The evening times., 1900-04-02
BARON Won KoENIG's VIEWS.
The Military Expert Talks About the
ROer War,

PHILADELPHIA April Barron Won
Koenig the famous European military ex-
pert. arrived here yesterday. He has come
to this country to visit old comrades He
is member Of the General Meade Post,
No. l. G. A. R.. and of the Loyal Legion.
He is a picturesque figure, standing six
feet two inches: is broad shouldered and
carries himself like knight of old. He
has had an adventurous life. and fought
under many flags During the civil war he
was aide-de-camp to General Bohen. end
was under the command of General Free
mont in the Shenandoah campaign.
The Baron came to America at the sge
of eighteen. and with brother joined the
Union forces. In the battle of Freeman's
Ford General Bohlen was killed and the
Baron led the Sixty-first Ohio Regiment
against the overwhelming forces of Cen
eral Longstreet. Later on be was aide
de-camp. to the General-n Chief OF the
Republic of Mexico. and fought with him
against the French. He will be Temem-
bered by all for his noble exertions in
behalf of Evangeline COssio Cisneros
the eighteen-year-o relative of the Presi-
dent of Cuba who languished in Spanish
prison on the charge of having led the out
break in the Isle of Pines in 1897.
In speaking of the Transvaal war. the
Baron said last night to a reporter: II am
just from Europe, and on my way here /
stayed a few days at Mentone, near Nice.
France, and had the pleasure of meeting
several Intelligent Dutch and English Off
GERS and gentlemen. Among them were
the brother of Cecil Rhodes and Colonel
Stopford We were agreed that the Euro
pean nations seemed to be hypnotized by
the war in the Transvaal. | predicted
when / was in this city three years ago
that England, if she went to war with the
Transvaal, would find it bad business. So
she has found it. English soldiers have
been fighting as they never had to fight
before, and it will be a long time before
the Beers will be conquered if that is
possible.
According to my political judgment it
is necessary that the Transvaal should be
conquered by England, but as a soldier
and a man | cannot help but admire the
Beers, who have been fighting one man
against three and are only yielding to the
force of superior numbers. No matter
how brave and gallant the English Of
ficers are. the rank and file of the English
Army is of the poorest stuff~in the world
to make soldiers of.
1T is very different with the American
soldier. l know him. l have fought with
him. He is intelligent and courageous
You can make good soldier of an Ameri-
can in week or so. In this country the
most intelligent men enter the ranks; in
England the army is recruited from the
lowest element You can train them for
ever and not make soldiers of them. They
are fighting for their shilling"
When asked what he thought of the
PhiIiDDipe question the Baron said.
President Mckinley could not help TAX
ing possession of those islands, because if
he had not all the foreign powers would
have mixed in the affair by claiming that
their interests were not protected. I be-
lieve that the conquest of those islands is
Of little benefit to the United States, but
your Government was forced to take
them 1t will take a long time to pacify
those different tribes, because they will
be able to get out of the way OF the Ameri-
can bayonet.'