San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-13

BERLIN, Aug. l3.-The first ma.
tionsl celebration of the victories
OF the Franco. Prussian war in 1870
are causing great awakening OF
patriotism In Germany. Although
the celebrations began August 4
with gatherings Of patriots at the
smaller hattlefields like that OF
Wissemburg, the real outpouring
of the old soldiers will not take
place till the anniversaries begin.
ming August IA Of the crucial bat.
ties arrive, such as st. Privat,
Gravelotte and Sedan. Not a grave
of Teuton soldier in Alsac Q. Lor-
raine will be allowed to 60 ndeco-
rated. There Is double purpose
in these demonstrations on the
fields OF the conquered provinces.
They will at once appropriately
mark the passing Of the silver jubi-
lee OF the events that made Ger
many an empire and impress on
whatever of French sentiment lin
gers there the folly of continued
obstinacy. A further significance
lies in the fact that these demon
strations have been organized by
the government aud largely eX-
tended since the celebration of the
opening of the North. Baltic Sea
canal at Kiel, when several unpleas-
ant incidents occurred in connec-
ton with the visit of the French
warships, and that the government
has decided that the celebrations
shall not be in the slightest degree
restrained on account Of any sensi-
tiveness on the part Of the French.
August IA and Is will be OBJ
served practically as decoration
days on the fields of Gravelotte,
st. Privat and Mars-la-Tour, when
the graves, tombs and monuments
of the Germans who fell on these
fields will be covered with flowers
and wreaths by their families and
surviving comrades. A congress
of the various veterans unions will
be held at Strasburg during the
fetes commemorating the fall OF
that city, when bronze medals
struck from the French cannon
which were captured there will be
given to the veterans on behalf Of
the war office. The war office, by
order Of the emperor, has directed
that 600 pounds of French gun
metal from cannon captured dur
ing the Franco-Prussian war be
used for striking medals, which
will be presented to the veterans.
August Is, the real anniversary
OF the bloody battle of Gravelotte.
The occasion will be one of great
ceremony. All the heads of the
German federal governments and
the leading dignitaries OF the en-
pire will be present, and Emperor
William will deliver an grafton
clarifying the results Of the war of
1870. At the same time he will
lay the foundation stone Of the
national monument to his grand
father, Emperor William /, the
"Old Emperor"
The battle of Gravelotte was the
one great engagement which shook
the confidence Of the usually i'm
pas sive Moltke. The old Emperor
used to say it was the only time he
ever saw Moltke excited. The sun
was nearing the horizon that even
ing when General Steinmetz was
ordered to cross the Nance ravine
and attack the French position at
Point du Jour. The German belief
was that the Fren CHI left was quite
spent. This error cost the Germans
dear and was evented from los
ing the day only by Moltke's per-
sonal courage. AS the heads of
Steinmetz's columns showed them
selves on the edge Of the
plateau, the French flung aside
the mask OF exhaustion.
The thunder OF their long-silent
artillery broke forth. The French
infantry, relieved for the moment
from the trammels Of the defensive,
dashed forward with the grand old
elan and swept the Germans back
into the ravine. That deep hollow
became q pandemonium wherein
seethed struggling masses of Ger
man soldiery torn by the shell fire
of the French batteries. Again |
and again frantic efforts were made |
to force up out of the hell in the
ravine and gain foot hold on the
edge Of the plateau beyond. But
ever the cruel steel OF death beat
them back. Moltke was equal to
the emergency in which the hopes