The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16
Great Britain, France and Rus
sia Seem to Have Reached
an Understanding.
GRAND MILITARY MANEUvERs
Exhaustive Experiments of the Great.
est Importance to Be Made by
the Empsror's Troops.


worthy silence has been observed for sew
eral days past by the semi-cficial press in
regard to the situation arising out of the
difficulties in the island of Crete, but the
matter, nevertheless, is seriously occupy
ing the attention of the Emperor and his
Cabinet, and it is limited that course of
vigorous action is impending, though
what form this procedure is likely to take
it is impossible to say. The position is re-
sulting in sort of dreibund, comprising
Great Britain, France and Russia.
The question of the blockade of the
island of Crete has been somewhat modi-
fed by the statements made in the British
House of Commons on Thursday. These
utterances are described by the National
Zeitung as an endeavor on the part of Lord
Salisbury to pour water upon Greek fire.
The Vossische Zeitung, which has all
along been consistent advocate of the
autonomy of Greece, imagines that the
declarations of NJ essrs. Curzon and Bal
four indicate the intention of Great Brit
ain to establish the autonomy of Crete,
and expresses the belief that the autonomy
of the island under the guarantee of the
foreign consuls at Canea will be the
eventual outcome of the present situation.
The belief is also growing daily among
the general public that such an outcome
in the Cretan trouble is more ligely to be
reached than any other method of settle-
ment. Indeed, any other solution seems
fraught with serious risk to all concerned.
A dispatch was received here from
Athens to-day to the effect that the Greek
Government circles are now more sanguine
that speedy and satisfactory settlement
of the Cretan issue will be reached, and
this dispatch tends to strengthen the
idea of it being settled through the grant
ing of autonomy to the island.
This years autumn maneuyers in ST.
lesfa and Saxony will be of special and Pc
culiar interest and importance. Exhaus-
tive experiments on tactical grounds will
be made. In consequence OF the dis
solving tendency of the modern combat,
tactical forms are to be found which will
tend to minimize or counteract the effects
of this dissolving tendency on the troops.
Latter-day inventions in the strategic do
main are to be tested in practical man
ner by massing mum bers of troops, and
new problems in field tactics are to be
solved.
These new experiments are of so much
importance, as has been realized by the
army commanders, that Germany, for in
stance, cannot longer rely upon enforcing
successes by overwhelming numbers. We,
therefore, find the German army seeking
to preserve its supremacy by other means.
For instance the marching tempo will be
accelerated to make the material, the body
of troops, more mobile and easier to han
die. at present the troops march one
kilometer in eight to ten minutes. This
time is to be reduced.
The bicycle is to be used to larger ex-
tent than formerly, and especially the tel
egraphic field service is to be brought to
point of nicely and perfection. The cav
airy is to be fitted out with telegraphic ap-
paratus from the same abundance as was
tried in 1891 during the maneuvers at
Dachen and in Bavaria. Special care will
be taken that the cyclists speedily repair
wires cut by the enemy.
Another, and, indeed, very important
innovation, will be established for this
years maneuvers-an absolutely independ-
ent supreme commander of the maneuv-
ers, who will direct the operations. Colonel
Schieffen, chief OF the grand general
staff, will direct the maneuvers according
to the Kaisers orders. From the COM
mencement of the maneuvers, on Septem-
ber 8, to the end of the operations, on
Septem ber II, the opposing armies will be
as though In state of actual warfare.
Each party will have its own supreme
commander, and there is to be no ad Just
ment of positions at the end of the days
operations. The troops will occupy next
morning exactly the position they
secured on the previous day. There will
be no time fixed when the days opera
tions must terminate on any day and they
may be continued through the night.
For this purpose the Kaiser has ordered
that no banquets or fetes from the CON-
mencement of operations to the end be
held.
But the climax of interest will be
reached PROBABLY on the last days of the
maneuvers. The operations will COM
mence near Gorlitz and Terminate neal
Bautzen. Something like two-thirds of
the way from Gorlitz TO Bautzen lies
Hochkirch. where Frederick the Great was
SO disastrously defeated on October a.
1751 by the Austrians.
The following royalties will attend the
maneuvers: The King of Saxony, Field
Marshal Prince Regent of Brunswick,
Princes Leopold and Ludwig of Bavaria,
Field Marshal Prince George OF Saxony,
Prince Nicholas of Wurtemburg, Arch
duke Otto of Austria, Prince Eugene of
Sweden and the Duke of Genoa.
The EN- peror has been so much bene-
fited by his sojourn at Wilhelmshohe that