The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-25

Long and Honorable Career of the Great
Field Marshal.
The ninetieth anniversary of the birth of
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Moltke was cele-
brated Oct. 26, 1890, with unususual demon
strations throughout the German empire
and by many German societies in the
United States. The venerable warrior,
grim, erect, .'siIent in seven languages, -
was the recipient at that time of many
tokens of affection and esteem. BY imper-
ial dec rec the day was observed az a festi-
val. Moltke was the guest of honor of the
emp error in Berlin, and treated by him with
distinguished consideration.
Moltke's experience with war began when
he was but six years old, when his father s
home was burned by the soldiers of the
first Napoleon. At II he began his military
studies at the Danish academy in Copen-
hagen and upon the completion Of
his course there was for time
q page in the Danish court and
then an off Ger in the army of Denmark. At
twenty-five he returned to his own country
and began the military career in the service
eight years. He was commissioned lieu
tenant, but entered upon ost-graduate
course i'll the military academy at Berlin,
subsequently being attached to the School
of Division at Frankfort-on-Oder In 1885,
having by that time reached the rank of
captain, he was granted leave of absence
and went to Turkey on tour of observation
Sultan Mahmoud H., the reigning monarch
was desirous of continuing the reform of
his army, which he had begun ten years
previously by the annihilation of the janis
sares, who numbered 10000, and solicited
the assistance of the Prussian captain in
the work of recognizing the military upon
European plans. Mahmoud's plans we're
only partially carried out. His native Off
GERS were inefficient and indolent, and up
to the time Moltke WAS engaged in the
capacity of adviser the only eject of foreign
AID had been to cumber and complicate the
tactics. Moltke did succeed in simplifying
these somewhat, but it was not in his
power or that of any other man to bring the
Turkish military system up to what it
should have been. He made a tour of the
provinces with Mahmoud and was treated
with great consideration bv that monarch.
Then he and the two other FIussian officers
went with the expedition to Syria that was
to punish the lDsubordlnate khedive of
Egypt Mehemet Ali and his son, Ibrahim
Pasha. Part OF the Journey by river on
RATS of inflated shee' 8 pelts. was periIous
in the extrem-, and several times Moltke
and his companions came near drowning.
When HAtiz Pasha. the Turkish com
mander, found himself in the presence
capacity. Refusing to be guided b. the
advice of the Prussians, he was defeated
with great slaughter in the battle of Nisib
and forced to return with what was left of
his army to Turkey. Mahmoud died four
days after the battle and without having
heard of it.
Soon after this Moltke returned to his
own country and was assigned to the post
of adjutant on the staff of Prince Henry of
Prussia. i'll which capacity he spent two or
three years in Rome. On the death of
Henry, Moltke became equerry to the
crown prince, father of the present en-
peror. and travelled extensively with him.
In 1886 the crown prince and his equerry
visited the court of Napoleon Ill, and
were IN Paris when the prince imperial was
born. The gay life at the French capital
was entertainingy described by Moltke in
his letters home: but he also observed the
sloverly way in which the French army was
disciplined. This was only fourteen years
before the Franco-Prussian war; and af-
fairs had not materially improved in the
interval, while all of Moltke's efforts after
he attained to high position in the Prus-
sian service were directed to perfecting the
organization and discipline of the German
army. One can easily imagine that from
1856 until the test came Moltke was anti
cipatin4 and preparing for war with France,
50 that when it came he was ready for it.
Meanwhile. however, he took Prussia
through several wars of minor Importance
--the Schlesweig- Holstein war and the Bo-
hemlan campaign particularly-with great
success.
The war with France showed the mas
terly mind of Moltke. Every movement of
the Prussian armies was directed by him
with an absolute certainty of what the re-
suit would be. The one success of the
French was at Saarbruck, after which Ma
poleon sent his famous telegram to the
Empress Eugenie tellinG her that her son,
the prince imperial who was to die at the
hands of savages n few years later, had had
his "baptism of fire" and sustained the or
deal like hero. The war ended with tho
fall of Metz and the surrender at Sedan.
The siege of Paris was merely the epilogue
to the tragedy. Alsace and Lorraine.
wrested from Prussia nearly two hundred
years before by French diplomacy, were
together with the largest money
indemnity ever oxacted from defeated
foe.
Since that time and until two years ago
Field Marshal Won Moltke remained the
active head of the German army. Soon
after the accession to the throne of the
present emperor he resigned the duties of
the position to Il younger man. He was the
most perfect master of strategy that ever
lived. This characteristic overshadowed
All others i'll him. and perhaps accounts III
a measure for the fact that he fell little
short i'll the public mind of being regarded
rs hero. 4 mathematician does not in
spire hero Worship. But Moltke's record
IL sustained by any act unworthy of n great
commander and AS man he was always
,boye reproach.
One of the James Gang.
KANSAS CRY, April 24.-Dick Liddell,
Il