The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-08
Won MoLTKE AT HOME.
The TWO Rooms In Which He Spends
Most Of His Life.
From the Koinlsche zeitung.

FROM the hOlnlScno Leltung.l
Since his return from the Franco-German
war Won Moltke has had his home in the
official buildings of the general staff of the
army on the Koenigsplatz, at Berlin, where
the chief of the staff hasIa largeiresidence,
with thirty windows facing the Kornigsplatz
aud the Moltke strasse. The Empress Fred
erick herself, at that time Crown Princess Of
Germany, undertook the supervision of the
decorative arrangements, and her excellent
taste is especially visible in the White Music
Room. where the gray headed leader otter
listens to excellent classical music. and the
adjoining small smoking room. in the Moor
ish diche Of which the Field Marshal often
rests, silent and attentive, smoking his cigar
But of all the large number of apartments he
only uses two rooms, whose classical sim
plicity and the excellent workmanship of the
furniture reflect the character of the man.
A beautiful staircase leads up from the
main entrance on the Koenigsplatz to the
corridor of the first floor, on one side of
which are Won Moltke's private apartments,
while the officers take up the other side. In
the center is the double door Of the Field
Marshal's private Office; over it the motto
"Candide ct caute" is engraved. To the
right of this room is Won Moltke's bedroom,
which has only one window, while the office
has three. 1t is in these two rooms that he
spends most of his life. and it is hard to i'm
agine two rooms of greater simplicity. They
are very high and airy. Through the win
dows the old trees which stand in front of
the house look in; the column of Victory
rises in the middle of the square. and the
front nf ba ohefoe. = -
ace shows majestically through the dark
green Of the Thiehgarten. The bedroom
contains very simple bed in one corner
near 1t washstand such as may be seen in
any middle class household. On the oppo-
site wall are some wardrobes of dark oak a
few chairs, and in the center of the wall the
only ornaments large photograph of the
Field Marshaps wife. Under Il hangs a
smaller picture representing the lady's mon
ument at ,Kreisau, where Won Moltke also
wishes to be buried. Both pictures are orna-
mented with dried wreath and palm
branches, which Moltke renews every wear
on the date of his wife's death, who died on
Christmas Eve, 1868.
Early in the morning the Field Marshal
enters his office, where he remains for the
greater part of the day. Architect and art
ist have done their best to ornament this
room. splendid polished floor; beautiful
ceiling, from which large six-armed chan
delier hangs down; dado nearly two yards
IL IA
Heyden, has painted the history of the de-
velopment of the German army-all help to
give the impression that the room was in
tended originally for state apartment but
1t is so simply furnished that this first i'm
preston does not long remain. In the mid
die OF the room, opposite to the door leading
to the balcony, stands long, narrow desk
covered with maps and folios and q few
letter presses, reminding, in their de-
sign, of the Franco-German war; near
the window on the left hand side is an
other smaller desk, and near the door
leading to the corridor are two heavy
bookcases. Two corners are occupied by
open fireplaces, with broad, clumsy mirrors;
along the walls are ranged about dozen
chairs; In the inches between the three win
dows stand two plaster goddesses of Victory.
That is the appearance of the room in which
Count Won Moltke has since the late war been
silently but indefatigably working for the
thoroughness of the army, its officers, in war
and in peace, and fol-. the glory of the en-
pire. At the little desk near the window he
has often sat till late into the night by the
light of simple gas lamp. A few souvenirs
OF his old Emperor have their place on it
among them, fastened to a piece of card
board, is twig Of laurel, and below it the
mounful date OF March 9, 1888. 1t was
given to him by the Empress Augusta from
the first wreath which was laid down beside
the dead Emperor. There. Is also a small
water color sketch Of the mausoleum In the
park at hrelsau, which Won Moltke himself
designed, and which, whenever he arrives at
his country seat, he visits evening. Above
the desk hangs another picture of his wife.
half covered with palm branch 1t is in
this room the staff officers are received.
Standing in front of the fireplace, leaning
lightly against the larger desk, OF SLOWLY
walking to and fro, Won Moltke listens to
their reports, never interrupting. but now
and then nodding or shaking his head. But
it is not only official business which is tran
sacted in this room. The Field MarshaPs
correspondence is enormous; petitions from
all sorts and conditions Of men are sent to
him, and to each and all of his correspond
added his great amount of work for beneyo-
lent institutions and societies, the manage
ment of his estate, his jealous work in the
Reichstag and his very extensive private
correspondence. Thus 1t will be easily
understood that he is very much tied to this
room, which he mostly leaves only late in
the afternoon, just before dinner.