The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-16
THREE COMMANDERS.
MEN WHO WOULD LEAD EUROPEAN
ARMIES IN CASE OF WAR.


Russian and French General.
do not know tho now commander
III chief of the English land forces. /
saw nm once or twice in my life, but
this is many years ago, and in military
matters OF the magnitude involved in
inc supreme command of great army
am afraid should prove an iucompe-
tent critic. But L believe to great ex-
tent i'll physiognomy, and if Viscount
"olscley be- not Il very clever man he
ought to bring IN action for libel against
MS face, for he looks decidedly clever.
Ii there were any doubt in my mind
about his ability, it would be set at rest
by tho not very enthusiastic remarks in
connection with his appointment read
III one or two French newspapers. "You
are an irritable people, envious, jealous
ana proud to degree" said Bismarck
to General &c Wimpffen OIL Sept. /,
1870. "You are an irritable people, en-
vious, jealous and proud to degree,
ho repeated "You were under the i'm
preston that victory is All appendage
winch was exclusively reserved to you. -
Has tho quarter of century gone by
since those words wero uttered made
difference i'll that respect in the French
people? l should not like to say.
1t may not he altogether unintercst-
ing to look ut the two men against
whom the English commander in chief
will be pitted if a quarrel should ever
unhappily break forth in Europe. am
alluding to the commanders in chief of
the Russian and the French forces
Tho Russian army contains several
men of unqucstionablc capacity; never
thcless, there appears to be consensus
of opinion that, in the event of war,
with no matter whom, tho supreme
command would virtually devolve upon
General Obroutcheff, to the exclusion
even of General Kouropatkino. 1 say
virtual command, for, nominally, young
Nicholas would be at the head of his
legions.
Having declared myself at the outset
incapable of Judging the English COM
mandcr i'll chief from II military point
of view, am not going to stultify my
self by cndcavoring to do this in tho
case of Obroutchcf. I only repeat what
have heard. Until very recently the
chief Of Vannowski's staff and Abide
camp General Obroutcheff was, in spite
of his recognized talents, looked askancc
ut i'll Russian military circles Tho
cplthet red was invariably tackled to
his name as late rs . years ago, and
the third section Of the imperial chan
cclleric, without troubling to inquire
into tho matter, placed him OIL the list
of dangerous men "to be watched
very closely" a note like that from the
Russian police becomes practically
lndchblc, and, aid dc-camp general
though he was, not the slightest attempt
was mado to eifacc his name from the
list. After his exploits on the Danube
Lor!s Mclilloif drew tho attention Of
Alexander III to this apparently fragrant
injustice, to this permanent insult The
name was maintained on the list for
all that, but the cpithct was changed
from red into 'wcll meaning -
Obroutchelf has married u French
woman, and is Il declared partisan-or
supposed TO be-Of an alliance with
France. His views III that respect date
from 1870, when he was an obscure
general. repeat, about his abilities
there is little or no doubt. After tho
first checks III the Turlio. Russian cam
paign he WAS sent in hot haste to the
Danube. and he is credited with having
saved the Russian army from total de-
struction. Before that, though, he had
already become the intimate friend of
the heir to the throne, and the friend
ship underwent no diminution during
Alexander Ills reign.
Wherever the scene of the next Eu-
ropean campaign of the French NAV DO
laid, General Felix Ctustavo Saussier,
the present military governor of Paris,
is beforehand designated as tho leader.
Saussicr is close upon 70. In spite of
his large size lie is very active, but for
that size he would give one the idea of
mOusqretaire of the Louis XIV period
dressed in modern uniform. There is no
doubt about his value as soldier.
which does not always mean al equal
value as 4 supreme commander, but it
Is fair TO state that i'll the battles around
Metz, quarter of Il century ago, ho
distinguished himself m0st signally.
The famous infantry charge at St Pri-
vat, which practically barred the prog
ress Of tho Germans on that side, was
led By him.
Saussier was one of tho officers who
signed tho protest against the surrender
Of Metz. Having refused to pledge him.
self not to serve again during tho cam
paign, he was sent us prisoner of war to
Cologne. Nor would he give his prom
lso not to escape, consequently he was
transported to Il small town on the Wis
tula (Grandenz, | believc), and abso-