthu
siasnn Of the French people for the pteaen
war wAs rather artificial, while that Of tn
German people was natural one, and woulJ
therefore, also lass Longer. The war would b
non By that ono Of the tellige.ens parties tha
could in the shortest lime rally the larses
plumber OF troops and would show the greates
eallantry and eklll. Thu. the war would l.
decided. II the Germans should win they conl
| mo1e eaE1lF 20 into the interior OF France h
! ward Pans, than the French could 50. il viz
, te.iou4, into the interior at GeEInanF, tnwar
Berlin. The reason for this VAS that in Franc
in that direction, the courre Of the ETarsh hoN
ing fren east to vest and the lines Of opera
tion were alike, while IN Germany the fise1s
| With the exception OF the Moselle, dauiu
, , from south to north, wers natural barriers fe
, ! defence. lnstsneinE the Rhine. Tesez, II
, Elbe. Because the decisive battles Of the vi
: | would take place OF the Rhine, and there Ii
= main armies Of both belligesents would be co,
> centrated, tho operations Of the French 1e'
. On the shores ot North Germany would has
: 30 decisive influences; least Of =
! T. the French we're besten o. Z
a . much smaller than the French, yet
numbered, also, several large and good ue'
t of-war. 1t WIS stated that the French inten
a edto use gun-boats on the Rhine a1a Mo.el
l. ETerB- r. they did go, they would not q!
: them With the eane effect a. gun.boats b.
: +ippi- Tbs reason for this wAs that tho
- German HSets were not 20 vide aa the gze
. American rivers. and that the prssssians ~ou
= t. veil prepared TO light these gun-boats vi
\ tlett a1tclleHI ssee4 gQla+ ~ 10 +ud Ne1UlA
- in this country who intended % 60 back
y Germany in order to join the German arm
!. the General knew no pafticulare- He stat
~ that thoee who ~ere Hatnra!ized citizens ..
"a ittspded to 80, bad to te-emlgzate to Gt
= nanr.
r. In = letter to = ftiend% 1hich We IRE perm
II tsd to puhlish, the General gives the fol.eni
~ viaws On the probable Essn1t OF the way.
e VT France Is vtctoti0as in tho struggle. {
:: will haze ms!e one. gzsa1 ser. forxafe, "a
Il conquest Of England She will BE- able 1t 50
as aEsptcions moment 10 surprise md beat the a
IN | nsh lefote aoE otntf nation Will hare time
at | tase1feEe. France xW then realize The Na
IS honie idea at great centralized Empire
O. Western Europe, And substitute tkat empire
in | The proposed constitutional OF Republican {
:. federation Of the United Statea al West
~ Europe Il, tn the other hand. Prussia, I
ae ss, Germany. comes cut S:ctMtous, such a {
9y tf1!zed Empire ~lll not be possIbler at, Ut le
= rtottaGe. tecause 1t would be against the
ch manic snd American Idea OF self-eoyernmeus
be represented in Switzerland the Free Cities,
u. Sotth Gefmsn Confederation, and the Tn
~ staeea OF America Germany will be United,
\. VII preserve political life In all her Paris
" VIM never oe cut up Ii unnatural fractions.
ne 1ney are presented br the Departments