The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-10-19
Guibo0ouf 5rntincl.
COMMANDERS.
MEN WHO WOULD LEAD EUROPEAN
ARMIES IN CASE OF WAR.
An EnElishman Who Thinks 1t Would he
Profitable to Make q Technical ComI,ar-
ison Between viscount Wolseley and q
Russian and French General.

ison Between Viscount Wolse1ey and a
Russian and French General.
l do not know the new commander
in chief of the English land forces. l
saw him nee or twice in my life. but
this is many years ago, AID i'll military
matters Of the magnitude involved i'll
the supreme command of a great army
am afraid l shoull prove an i%nconpe-
tent critic. But l believe to Il great ex-
tent ii rlyslosnonly, and if Viscount
Wolscley be Eot Il very clever man be
ought to brir., an action for libel against
his ice, fo- he looks decidedly clever.
If there were any doubt in c3y mind
about his ability, it woUld be set at rest
by the not very enthusiastic remarks II
connection with his anpoiGtn ert I read
i'll IL or two French newspapers. lyon
are Ill irritable people, %cnvious, jealous
and p.oud to u degree, said Bismarck
to General dc Eimpfren CD Sept. /,
1870. "Yoa axe az irritable people. ca
vicas, ~icalars and proud 10 q degree"
he reFeatei. You were Euder the i'm
pres ~ tf"t victory is an aaDendage
which Naftyclusivoiv rese1 red t. yea
Hts the q2aIter Of Il Century, gone BIZ
since those words were uttered made a
difference in that res,oct in the French
people: l shoald no like to say.
Ii NAY rot he altogether unintorcst-
ing to lock at the two mon against
whom tic English commander in chief
will be pitted if qaarsei should ever
u%nhappily break forth i'll Europe. I am
abiding to the commanders i'll chief of
the Russian and the French forces.
The Russian army contains several
men of Ellonestionable capacity; never
theless, there appears to be a consensus
Of opinion that, in TIE event Of war,
with no matter whom, the supreme
command would virtually olevolve upon
General Obroutcheff. to the exclusion
even Of General Ko%uropatkine. I say
virtual command, for, ~nominal1v, young
Nicholas would be ut the head Of his
legions.
Having declared myself at the outset
incapable Of judging the English com-
malder i'll chief from a military point
OF view. l AN hot going to s%tultify my
self by enfeavoring to do this ia lie
case OF ObToutcheff. I only reDeat what
l have heard. Until very recently the
chief OF V~anuovski's staff and Abide
camp General Obreutchetf was, in suite
OF his recognized talents, looked askance
at in Russian military circles. The
epithet cred" was invariably tackled to
his name as late as 10 years ago, and
the third section of the imperial chan
ceiierle, without troubling to inquire
into the matter, placed him On the list
of Dangerous men Ito Ee watched
very closely Anote Ike that frc,n the
Russian police becomes practically
l%ndelible, and, aid-de-camp general
though he was, nottllc slightest attempt
was made to efface his name from the
list. After his exploits On the Danube
Loris MeliEoff drew the attention of
Alexander II to this apparently fragrant
injustice, to this permanent insult. The
name was maintained on the list for !
all that, but the epitlet was changed
from red into well meaning.'
Obroutcheff has married a French
woman. and is a declared p4rtisan-or
supposed to beef an alliance with
His views in that respect date
from 1870. when he was an obscure
general. | repeat, about his abilities
there is little CT no doubt. After the
checks i'll the TUrko. Russian cam
he was sent in hot haste to the
and he is credited with having
saved the Russian army from total de
Before that. though, he had
become the intimate friend of
heir to the throne. and the friend
ship underwent no elimination during
HIS reign.
Wherever the scene of the nex. En-
campaign of the French NAV be
laid, General Felix Gustaye Saussier.
the present military governor Ct Paris,
Is beforehand designated as tho leader.
is cleso upon 20. In spite of
his large size lie is very active, but for
hat size he would give one the idea of
m~susqGetalre OF the Louis NV period
dressed IN modern uniform. There is no
doubt about his value as Il soldier.
does not always mean an equal
value as a supreme commander, but it
Is fair to state that i'll the battles aror,d
a quarter of a century ago, lie
distinguished himself most siyiIallv.
The famous infantry charge at st. Prj-
vat, which practically barred the prog
of the Germans on that SIDE. was
ed by him.
Saussier WAS one Of the officers who
'lgned the protest against the surrender
II Metz. Having refused to pledge HIM