New-York tribune., 1902-03-30

taking this into account. we'll as the results
which he achieved. his opinion to the erect ina.
while the command in chief of the army shoulu
remain vested in the sovereign. or chief masls-
trate the soldier at the head Of tho military or
ganizaton under the orders of the executive snoud
rank as and fulfil the duties of chief of the Cen
eral Staff, is entitled TO consideration.
There only two countries in the Old World
that have generassimos of their armies other than
the sovereign chief magistrate One of these
is Great Britain and the other Greece. With re-
gard to the latter country there were exceptional
conditions which rendered il necessary a year or
ago to vest the supreme command OF the forces
in the hands of the Crown Prince who, owing to
the lengthy and frequent absences of his father.
the King, from Greece. is to all intents and pur-
poses the ruler of the country. 1t is too early as
yet to say whether not the experiment OF hav-
ing a commander in chief other than the monarch
himself will prove success at Athens. In England
ii has resulted in distinct failure Lord Roberts,
the present commander in chief Is reported to be
thoroughly sick of the job. and resolved TO resign
it ever the in South Africa comes
to end. Lord Wolseley. his predecessor. COM
planned bitterly in Parliament of the fact that he
had been reduced by the action of the Secretary
for War to the position of mere f1gurehead, and
that while responsible In the eyes of the nation
for the condition of the army he had no means
whatever of accomplishing anything The Royal
Duke of Cambridge, cousin of the late Queen
Victoria held the position of generalissimo for
nearly forty years before being deprived thereof,
and throughout his long tenure of the office he
was perpetually denounced by the government of
the day and by successive Secretaries Of State for
War as an nsuperable obstacle to every project Of
military reform. True there was some excuse for
the existence of such office that of com
mander in chief of the army during the reign of
Queen Victoria For a woman she was natur-
ally prevented from fulfilling herself the duties OF
generasslmo incumbent upon the sovereign or
chief magistrate. But there IS no longer any rea-
son for the continuance of the office. now that
King Edward has succeeded to the crown, for he
is thoroughly qualified by his military training 10
avail himself of his prerogatives as commander in
chief having his principal military adviser and
lieutenant in connection with all army matters a
chief of .he General Staff
The great Duke of Wellington was never tired OF
urging upon the late Queen Victoria the fact that
the command in chief Of the army is of the
most valuable prerogatives of the crown. and was
wont to Insist that. since the sovereign happened
10 be woman. the office of generalissimo should
be vested in her husband. the late Prince ConsGrt,
or at any rate, in scion of the reigning
mouse. lie spoke not only as a devoted servant Oh
For he realized that if there was at the head OF
the army generashmo who was neither the
monarch nor a prince of the blood. he would IN
in tho war Department and TO the Cabinet of the
prejudice against civilian and political interference
Of preven;ing it Would be by Fc@plnE the com
mand in chief OF the army in the hands OF the
would be independent Of the Secretary of STATE for
war, ana NNle ready 10 ~pTK IN unison WIN lHt
latter. would never allow himself TO be subjected
10 his authority.
by queen Victoria a Short time before her death
She would like to have nominated her soldier son.
vised that it would tie impotic Pust then to pro
erts. who was returning England decked with
the laurels OF his capture OF Pretoria. But there
Is every reason to believe that when Lord Roberts
Tgsigns The qiice which viii probably hT het2re ,
again and that the Duke OF Connaught. who is t.
Toe promoted 10 the rank OF Field Marshal at the
stan and viii be as such the Intermediary of the
King in the latter's dealings as commander in
backed as he is by his brother. precludlng any
by the SECRETARY Of state Tor " Var N,''' ','
, In German in Austria, in Italy, and in Russia.
powers in the fullest sense OF the word, the SOW
ettISh n IN '3cm case 'hS asHHe coIilaiGSF a "a
dies, dSuss as s4ch he has as MS principal military
who works In thorough unison. but on footing
Of complete equality. with the Minister Of War. the
sovereign. jealous Of his preroGatives rs generals
smo, being on guard TO sc that there is no
ter. The chief Of the General Stan Of the German
army is General Count schlefren. who now fills
Marshal Count Moitke There is no Minister or
States constituting the confederation known as the
German Empire mas It's own Minister OF War
work In unison with General Count schlieffen. the
ehieet e OF the General star Emperor Francs Jo-
Hungary General baron Beck, while the Minister
Nicholas has Lieutenant General Sakharon as
chief Of the General STAFF. He taken the place
OF General OhTutchef, while the Minister of War
is General Kouropatklne At Rome find Cen
eral Saletta chief Of the General Staf, with
General de San Martno as Minister OF War.
In France the commander in chief OF the army
as well as Of the Is President Louhet, faCt
which many people even I'm France seem TO ignore.
as one frequently finds that that general re-
ferTed 10 generalissimo The acting chief of the
staff IL General Pendezec. while the Minister OF
savory scandal IN which certain OF the principal
officers of the General STAFF became involved in
connection with the Dreyfus and FSterhaZv cases,
Il lost much Of the prestige which It had previously
enjoyed while the subsequent discovery that others
of its chiefs were In sympathy with either the
monarchical cause of the Nationalist movement.
and as such disloyal - the present government
led to the General STAFF being completely
ganzed by the Minister of War. General Andre
who. in consequence thereof. has IL now working
more or less under his direction n subordinate
rather than as an ally. There is chief general
Of the French army, or any filling the position
occupied by General Miles in the United States
the plan Of mobilization TO command certain groups
of army corps in the event Of There Will be
six eight Of these commands, tie most
important one. that OF the Northeast, being, is
understood assigned to General Brugere, vice
president OF the Supreme Council OF War Parts
army corps viii be- according 10 present arrange
rnents In the event of war. subject 20 the direc
ttons, theoretically. OF the President of the re-
public, acting through the chief of the General
Staff. but In reality. to the Minister of War acting
through the same agency. 1t is taken for granted
net, consequently also the Minister o. War. ana
the General STAFF of the army would all remain in
Paris.
From this It will be seen that the scheme for the