The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-27
WAR MEN OF EUROPE.

WAR MEN OF EUROPE
Pnsgs sSxDss Anose nm A.z1E
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cs0naaAess n ahs OsA Wesaa-Gea
erals - 0esunny. Rassaa- Franes
Turkey 90 EnslsnA-TAs Private,
In The RAahn-
In graphic letter pahlisked in III.
New York World. . few DAYS ago. al
Austrian Officer writes that the genera
opinion around him Is that war with
Russia Is in sighs-" The growing i'm
poFtanoe of Prince William in Gerraa
ny and Of Gen. Boulanger in Francs
renders il impossible that the smeal
dering belligerenee OF those two coun.
tries should not burst into fame AZ an
early date. Against Austria. Germany
and Italy. Russia and France would
be arrayed by hereditary hate as vel
as by the logic of events. England
loath as she might be % fight German
battles while German armies were led
or commanded by the Angiophoisist
Prince William, could scarceiy avoid
an Asiatic campaign, at least. in snch
. struggle of the great powers The
Of '-the unspeakahle Turk
being drawn into the fray, always on
the English and AGAINST the Russian
side, Is b. no means remote. There IN
= jifsy. are the seven great powers and
fighting nations Of Europe with arms
In their hands and armies growingoyei
night in every province.
The American reader cannot avoid
asking NJ once: What generals VIII
lead these armies into hattles Who
are the great commanders 10 replace
the Crown Prince. tnow Emperor Fred.
erick the hero OF Woerfh; the gallant
Prince Frederick Charles; Won Noiike,
the Silent in Germany, now almost
ready to Join .the silent majority :
Who viii succeed to the batons of Ba-
xaine and Mac NJ Mahon in Franceg Who
will succeed to the giories OF skol,eleff,
the hero Of the miIk-white stee.i and
crimson courage, ir Russian or 10 the
prowess of Prince Alexander Of Bat.
tenberg in Bulgaria, since neither for
Germany nor Russia could he draw his
sword in a war led on the one side by
his enemy, Prince William Of Germa-
nv, and on the other by the Gar Alex
anderg And what of the new arms
and equipments of the fighting man oi
Europe. the private in the ranks. he
he Tommy Atkins. Johnny Crapeaud,
the air. whether the air is to be blood
led this or next season. and the read
ers Of the World who are not satisfied
without the fullest information on all
great topics OF the day naturally ash
who are the men who will make this
war anu how will they do it,
And il seemed to be quite natural foI
the World TO put the question To Mel
ton Prior, the globe-trotter of the Lon
don Illustrated News, the hero-artisi
of thirteen wars in Europe. Asia and
Africa in thirteen years. Mr.. PrioI
knows the private soldier of the great
powers as well as he does the general
in shoulder-straps and the commander
in stars. He has seen the fighting man
of Europe. be he private or officer, face
to face. slept by him in the trenches
and dined with him in his tent. The
substance OF Mr.. Prior's answer to the
Worlds inquiry is as follows:
THE GENERALS OF GERMANY.
Germany seems the hardest hit of al
the great powers by death and old age
The great Won Moltke. who devised in
the Franco Prussian war those mea
sures Of unerring sagaeity which wer,
so promptly executed by the three ar
mics he hurled forward into France. |.
on the brink OF the grave. Kaiser VII
helm, whose chief of staff he was, i,
dead. Prince Bismarck does not Il
into the field. The gallant Frederick
the hero OF Woerth and tried genera
a Crown Prince, is now Emperor ant
so relieved from active command, ever
were he able to take the field. Tn,
commander of another one OF thost
three armies. the late Prince Fredericl
Charles Of Prussia, the victor Of Metz
is also dead.
Who is there left? To begin with
the present Crown Prince, William. i
he De not Emperor when war begins
will undoubtedly take a very activ,
and commanding part in field opera
tons. Already he wears the uniform
of general. He is old enough 70 hav,
acquired a practical idea Of war in 1870
He would 60 To the front. Even nov
the soldiers call him " William the Con
aueror." Gen. Leonard Won Biumen
thai would probably succeed 10 Vor
Moltke's responsibilities. This veteran
of three wars was chief Of the staff o
the Crown Prince Frederick during th,
war of 1870. and is a good general a,
well as an able soldier. Blumenthal il
a great friend Of Unser Fritz" wht
refused after the Franco Prussian wal
TO receive the Iron Cross unless Blu
menthal got it also. He Is typica
German in appearance. Imagine ;
heavily built man Of medium hight
with heavy gray mustache and bear,
and large open eyes. Gen. Blumen
thai is now "a years old, and was deco
rated both after the Swedish and Aus
trian wars. He has frans, pleasin,
appearance and an air OF reserve force
Such is Blumenthai in the field. In
diplomacy he has made a reputation
and is highly esteemed in France as ;
strategist.
But the training and inheritance O
the royai family OF Germany i sucf
that il can always be counted on 4
furnish leaders a well a. soldiers. Th'
gray-bearded and bright-eyed Crane
Duse OF Baden j. "a general of expert
cnce. The Crown Prince of Saxon,
won laurels in France in 1870. Tn,
Crown Princes Il Baden and SAKE
Neinineen have martial blood in Hheil
veins and martial education; an.
Prince Henry OF Prussia is as fond o
arms as his brother or nephew, and a.
able an officer and soldier.
The German army is and has lons
been better officered than any on th'
continent. The German, British an,
Russian armies are all better offsceret
than the French. Next TO the latter
in the relative merit Of commanders
come the Anstrians and TURKS
VINO Is THERE Bur BorLASsEE9
But If the Germans have lost By
death some of their greatest command
ers in the last war, how much wors'
the French have Jared, Marshal Ba
xaine, who was beleaguered at Metz b,
Prince Frederick Charles. was neithei
a traitor nor n coward. the best au
thorities believe, but was simply ana
densely stupid. Disgrace came 20 bin
before death.
Marshal MacMahon had brains ans
alscrity. but he was - bewiiderei aftel
the Crown Prince tnow EmperorD de
feated him at Weerth that he nevel
recovered his grasp on military Affairs
Gen. Fro.sard. who was defeated neal
saarbrues, was a gallant soldier. bu
defeat cloud. commanders prestige
esen. De WimpiE.n was warmly sd
mired hy his men. yet be needles>l,
.ie-troyed the army At sesian- Who /