The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-10-09
THREE COMMANDERS.
REN WHO WOULD LEAD EUROPEAN
ARMIES IN CASE OF WAR.

Profitable to Make a Technical Compar-
ison Between viscount Wolseley and a
Russian and French General.
do not know the now commander
in chief of the English land forces. l
saw him once or twice in my life, but
this is many years ago, and in military
matters of the magnitude involved in
the supreme command of a great army
l am afraid l should prove an incompe-
tent critic. But believe to great ex-
tent in physiognomy, and if Viscount
Wolseley BIO not very clever man he
ought to bring an action for libel against
his face, for he looks decidedly clever.
II there were any doubt in my mind
about his ability, it would be set at rest
by the not very enthusiastic remarks in
connection with his appointment I read
in one or two French newspapers. "You
are an irritable people, envious, jealous
and proud to n degree, said Bismarck
to General de Wimpffen ON Sept 1,
1870. lyon are an irritable people, en-
vious, jealous and proud to degree, y
he repeated. "You were under the inn
preston that victory is an appendage
which was exclusively reserved to you. F"
Has the quarter of a century gone by
since those words were uttered made a
difference i'll that respect in the French
peoplep l should not like to say.
1t may not be altogether uninterest-
- 1~1 CD
whom the English commander in chief
will be pitted if quarrel should ever
unhappily break forth i'll Europe. I am
alluding to the commanders i'll chief of
the Russian and the French forces.
Tho Russian army contains several
men Of unquestionable capacity; never
theless, there appears to be consensus
of opinion that, in the event of war,
with no matter whom, the supreme
command would virtually devolve upon
General Obroutcheff. to the exclusion
even of General Kouropatkine. 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
mander in chief from a military point
of view, 1 am not going to stultify my
self by endeavoring to do this in the
case of Obroutcheff. / only repeat what
/ have heard. Until very recently the
chief of Vannowski's staff and Abide
camp General Obrouteheff was, in spite
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
cellerie, without troubling to inquire
into the matter, placed him on the list
of dangerous" men Ito be watched
very closely" A note like that from the
Russian police becomes practically
indelible, and, aid -de-camp general
though he was, not tho slightest attempt
was made to efface his name from the
list. After his exploits on the Danube
Loris Melikoff 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 epithet was changed
from "red' into well meaning"
Obroutcheff has married French
woman, and is declared partisan--or
supposed to be-of an alliance with
France. His views in that respect date
from 1870, when he was an obscure
general. I repeat, about his abilities
there is little or no doubt After tho
first checks in the Turko. 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 may be
laid, General Felix Gustave Saussier,
the present military governor of Paris,
is beforehand designated as tho leader.
Saussier is close upon 20. In spite of
his large size he is very active, but for
that size he would give one tho idea Of
q mousquetaire Of the Louis XIV period
dressed in modern uniform. There is no
doubt about his value as soldier,
which does not always mean an equal
value as supreme commander, but it
is fair to state that in the battles around
Metz, quarter of century ago, he
distinguished himself most signally.
The famous infantry charge at st. Pri-
vat, which practically barred the prog
ress of the Germans on that side, was
led by him.
Saussier was one of tho officers who
signed the protest against the surrender
of Metz. Having refused to pledge him
self not to serve again during the cam
paign, he was sent as prisoner of war to
Cologne. Nor would he give his prom
ise not to escape, consequently he was
transported to small town ON the Wis
tula (Grandenz, BELIEVED and abso-
lutely Observation-Disclosures effect, for
he made his escape after all.
He allowed Gambetta to remain ig-
norant Of all this, as we'll as Of his re-
publican origin, and the great trib-
une," whose infallible instinct has
been vauntod SO much, only looked upon
Saussier as a colonel Of the empire and
treated him as such. After that Saus-
sier went once more to Algeria. Saus-
sier, should say, has had more fight
ing than any general in the French ar
my, but it would DO. rash to say that
this made him strategist. A bril-
liant soldier he was and is still, in
spite of his age, and as he was barely
40 when France suffered her reverses
no may have profited by them. TO many
in France herself he is an unknown
quantity. These are tho two men COM
parison with whom and Viscount Wolse-
ley it woul BIO profitable to establish,
but l mean technical comparison. -
London Illustrated News