Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15

doubtless have died there like gentleman,
amid-the ruins of the Prussian army, know
ing that, his memory would thenceforth be
held inexecration by the Prussian nation.
He did not dare to let his face tell what his
strained heart felt, nor could he venture at
such q moment to worry Won Moltke with
impertinent questions. Yet he wished, he
longed to read what was in the great strate-
gist's mind, to find out if he too was
troubled with misgivings He knew
enough of war to know that, come what
may, Won Moltke would allow no word OF
doubt to escape his lips, and his face was
not one to be easily read under any circum-
stancea
How He Sounded Won Moltke.
The Princes qpick, diplomatic skill came
70 his help. In his pocket he had two
cigars-one good, one Indifferent. He rode
up to Won Moltke, and asking him If he
would smoke, handed him his cigar case.
He took it, and after careful examination
of the two cigars, deliberately took the
best. Bismarck is said to have declared he
wss never so happy in his life as when he
saw the GOODNESS with which Won Moltke
did this His mind was instantly relieved
from the weight which oppressed il. BE felt
that the great organiser of victory" with
all the responsibility for the operations on
his head, had no misgivings as to the result,
and that was enough for him. If tie Com
mander-for he was the real Commander
could at such crisis act with SO much de.
liberation in so small o matter as the
selection of cigar, things could not be in
very bad way.
Such is the story as is currently told In
Germany, and in the appendix to Won
Moltke's book, he says of it with certain
grim satisfaction, ''as I heard afterwards,
took the best" In the turn of the phrase,
and in the use of the adjective "Kalt-
blutig," which he applies to his own action
upon the occasion, there is just hint OF
kindly maliciousness towards his friend and
colleague The fact that he so clearly re-
membered the circumstance, and the words
In which he refers to it, suggest the idea
that at the time he had been disposed to
punish the doubt which he clearly per-
ceived was in the Chancellor's mind, and
which he seems to have realized as the motive
of the preferred cigar-case, by depriving Bis
marck of his best cigar
Bismarck Gave the Other Cigar Away.
There is in this little story more of life
like instruction, more that is suggestive Of
that attitude of mind referred to in my
last article as the one thing needed by the
great Commander at critical moments, than
is to be f und in many pondrous, pompous
volume on war. must not quit this SUBJ
iect without recording the fact, so credita-
BILE to the generous disposition of Prince
Bismarck great smoker-that he gave
this, his las: cigar, rejected by the General,
fort and assistance he could render him, for
at that moment the headquarter staff were
famishing for want of food.
1t is to be noted, that the confidence
which Won Moltke felt all through the cam
paign of 1866 up to the crowning moment of
victory, began, as he tells US, the moment
the news was brought him that the Austrian
Army had taken up position behind the
Bistritz He fully recognized, on June so,
that the Austrian Army was acting on in
terror lines between the two armies into
which the Prussian forces were at the
divided. The theorist in war will
be horrifed to learn from Won Moltke him.
self, that when he heard how the Austrians
bad really occupied the Bistritz position,
instead of being dismayed, ''the news re-
moved all doubt, and lifted heavy weight
from my heart. With God be thanked
sprang from my bed"
Marvellous Powers Of Forecast,
The pedant who pins his faith on the
oraculsr declarations of Jomini, or the wise
sayings of Napoleon, forgets how altered
are the conditions under which war is now
waged, from those of the period to which
the great Corsican directed his criticisms,
and from which the famous Swiss strategist
drew his deductions. The story, which
ends with the rout of the Austrians at
shows the clearness of Won
Moltke's views as to the general position,
lis marvellous power of forecast, and the
confidence-if may use such
In expression-with which he consequently
awaited calmly the result
He frankly describes the danger in which
Prince Frederick Charles stood for some
ong time before the smoke Of the Grown
Princes guns became visible. He freely |
admits the danger of the attack upon the |
Bistritz position under the circumstances, |
md the consequences which attended it up |
% the Crown Princes arrival. He says: |
isolated detachments were taken prison !
RS, others were dispersed" "a crowd of !
his kind fed from the wood, just as the |
King and his staff arrived in the neighbor- |
hood" But the reader must not run away |
With the idea that Won Moltke, even at |
hat unfortunate moment, repented him of |
lis plan for the battle, or in the calm of his |
tudy years afterwards, thought it bad or
.ven faulty.
Difference in Theory and Practice.
Yet the man of no war experience, whose |
bottoms of good strategy and good tactics |
ire based upon the military writers of the |
irst half of this century, will at once ut |
erly condemn Moltke's plan for the Battle of |
Aoniggratz Therein lies the greatdifference |
between the theory of war as written upon |
~ pedantic theorist, and the practice of |
var as carried out by master of the art.
1t was this frontal attack of Prince Fred /
rick Charles, driven home and persevered |
n as it was, that opened the way for the |
subsequently, delivered flank attack upon
he Grown Prince Referring to the attack
Ipon the Swip woods by the Seventh Divi- |
ion, Won Moltke writes: THAT division
lad drawn upon it very formidable forces
# the enemy which were not available
fterwards at the places it was their busi-
less to defend"
Whatever critics may say, it is q fact in
hese days of smokeless powder, that the
ttack of position in front by one portion
f an army, while troops are gathering to
trike the decisive blow upon flank, must
,e pressed home to point which the inex.
erienced onlooker will think a positive
Faste of human life, and even the shallow.
linking soldier will deem dangerous, if
ot positively disastrous When, as in this
Instance, victory crowns the attack,
be critics who know the science of
7ar in words, but who do not grasp its real
pirit, will describe the result as a wonder
vi piece of luck, unable to realize the care
ll train Of reaso ling upon which the plan
as formed and the final success prepared
~. WOLSELEY.