Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-06-15

The Late Emperor Wrote on Great
Variety of Military Topics.

N0iNI " tHNHAai AIllNos
The military writings Of Emperor
William L., or, as he is officially en-
titled on the cover Of the book, evil
liam the Great" are published in two
volumes on the occasion Of the cen
tenary celebrations. The first vol
ume embraces 43 short treatises on
special subjects which were Of current
interest in the military development
of Prussia from 1921 to 1917. The
second volume contains ~ longer
essays on more general military topics,
and covers the periodErom 1913 to
1865. This posthumous publication
has an historical as well as a personal
interest. In the latter aspect it ex-
hibits the extraordinary minuteness
of the study which the late emperor
from his earliest manhood devoted
with Hohenzollern's determination
to the profession of arms. In the first
volume what strikes the reader on the
most superficial examination is the
remarkable variety and interest of
the subjects dealt with, as the follow
ing list taken almost at random may
indicate: The tactical employment
Of large cavalry masses, the training
of one-year volunteers, army clothing,
the admission of discharged prisoners
into the army, the full-dress uniform
of officers, the training of troops to
endure hard exertion, the question
of two or three years service, gymnas-
tics, and bayonet exercise. The then
prince of Prussia exhibits striking
independence of opinion, which
would justify the historian in claim
ing for him large initiative in the
development of Prussia's modern mill
tary greatness, whatever view may be
entertained of his personal influence
upon the political development of his
country in comparison with Prince
Bismarck.
In the second volume the subjects
selected for treatment almost all seem
to have a direct practical bearing up
on the political changes which were
taking place or ripening for Europe.
The decisive factor in the battle of
Koniggratz, the needle gun, is dis
cussed in all its practical aspects, and
the writer prophetically points out
how ''the belief in the superiority of
this weapon and the confidence which
it inspires in those who are armed
with it is no less important than the
panic of the enemy when the conical
bullets begin to break his ranks"
Financial considerations and the diff
fculties in getting parliament to vote
the necessary credits for the reorgani-
cation and development of the Prus-
sian army occupied the mind of the
prince of Prussia, as they continued
to do long after he became king, and
subsequently German emperor. Nor
do these interesting volumes fail to
throw light upon the illustrious writ
er's personal character and tempera-
ment, which are practically illus
trated in the memorandum on "dif-
ferences of opinion in 1847 between
the prince of Prussia, as commanding
general, and the governor Of Berlin
regarding the jurisdiction of the lat
ter" The grave sense Of response
bility which weighed upon WilliamI
throughout his whole life and in what
ever capacity he might be occupied
is constantly in evidence throughout
these pages, as when he refers to the
feelings with which he sits down to
write in the consciousness that the
natter in hand concerns the whole
future of the Prussian army"-Ber-
lin COrrneDOn1aDoa | OD6o,, Tip,os