Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
Has Mastered the Subject.


Has Mastered the Subject.
He was fortunate and the world was for
tunate in that he was immensely rich and
could afford to carry on his studies I'M
trammeled by the limitations of poverty.
He devoted his time to many important
matters in his own country and became
loved and honored throughout Poland and
Russia. But never for moment did he
forget his one nission-that of alternating
the horrors of war. He studied, studied.
studied. His work was unceasing. His ar
guments were unending. From every quar-
ter of the earth he gathered material on
the subject which always filled his mind.
At last, eight years ago, he had absolutely
mastered his great subject. He had not
satisfied himself with knowing all about
modern wars and their nliSerieS: he had
begun at the beginning His information
concerning the early Greek and Roman
wars scarcely less complete than the
mass of material he had gathered concern
ing the Franco-Prussian and other great
armed struggles of his own time.
AT last, eight years ago. he said to me.
II found myself in a position where could
really begin ny work. Everything up to
that time had been preliminary. L then sat
down and wrote my little book.
4 Visit to NJ. de Bloch.
The conversation took place in the private
dining room of NJ. de Bloch's suite in the
Hotel dOrange at Schoeveningen, a sum-
1ner resort not far from The Hague. This
resort opens late in the season. and NJ. de
Bloch had gone there long before the place
was actually ready to receive visitors. He
was almost alone in the hotel. He had just
finished his afternoon nap of three hours,
which, with four hours sleep at night,
gives him his rest. He was eating most
frugal supper-not at all the kind of a meal
which great millionaire would be expect
ed to order
at last, eight years ago." he repeated,
II sat down and wrote my little book"
NJ. de Bloch's English is somewhat diff
cult to understand at first. He speaks ii in
common with about ten other languages,
of which French and Russian (his native
language) are his favorites. His English
accent is somewhat gruff. in keeping with
the fierce expression of his face. But there
| was nothing gruff about the way he said:
Let me bring you copy of my little
book
IIe left the room and came back in about
| five minutes with his arms full of his little
book
There are six volumes of that little
book" and they are large volumes. The
edition which he gave me had been hur-
riediy prepared, and was French trans
lation Of the Russian original. The pic
lures had been lifted bodily from the Rus
sian edition, and their titles were printed
| In the puzzling characters of that difficult
| language. He explained them to me until
l became confused by their vast number.
There are twelve hundred pictures in M. de
Rloch's little book.
A Study of War.
Its first five volumes are devoted to an
exhaustive study of war in all its branches
and in all its details. They amount prac-
tically to an encyclopedia of everything
connected with battles and with fighting
men.
The first volume is a description of the
mechanism of war. 1t deals with every
thing, from the cross-bow of the ancents
to the smokeless powder of today. 1t tells
of fortifcat lions, it deals of features of at
tack and defense; ii omits nothing.
The second volume is headed The War
Upon the Continent" Unfortunately, and
now greatly to his own regret NJ. de Bloch
failed to consider America as fighting
possibility at the time this volume was
written. He studies in detail the effective
ness of European armies. discusses their
existing preparations for war; their plans
of mobilization, the training of their orti-
GERS the training of their soldiers their
camps. their fortresses the possibilities of
night and day fighting. the general esprit
du corps, the operations of all of them dur
irg the wars which have occurred in the
last century; indeed, he omits no one thing
which might by any possibility be useful TO
the student. This volume alone contains
more than 500 pages.
The third volume is the briefest and the
least important of his work. 1t deals with
naval warfare and the subject is not COM
petently treated.
In the fourth volume he treats of econom-
ic problems and their probable effect in
the war of the future. 1t goes into the
subject {of urse intensely interesting to
America) of the supply and maintenance
of troops 1t considers the cost of the mil
itary as compared with the revenues of all
nations. 1t shows what tremendous adj
vances in relative cost will mark the war
of the future. 1t points out the inequality
of the preparations for war made by differ
ent European countries. and IL shows the
influence different factors have on the spirit
of armies and the character of their prep
arations for war.
May Lead to Peace.
The fifth volume tells of the development
of the idea that may lead toward peace
1t goes into details concerning the literature
Of perpetual peace among civilized peoples
It deals with socialism. with anarchy and
with the propaganda of anti-militarism. 1t