The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-09

of the army corps quartered at Metz, and
1t is an open secret that in the event of
such a war the Emperor himself might be
wavering in his choice between these two.
Count Won Haeseler is, however, if I am
not mistaken, few years older than Wal
dersee, who Is 6S, or, If not older, at any
rate less robust, in addition to being little
short of a wreck, owing to infirmities con-
tracted on the battlefield of Gravelotte.
Haeseler, In fact, wears silver apparatus,
having had couple of his ribs slaves in,
just as Gallffet wears similar contriv-
ance owing to injuries received in Mexico
Waldersee, though white and looking
much older than his years, Is physically
unimpaired, for, If I remember rightly, he
has never been wounded.
He came unscathed out of the battles be-
fore Metz, he escaped unhurt at Sedan, and
the siege of Paris did not give him
scratch. He is, perhaps, little too apt to
attribute all this immunity to special
Providence watching over him.
Trochu said: "I am Breton, a Catholic
and a soldier" Waldersee, were he more
demonstrative than he Is would willingly
say: ct am Prussian, Protestant and
soldier" For in country of Prussians,
Protestants and soldiers, no one Is so much
of a Prussan, a Protestant and a soldier
as he In fact, he is little else than all
these three things, for his education has
been purely military, and he has taken few
pains to acquire the subtler and gentler
graces of life.
His marriage with the widow of Prince
Frederick of Schleswig- Holstein, who is an
American, has intensified his originally
very strong religious tendencies, Wh1cn at
one time threatened to drift into anti-Se-
mitism. Dr. Stocker, the protagonlst OF
that movement in Prussia, was an assfdu-
Gus and always welcome guest In Countess
WAldersee's drawing room In fact, at one
time It was feared that the Countess. who
exercises a great influence over her hus-
band, and who managed to extend that In
huence even over the present Empress,
whose grandaunt she Is by virtue or her
first marriage, would finally bring the
Young Emperor beneath her spell. Those
fears were dissipated when the Emperor
showed that he was not quite so easy to
convert to intense Christianity by appoint
ing Caprivi as Bismarck's successor. That
is Count Waldersee.
OF the honesty and unrightness of the
man there can be no doubt. His appoint
ment to the chief command in China Is de-
cdedly step in the right direction.
1t will be generally believed If Count Won
Waldersee gets command OF the lnterna-
tional forces in China, that his distinction
will be due to his American wife, who was
Miss Mary Esther Lea, daughter of New
York grocer.
Though himself man of brilliant attain
ments and undisputed abilities, 1t has been
the fate of the Count to have the honors
which the present Emperor has showered
upon him attributed more to his wires IN
fiuence than to his own force of character.
The Countess Won Waldersee bears a
higher title than that which her marriage
to this her second marriage, has con-
ferred upon her. She is the Princess Won
Noer, the only American woman who is
princess in her own right. The title was
tria after the death of her hrst husband,
who had relinquished the title of Prince Of
schleswig- Holstein to contract a morganAt-
10 marriage with her, ana became the
Count Won Noer, taking the title from one
of his extensive estates in Austria. He had
already been put out of business as q
prince by the Prussians, and the claim he
renowned was a shadowy one.