The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-03

found i'll the forefront of the battle, the
plumes of their helmets serving as ban
ners for their troops to follow-as. for in
stance. at Ivy. when the white plume OF
King Henry of Navarro was the rallying
point of his knights in the thick of the
fight That. indeed. was the origin and
basis of the monarchial system. namely,
leadership in war.
Today. however the conditions of war
fare have changed to such an extent that
the ruler who charged in the van of his
troops. instead OF remaining in the rear
TO direct their operations. would be re-
garded as bereft of his senses. Indeed,
his place during war in these modern
times is not with the army but in his
capital at the seat of his government, and
there IS but one monarch in Christendom
whose presence in the field would be in
dispensable in the event OF his empire he
coming involved in some European con-
flict. namely. Kaiser Wilhelm: for the
German army of today. admitted by eX-
perts to be the most perfect piece of war
machinery in existence, is his own crea-
ton. He is identified with everyone of
the reforms that have completely trans
formed il from what il was when he
assembled the throne in 1858. and more
over. he alone. as German Emperor. is
entitled by the terms of the constitution
OF 1871 To the supreme command of the
armies Of the Bavarian and those other
sovereign states that are comprised in the
German Empire Indeed. the Bavarian
troops take the oaths Of obedience and
fidelity to the Kaiser only in time Of war
In the case of Austria. too. the presence
Of the monarch in the field while not alb
solutely indispensable. would be of adj
vantage. in view Of the spirit of nation
alism that nowadays pervades the Magyar
divisions of the army OF the Dual empire
and which might render them reluctant
70 yield 20 an Austrian general that in
slant and absolute obedience which is so
indispensable to the success of military
operations in time Of war. but who de-
voted in their loyalty to Francis Joseph
as their King. could be depended on to
execute at once his personal comma nds.
Emperor Francis Joseph is today the
only living sovereign who can boast OF
having led cavalry charge upon the
enemy. 1t was only a few months before
his accession 10 the throne. namely in
Nav. 1875. when the fortunes Of the day
az the bloody battle Of Santa Lucia were
turned by magnificent cavalry charge
n which the eighteen-year-old archduke.
as he was then. rode at the head OF his
dragon regiment through the squares Of
Sandman infantry and captured the guns
which throughout the morning had been
pouring shot and shell into the Austrian
ranks. Marvellous 70 relate. he escaped
without q scratch more fortunate IN this
respect than the late King Humbsr; who
AZ the battle OF Custozzs. in 1856. which
resulted 50 disastrou<ly FOR the Italians
endeavored IN vain u stem the tide OF
defeat. throwing himself repeatedly into
the very thick OF the contest. Bleeding
from severe saher cut. ne was az length
literally swept or the battlefield BY his
fathers officers and his own friends who
fully realized the irreparahle injury that
would be sustained by Italy in the event
OF the popular heir 10 the throne being
either killed or captured. Francis Joseph
was again In the field. this time not as
archGuKe. but as Emperor. in the war OF
u5s against the united forces of Italy and