New-York tribune., 1909-02-27
B4Z4INE.
The Romance of the Man Wh0 Ca
mtuIated at Nets.

7HfUtNTGU al W 6J~.
Paris. February 10.
SneciaI interest attaches to the fourth anu
latest volume of NJ German Bapsts Lie oi
Marshal Canrobert." in that ii throws an uheA-
pected and powerful sidelight on the grealeS'
enigma of the unhappy Franco-Prussian war;
the capitulaton of Metz. The VoluIne' No"
about TO appear covers the period that eIalseu
ta+,vaen t,e conclusion of Napoleon IT'S Italian
campaign and the first action in the disastrous
war of 1870 dS66-'7O). and the central figure
&c NOT the great soldier. Marshal Canrobert, but
his s,1perior officer Bazaine. Prussia's mastery
mobilization accomplished in fourteen days. OF
half a million Of men on the frontiers of France
all rnassed between Landau and TreVes, fouho
the French lines. over seventy-hve leagues III
length defended by rather less than half that
number of troops C240000 mem. The strongest
position along the lines was of course, Metz De
lieved by the Emperor's advisers TO be abso-
luteIv inpreena BILE. and the fortress was placed
under Marshal Bazaine, then newly returned
from the war in Mexico. with Canrobert as his
second in command.
In 1870, says NJ. Bapst, Bazaine was ffty-nine
wears old. but looked more. OF middle height,
he seemed less, for the trunk was long and the
legs were short. AS a young man he had
scarcely any neck; now he appeared TO have
none at all His head. very large. with a triple
chin and folds Of fat lying round the nape of the
neck, seemed TO grow out from his shoulders.
and his features. which formerly wore an aspect
of energy had become blurred, his face puffy,
yellow bloated. Seen in full face. the contours
were oval: in profile the head was a large. round
ball lighted by two small eyes. deep sunk in fat
and almost entirely hidden by the heavy lids.
Unheroic the appearance of the man at
this moment, however, his past life up to this
point had been that of hero Of romance, sue
cession of strange adventures.
In 1911. when the famous marshal was born
his father a French architect and engineer, was
in Russia in the service of the Car Alexander
l. and the boys early education was carried on
under the direction of a certain Baron Roger
by whose influence the lad was admitted into
the Polytechnic. His career at the military col
lege was but brief for he failed at the outset in
his examinations and found himself destitute
the streets of Paris He took place as grocer's
assistant in the capital but in 1881 he joined the
colors and five gears later held officers COM
mission in the Foreign Legion. After cam
paign in Spain directed against the Carlists he
exchanged into regiment of infantry with the
rank Of major and crossed the Strait of Glib
raltar into Algeria, where he remained until the
outbreak of the Crmean War. 1t while
stationed at Tlemcen that Major Bazane fell
in love with Spanish girl Of seventeen whose
within the military zone. He obtained permis-
sion from this Nine Tormo to give TO the beau
tifu SoIedad French education. and he placed
her at Oran in charge of professors and gov
ernesses. himself going frequently to see her
and take her out riding. Bazaine. who had now
obtained the grade OF colonel, made the neces-
sary application at headquarters for leave TO
marry his protegee-
Cavaignac, the chief in command, considering
the match exceedingly unsuitab bic, sent for
Bazaine and showed him that such a marriage
would infalby injure his career since every
officer and man the station knew the girls
family and a client and customer of the
''posada-" The colonel. however, refused TO
abandon the project but marriage for the mo-
ment being out of the question since Re was
obliged TO get the consent of his chief, he sent
the girl to a convent of the Sacre Coeur, in Mar
seilles, passing her off a daughter Of
brother officer. Her gay and charming disposi-
ton soon made of Soedad the most populsr
pupil in the house In May, 1882 Colonel
Bazaine sent in, for the second time, his request
for permission TO marry. and this time it was
granted. The Crimean War broke out. he was
ordered TO the front. and he carried his voung
wife with him For the next eleven wears
Bazaine's career was marked by a series of fri
umphs. and wherever he went his wife's beauty
tact and charm proved of the greatest assistance
and value 10 the brilliant officer When Napo-
leon III UNDERTOOK the war in Mexico Razajne
was removed from an important post in TtaIv
and sent out as general in command. Nine
Bazaine remained in France. and from this time
forward the marshals historian shows his star
TO have reached its zenith: it now declined untiI
the final catastrophe of Metz ended what had
been one Of the most sensatonally successf,1
military careers of the period.
In 1863 Nine. Bazaine died. She had fo~ eo,,,a
time been carrying on close correspondence
with the husband Of one of the actresses of +b
Coincide FRANCHISE and the wife havinp dis
covered Nine. Bazaines letters made a narcat
of them and. in a fit OF jealous fury. posted
them to Mexico to General Bazaine When The
letters were on their way she called on the lad
most interested and informed her OF what sb.
had done. In the utmost CONSERVATION AF7,a
Bazaine. who had been the point Of starti,,,,
for Mexico to rejon her husband took the train
for Compiegne and implored. the Enlpernr ..
give orders for the malls 10 be opened and an
letters addressed TO General Bazaine to he
taken from the boat and returned TO her. Name
Icon acceded 70 this request and a swift boat
was sent from Brest TO catch the steamer a,1