New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-24
IN THE FRENCH WAR OFFICE.
POSTHUMOUS MEMOIRS OF GENERAL DC
JARRAS.

Of the Rhine" has just come out at Plons and has
| been posthumously published by Nine. du
Jarras| The author was called, in 1867. to the
| direction Of the Depot at tile War Office by Mar
shal Mel. then War Minister. who died before
1870 Of care and worry at the obstacles Of all kinds
that were thrown in his way when he was try.
| ing 10 render the whole military system leaY
slack than he had seen it In the campaign OF
| Italy in 1850. Du Jarras was, for nearly three
years, under Mel at the Depot and was asked
to stay there by General Lcboeuf, who, on the
death OF that Marshal, given the command
Of the French Army. So far as it was possible
for one who was not Of the court set, Du Jarras
knew all about the military projects which were
taken mp and dropped at the Tucres. The inner
tracks there were as the aimless peregrinatons
OF a drunken man, and the descriptions Of them
would seem incredible were not the soldier who
gives them in their midst In 1870 he was called
to head the STAFF Of the Army Of the Rhine first
under Leboeuf, and then under Bazaine. lie had
no high opinion Of the intellect of the former and
was only impressed by single mental quality OF
Leboeufs successor-cunning, in combination with
developed taste for intrigue and n close guard
upon mouth and pen. Du Jarras was at Ciravelotte
and was shut up in Metz His testimony against
Bazaine must be conclusive to those who watched
closely the events which passed in France during
the invasion, though the word treason does not
once escape from General du Jarras The whole
book is an unconscious Indictment Of the Second
Empire on the score Of its military and diplomatic
strategy, Of its levity, laziness, ignorance and
general incapacity. General du Jarras went 10
direct the Depot at that critical juncture when
Lord Derby was eXtricating France from
the dangerous wrangle into which she let
herself be drawn about Luxembourg. Mel
felt that his country had had a narrow escape from
military disaster, and that her future safety de-
pended on thorough military reorganization. and
the securing Of an alliance with a great power
for identical action against Prussia. He warned
the Court that France was victorious in 1859 he.
canse Austria was numbering, unrcady and had
an inefficient and badlv-infcrmed intelligence de-
partment. II the Emperor went to war with tho
King Of Prussia he was not to hope for victory
through fiuke," as in Italy. But in the state
Of Earope such inevitable, and there
time to be list in preparing for it,
Marshal Mel began by trying 70 extend the
Instruction OF the officers of the French Army.
He made il obligatory them to study European
questions bearing on military ones and particu-
larly on possible with Prussia. The officers
at the Depot of the War Office were; in learning
themselves TO collect information which would IA
cilitate operations in the to which Marshal
Neil looked forward with poignant anxiety Such
information entirely wanting in the Crimcan
and italian wars and the Marshal preached that
another leap in the dark would be followed by
crushing defeat.
General du Jarras was TO be sort Of post -gradu-
ate professor, and 10 form complex intelligence
department Neil had been struck in Italy with
the Importance OF railways in strategy. He di-
rected Du Jarras to gather every possible informa
ton about the German railway system Railway
studies had been already begun at the Depot, and
some military railway-guides, borrowed from
Joanne's handbool1s, had been drawn up. But
they were incomplete. and would he Of little good
in trying 20 calculate the time it would take for
the armies Of North and South Germany to con-
centrate either for defensive OF offensive opera
TONS There was no map OF Germany large
scale An attempt had been made some time be
fore 70 get materials for one, but IT had been
dropped, after q map in three colors was begun.
This map looked nice enough, but was full of mis-
takes There is grim, unconscious humor in the
account given by General du Jarras II his dihi-
culties in getting this misleading work discarded.
ID 10 that time officers had 10 furnish their own
maps as best they could, buying them OF whom
they pleased and they were only refunded the
expense at the beginning Of campaigns There
was not fairly good map of Italy in the pos
session OF any French officer when the French
Army arrived in 1859, in that country. and the
whole army would have been quite at sea II the
war Office az Turin had not been able TO lend some
of the mapst TO generals and colonels.
The drawing of maps of Germany not being pro-
vided for in the budget. ard it being dangerous
TO ask for money for the purpose the expedens
Of n virement' was resorted 10. and photography
for the first time was utilized at the Depot 10
copy and enlarge cheapy German military
map, which had been obtained with infinite
pains After this work got through. Du jar.
ras at military council Mt the Tuileries. was
astoundcd 10 find that the Emperor did not
know how 10 read the enlarged map The cam
paans of espionage on the French and Prussian
side became active: but the French were. from
the ignorance Of their officers in German, nearly
helpless, unless when served by a shady class OF
Asatians, or when officers, who had been mil
itary attaches, could he sent on missions that
served as blinds They were generally sent 10
study roads and railways. and were often failures,
the officers being suspected, arrested and packed
back 10 France.
Nies task was gigantic one. and IL killed
him. His one mistake was to believe an alliance
with Austria and France against Prussia posi-
ble they both being equally interested in putting
down the latter power. But he was emphatic
in warning the Emperor that ruin must be the
fruit Of any war undertaken without treaty
binding Austria TO declare war against Prussia
simultaneously with France. The Emperor
knew what narrow escape he had OF defeat in
Italy, and dreaded war; but the Empress looked
upon il "a certain and was nervously impatient
for il TO begin.
The narrative of the way the die cast in
800 is given by one who was behind the scenes
The appointment Of the Olivier Ministry
was one Of the fatalities of 1.-THE terrible
year." as It brought into Office as Foreign Min
lister the late Due dc Grammont, man devoid Of
character his uncle. Count d'Orsay, who was