The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-06-05
TALKING WITH M0LTKE
Ex-PRESiDENT ANDREW D. WHITES
DESCRIPTION OF HIM.

the Occasion of the Golden Wedding of
tho Old Emperor wiIiiam-Baron No
thomb's Felicitous Introduction,
By many people ex-President Andrew
D. White, of Cornell university, ex-min-
lister to Germany, is regarded rs 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 Moitke 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 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
Moltke. He seemed absolutely different
from every other parsonage in that great
hall. He was tall, spare man, his face
mixture of determination and kndli-
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, e1chang-
ing some little conversation with his next
neighbor, Manteuffel, the dreaded vice.
roy of Alsace-Lorraine. The contrast
between the two as 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 a
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 constitutions
al liberty in continental Europe" man
of very wide political knowledge and
who more than once, as sat at 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 a 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 te
some of our younger towns. He seemed
interested in this and talked on very
pleasantly.
look back to that evening as one Of
the most interesting during my stay il
Germany.
MOLTKE IN PARLIAMENT.
At various other times | met Vor
Moltke, but do not recall anything of es
pecial interest. No man was more FIRE,
from the slightest tincture of vanity. Al
| he walked through the streets and in tn,
parks, going to and from the Office of thu
general staff, he was undistingRishablt
save by his tall, scholarly form from tn,
crowd of military men about him. HI
| evidently wore just as little in the shapt
of orders and decorations as was permis
sible.
At court he was expected, of course
to appear in more splendid attire, but
even then there was always the same
quiet modesty and simplicity. He seemed
to me in some respects ''the noblest Ro
man of them all"
But perhaps his most impressive ap
pearance was as member of the I'M
perial parliament. From time to time
as happened in to hear the discussion!
| 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 o
money and men to maintain the mill
tary supremacy of Germany.
| No+b;,,c oe,,15 ha hattar in thar WAY
than these speeches of his. He looked
and spoke as | could imagine Julius
Caesar looked and spoke in the Roman
senate Nothing could be more simple
and yet nothing more effective, He wa
listened to by men of all parties with thu
utmost respect.
He seemed to stand in a sense aloo
from all parties, and to be guided simpl.
and solely by what he considered thu
best interests of the German empire. VI
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 tn
slightest tendency to exaggeration, hi
words carried great weight
remember hearing him say in sub
stance in one of these speeches tina
Germany must be prepared for an,
emergency, and must maintain the yer.
highest condition of military eficienc.
possible for at least fifty years. And
remember, too, with what a sort of sol
emnizing effect these words, quietly ut
tered, but evidently the result Of con
viction based ON knowledge, had upol
the audience. They seemed to carry
sense of responsibility to the heart o
every person present.-New York Her