The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-02
S1PosEoy TrI~ sUEEFsrSsa
me Co.sitio- st the ou,bresh 81 wa- ~
1879, ard ste Isnueaee Hts Gesernis.

His Cssaitisu st the outbresh Of wa- ~
1879, ard Ste Isnueuee o. Hts Gesernis.
Some interesting statements By Gen. Lswal
an ofieer Of the French general staff who was
At Metz during the last Franco PrussIan war
were published in Paris about three weeks
ago. They concern the health Of Napoleon III.
at the outbreak Of the war, and the rsparation
OF his army to meet the invading Germaua
Il was at St Cloud very often in the last
days before the war" said Gen. LevaL In a
room near the apartm snts OF the Emperor
workinRmen from Paris we're busy making
new mattresses or repairing old ones. The
mattresses were filled first with WOOL then
with air. finally with water. One day asked
what all this meant and was told told that
the Emperor suffered terribly from sleopiess.
ness. and was trying to get the soitest Kind OF
bed. At all events, anybody could see in the
lastidays before tho declaration Of war. that
the Emperor suffered severely. On the day
when he started to Join the army his face was
completely disngured. and I could not but ex-
claim: And with a commander in this eondl-
ton they wish to begin tho war; In Metz the
Emperor had tho greatest difficulty in keeping
his sufferinRs secret He often bit his hand
kerchiei 10 stile his Rroans. On Aug. l took
part in n council OF war which was to make
good the mistakes OF worth and splch-
ern. The Emperor. who sat next to
several times. Marshal Lebnut devel-
oped his plan. Wait a moment said
the Emperor; L wish to see the man. The
map lay on the table. and the Emperor. sup
arms tried TO raise himself to go TO t. At iirst
he was unable to rise then he succeeded In
tss bs Spt hs legs ttenbsd 80
which fortunately stood near the table This
scene made q painful impression, and every
have been allowed to take the COMMAND nnS Shsn
the fate Of the country was in the balanceY"
understanding that France had not spied out
1 mSv German nD Land ntO which she expected e
reach the Rhine. He said: '""' 'Ou'u
=, had worked for several months with
n.ih Mel t. make reSdy for the quickest
the mobilization Of tho troops and their
transport to the frontier, and had spied out the
ment THIRTY eight officers of the general stat.
thirty-siX Of whom were sent TO Germany to
land. we, were wonderfully well informed.
One, day decided to have the ,roeults o. our
through the volume and then remarked: All.
this is something you have translated from the
believe that the work came from our War De-
In view Of recent reports Of weakness in the
from Gen. Lewal's conyersation has excited
speeial interest on the Continent:
was to use on his mission to Vienna In 1870.
Archduke Albrech., COMMANDMENT Chief OF
tho AusIo; HunGarian army. The Archduke
sspea to ms %ost ths and
Pe@lnss Prussia. 9ns day after Gen:
Count Elmercati. Italian military attache. and
asked him IL he intended to accom- pany the
Piled; No. You know that I am temporS-
Iily diplomatist GU NAV rest assured that
p!eTarins to send You an ma army Of 4S6bo
men, but you must give him time to get them
Gen. Lewal threw much light on the choice
OF TN i!.fate1 Marshal BaTaine to be Tom. |
mander-in. Chief after the revorses OF Weis-
condition to retain the. command. We woro |
OF Prince Napoleon. on military matters he |
knew rs much IL not moro than his father He |
prehensiye Of the results Of his, brutal out
t hrcaSs-SsG he was dropped. Who else was
Ss ms MaF hut wss NO. to be
for the communicating. Conrobert was |
rag Sss r S@; bis aoaSss the
must be chosen. so the choice fell on Bazaine.
army seemed TO trust him. and he had a
majority, in the Chamber. The senate favored
emit Thus il came that from 70 AUG as Man.
shal BaIalne was Com mAnder- in-Chief"
lseWal statements concerning the 1rtple |
Alliance OF France. Austria. and Italy against
russia supplement these facts. which have
been known for some time:
Archduke hlhrecht OF Austria was in Paris
In February. 1870. consulting with the French
government as to u plan OF campaign against
Prussia. ten. lsbrun's plan. when he went
In June. 1870. on the Vienna mission men
toned by l.ewal. was that 35uOoO French sol
ters should cross the Rhine between Mayence
and GermersheIm, meet the Austrian and
Italian armies in bavaria. aud then proceed
Austria and Italy could not mobilize as rapidly
rs II required. The plan finally accepted
ross the Rhine ana penetrate possibly to |
Regen sburg. while the AustriAns gathered in
Bohemia and the Italians marched from We
-ona and Udine to Join the French. The allied
armies were then to descend upon Saxony. As
8 generally known. all such arrangements
we're rendered futile by the swiftness Of Ger