Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-07-16
TALKING WITH MOLTKE
Ex-PREsIoENT ANDREW o. WHITES
DESCRIPTION OF HIM.

thOnb's FelicltouE Introduction.
BY many people ex-President Andrew |
d. White, of Cornell university, ex-min-
lister to Germany. is regarded as one OF
the best authorities on German affairs in
the United States. Years of patient study
and observation give great weight to his
views on the new Germany of today.
Regarding the great German soldier
and strategist the ex-president says:
first saw Won Moltke just after my
arrival at Berlin at the festivals attend
ant upon the golden wedding of the old
Emperor William. The first of these
was a great theatrical representation at
the Royal Opera house, at which the
emperor and empress and very nearly all
the crowned heads of Germany, with
representatives of the various royalties
of Europe, were present, and besides
these, attracting even more attention,
| Bismarck, Won Moltke and the leading
generals of the Franco -Prussian war.
The appearance of these people comes
back before me very wildly, but no one
is more distinctly present to me than Won
| hOlUhc. llC StClllCu dDoOlubCAJ NA4AOAOhb
from every other parsonage in that great
hail. He was q tall, spare man, his face
a mixture of determination and kindli-
ness, his whole appearance, as more than
one person has said at various times,
being that of an intelligent, kindly col
lege professor or schoolmaster.
There was something singularly gen.
tie about his whole bearing, yet it was
impressive. He sat very quietly, exchang-
ing some little conversation with his next
neighbor, Manteuffel, the dreaded vice
roy of Alsace-Lorraine. The contrast
between the twowa very marked-Man-
teuffel, apparently, all keenness and Sc
verify, Won Moltke firm, but gentle
INTRODUCED BY BARON NoTHoMB.
When | next saw him it was at an
evening gathering where there was not
large number present, and where had
the opportunity to converse with him. |
was introduced to him by the dean of the
diplomatic corps. Baron Nothomb, some
times called "the father of constitution
al liberty in continental Europe" man
of very wide political knowledge and
who more than once, as satat the table,
gave me accounts of his conversations
with Talleyrand and other men of the
first Napoleonic period.
Baron Nothomb in presenting me to
Won Moltke took advantage of little
sketch published in one of the German
newspapers, and said: "Sir Field Marshal,
wish to make you acquainted with a
gentleman who was born in Homer, who
lives in Syracuse and who has aided in
founding a university at Ithaca"
At this Won Moltke laughed pleas
antly, and evidently did not understand
the allusion, whereupon told him that
in the earlier days of this country we
had way of naming our townships and
villages after noted heroes of antiquity,
but at present we did better, naming
them after the great men of these times,
and telling him that no doubt in the
newer states he would find his own
name and that of Bismarck attached tc
some of our younger towns. He seemed
interested in this and talked ON very
pleasantly.
look back to that evening as one ci
the most interesting during my stay il
'Gb@maany.
MOLTKE IN PARLIAMENT.
AT various other times | met Ver
Moltke, but do not recall anything of es
pecial interest No man was more fret
from the slightest tincture of vanity. A
he walked through the streets and in thu
parks, going to and from the Office of thu
general staff. he was undistinsuishabl'
save by his tail, scholarly form from th
crowd of military men about him. HI
evidently woie just as little in the shap
of orders and decorations as was permis
, sible.
At court he was expected, of course
to appear in more splendid attire, bR
even then there was always the sam
quiet modesty and simplicity. He seemed
to me in some respects 1.-The noblest Ro
man of them all"
But perhaps his most impressive ap
, pearance was as member of the i'm
l perial parliament From time to tim
as happened in to hear the discussion
1 saw him in his seat, quiet, imperturba
BILE; but on two occasions heard hin
speak, and on each of these his subjec
was the necessity of larger votes @
money and men to maintain the mill
tary supremacy of Germany.
Nothing could be better in their wa,
: than these speeches of his. He locke
and spoke as | could imagine Juliu
Caesar looked and spoke in the Roma
senate Nothing could be mere simpl
and yet nothing more effective. He wa
!, listened to by nen of all parties with tn
utmost respect.
He seemed to stand in a sense aloe
from all parties, and to be guided simpl
l. and solely by what he considered th
best interests of the German empire. 0
hearing him speak one could not resis
!. !, this conclusion, and as his manner wa
simple, voice good and statements yer
clear, direct and strong, but without th
- slightest tendency to exaggeration, h
words carried great weight.
remember hearing him say in sui
" stance in one of these speeches ths
. Germany must be prepared for an
emergency, and must maintain the yer
highest condition of military ef1icienc
!, possible for at least fifty years, And
Il remember, too, with what a sort of SO
emnizing effect these words, quietly u