Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-18
4 German War Myth.

That fine old lie about Won Moltke hav-
ing the defeat of France all arranged on
paper in his desk so completely worked
ont that the German commanders had
only to he supplied with copies and Sedan
and Metz were the consequences. is going
the rounds of the press with brilliant va
riations. The latest variation IS that Won
Moltke was awakened from a sound sleep
TO be told that France had declared war.
that he instructed the aid 10 go tn cabi-
net A and take from drawer % paper
marked schedule and resumed his SUM
Der. inasmuch as the Prussian ambassa-
dor left Paris several days before the dec
laration of war by France. and the or
der for mobiliZing went out from Berlin
while public peace was yet maintained
there was no need to break Won Moitke's
slumber to tell him what he knew In day
light. says the Boston Transcript.
France decided on war July II. bat the
formal notification to that effect WIS not
sent to the nearest Prussian outposts un-
I'll four days later. Neither Bismarck,
Won Room nor Won Moltke was caught
mapping either literally or metaphorical-
ly. On the contrary. they were arranging
even before France voted its fatetili dec
laration to make war inevitable. France
declared war. but 1t was Bismarck who
forced her to do it, and both Won Moltke
and Won Room were in the game from
which the King of Prussia was excluded
for he was not let into 1t until 1t was too
late for him to undo what they had DONE
outset which made Sedan inevitable. The
most he did, as he tells us himself was
to make plans in advance against every
conceivable hypothesis of French inva-
sion of Germany. The first position he
took up was that of observation in order
that France might not by a sudden rush
separate North and South Germany.
When he found the French were un-
equal to invading Germany he turned the
tables on them. He could not foresee Sc
dan at the outset of the war, for the SIM
Pile reason that he could not foresee that
MacMahon would let go his hold on the
road to Paris and start off on that at
tempt to relieve Metz which ended at Sc
dan. Won Moltke candidly admits in his
books on the war that he was puzzied by
the French movements because they were
so obviously wrong as to awaken his sus-
pushing straight through the Vosges.
whose passes the French did not even at
tempt to defend. He did not anticipate
that these gateways would be left UNI
guarded, and lost time in working around
the mountains in consequence.
Won Moltke's books are those of frank
man who tells what he did. Possibly II
they were read more some of those who
are forever comparing our opera tons
with those of Germany in 1870 would know
better than to set up the great strategiSt
as performing impossibilties. Won
Moltke himself found it hard to stamp
out all the absurd variations of his
achievements that became current in Ger
many. He was once. as he told us. in
yited to private view of a picture rep
resenting the council of war before Sa-
dowa. in which he was grouped with 9TH
err historical personages. He compliment
ed the painter on his skill and dryly add
ed that the picture was effective despite
the fact that no such council was ever
held.