The Bossier banner., 1889-08-22
AN ACCOMPLISHED MAN
General Verdy du YernoIs, Germany's New
War Minister.

AIN ASSOMFEtSHED MAN
General verdy du VernoIs, Germany's New
War Minister.
1t is strange that the new German
Minister of War should be the bearer
of French name. Even in his per-
sonal appearance General Verdy du
Vernois is far more like the traditional
good-humored French Major who plays
SO important role in the Partisan
farces and vaudevilles than one of those
wooden soldiers who are the ideal of
the Prussian army. He is short, very
stout, somewhat apoplectic looking
and possesses a pair of exceedingly
mischievous and clever eyes.
He is kind of Ward McAllister of
the German army, and no one is able
to excel him in the organization of
balls, theatricals, picnics and other
kinds OF social entertainments. Not
only does he write poems and very wit
ty epigrams, but he is also the author
of quite a number of plays, and has
even great reputation among the fair
sex of Berlin as the designer of many a
charming and graceful toilet.
1t must not be thought, however,
from all this, that the General devotes
his time exclusively to snch trivialities,
for he has published great many i'm
portant military writings, most of
which have been adopted by the varisS
GUS war departments of Europe as
standard works for the staff schools.
Perhaps the most important of all,
or, at any rate, the one which attracted
most attention, was a thick pamphlet,
entitled Tactical Retrospects'' (Tak-
tische Ruckblicke), which contained a
sharp and exceedingly clever criticism
of the tactics and strategy of the Prus-
sian army in the war of 1866. Although
it appeared anonymously at the time,
yet it was universally attributed to the
distinguished officer who has now be-
come Minister of War at Berlin.
General Verdy du Vernois com
menced his career at the School of Ca
diets at Potsdam and shortly after en-
tering the army was attached to the
suite of the Russian Governor-General
of Poland, at whose side he passed
through the whole of the great Polish
insurrection. The report which he
furnished Of the same to the War Office
at Berlin attracted so much attention
that on his return he was appointed
one of the professors of strategy at the
Military Academy there. 1t is curl.
GUS coincidence that General Bronsart
Von Schellendorf was likewise d pro-
fessor there at the same time.
In 1868 Verdy du Vernois, who had
meanwhile advanced to the rank OF
Major. was attached to the headquar.
ters staff. He greatly distinguished
himself during the Franco-German
war, at the close of which he was pro.
NOTED to the rank of Maior-General.
In 1872 he underwent a temporary
disgrace which resulted in his being
transferred from the metropolis to the
dreary and dismal fortress of Konigs.
berg. The causes of his disgrace were
the rumors current at the time to the
effect that he had availed himself his
knowledge of what was going on at the
War Office to give timely hint to one
OF the most prominent financiers at
Berlin, who was enabled thereby to
realize an exceedingly handsome sum
on the Stock Exchange. Although the
matter was never actually brought
home to Verdy du Vernois, vet the
fact remains that he since then has been
very well off, Notwithstanding that up
to that time neither his wife nor him
self had been known to possess any
fortune of their own.
So remarkable, however, were his
talents as a military author that
couple of years later it was found
necessary to recall him to the War
Office at Berlin to assume charge of the
editing of the General Staff History of
lhe Franco-German war. For the past
three years he has been the Military
Governor of A1sace-Lorraine, and is re-
puted to possess a more profound
knowledge of every point of Germany's
western frontier than any other officer
IN the army. Indeed his appointment
20 the control of the Imperial War De-
Dartment shows remarkable piece of
on the part of Emperor Will
lam In. 7. journal