Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-12-07
THREE COMMANDERS.
MEN WHO WOULD LEAD EUROPEAN
ARMIES IN CASE OF WAR.


An Englishman Who Thinks 1t Would lie
Profitable to Make "A Technical Compar-
ison Between Viscount Wclscley and a
Russian and French General.
l do net know the new commander
in chief of the English land forces. |
saw him once or twice i'll my life, but
this is many years ago, and i'll military
matters of the magnitude involved in
the supreme command of Il great army
am afraid should prove an incompe-
tent critic. But | believe to Il great ex-
tent i'll physiognomy, and if Viscount
Wolseley be not very clever man he
ought to bring All action for libel against
his face, for he looks decidedly clever
If 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 l read
i'll one OF two French newspapers. "You
are an irritable people, envious, jealous
and proud to q degree, said Bismarck
to General de Wimpffen on Sept. /,
1870. "You are an irritable people, en-
vious, jealous and proud to degree, -"
he repeated. You We're under the i'm
preston that victory is an appendage
which was exclusively reserved to you. "
Has the quarter of a century gone by
since those words were uttered made a
difference i'll that respect in the French
people? | should not like to say.
1t may not be altogether uninterest-
ing to lock at the two men against
whom the English commander i'll chief
will be pitted if quarrel should ever
unhappily break forth in Europe. am
abiding to the commanders in chief of
the Russian and the French forces.
The Russian army contains several
men of unqrostionable capacity; never
tbeless, there appears to be Il 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. I 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, am not going to stultify my
self by endcavoring to do this in the
case of Obroutcheff. l only repeat what
T lp
chief of Vannowski's staff and Aid de
camp General Obroutcheff was, in spite
of his recognized talents, looked askance
at in Russian military circles. The
epithet 'red" 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 ''to be watched
very closely" A note Ike that from the
Russian police becomes practically
indeliblc, and, aid-de-camp general
though he was, not the slightest attempt
was made to effaco his name from the
list. After his exploits on the Danube
Loris Melih0f drew the attention of
Alexander II to this apparently fragrant
injustice, to this permanent insult. The
namo was maintained on the list for
all that, but the epithet was changed
from "red'' into "well meaning"
Obroutchcff has married "a French
woman, and is a declared partisan-or
supposed 30 bo-of an alliance with
France. Els views III that respect date
from 1870, when he was an obscure
general. | repeat, about his abilities
there is little or no doubt. After the
first checks il the Turlio, Russian cam
paign he was sent i'll hot haste to the
Danube, ans! he is credited with having
saved the Russian army from total de-
struction. Before that, though, he had
already become the intimate friend of
tie her to the throne, and the friend
ship underwent no diminution during
Alexander HIS reign.
Wherever the scene Of the next Eu-
ropcan campaign Of tie French may be
laid, General Felix Gustave Saussier,
the present military governor of Paris,
is beforehand designated as the leader.
SansSicr is clCse upon 70. In spite Of
his large size he is very active, but for
that size he would give one the idea Of
a mousQuetaire of tho Louis XIV period
dressed in modern uniform. There is no
doubt about his value as a soldier,
which does not always mean an equal
value as a 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 the 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
Use not to escape, consequently he was
transported to a small town on the Wis
lula (Grandenz, l believe), and abso-
lutely uestrated-without effect, for
he made his escape after all.
He allowed Gambetta to remain ig-
nOrant of all this, rs well as Of his re-
publican origin, and the great trib-
une," whose infallible instinct has
been vaunted so much, only looked upon
Saussier as colonel Of the empire and
treated him as such. After that Saus-
sier went once more to Algeria Sans
sier, I should say, has had more fight
ing than any general in the French ar
my, but it would be rash to say that
this made him strategist. A bril-
limit snldin,. he nyns md Is still in