The Washington herald., 1911-08-14
Chief of General Staff
of the French Army

tHlHB pertaining TO military rallTOaus,
besides, he is scientific engineer off,
Ger.
In military circles the commander-in-
chief, Gen. Pau. enjoys great prestige as
of the highest type Of a leader of armies
In the field, but what hurt his chances
with the ministry was that he insisted
on the right to select, even in times Of
peace, not only army corps commanders,
but also those Of groups of army corps
and chiefs Of staff. It appears that the
cabinet feared to intrust such vast pow
ers to one man, and the appointment Of
Gen. Joffre was the result. Echo de
Paris, the unofficial organ Of the French
army officers. calls attention to the fact
that, while the new commander-in-chie
is an admirable organizer, his actual ex-
pertence in command Of large bodies Of
troops Is limited to his command of the
second army corps at Lille during one
short year. But all writers on military
subjects agree that in theory, at least,
the new organization Of the Office Of
commander-in-chief tor chief Of staff to
give 1t Its new title) adds greatly to the
efficiency Of the French army.
1t Is to be hoped in the interest Of
the future welfare of the French repub-
lie that its responsible leaders will not
fall into the same error as did the
cabinet Of Napoleon III. when he was
assured that the army was absolutely
ready and anxious to meet the Prussians,
and that its efficiency could not be ques-
toned. We all know what followed.
First, 1t was Bazaine who was to save
the nation. and who, after the disastrous
war, WIS imprisoned and tried for his
life. His escape perhaps saved his life
Then 1t was MacMahon. the Duke of
Magenta" who tried himself as COM
mander in chief. In short, the army
was anything but ready. Worse than
that, the poor, brave soldiers were so
badly commanded that in the hour Of
need there were no generals to lead the
troops. nor was the commissary ready
with food for man or beast.
The new premier of France. NJ. Call
laux, is known as the greatest advocate
OF an income tax. and he was made to
live up to his reputation by no less a
person than his divorced wife. who by
one daring stroke has increased her
alimony from 1900 francs to 10000 a year.
In the days OF his wooipg, NJ. Caillaux.
then a mere deputy, used to discuss
political questions with his fiancee, whom
he subsequently married. Not only by
word of mouth during pleasant tete-a-
tetes lid he tell her of his views. but
by letter also. He wrote that an income
tax was the merest tumbug, used only
to throw dust in the eyes of the pub
lie, and that, if ever he should obtain
power, the question of income tax should
be cast away like an old glove.
Madame CaillauX is anything but a
fool. She kept those telltale letters, and
when her husbands love grew cold and
she felt that she had to get her freedom,
she reminded him of the fact that those
letters still existed. and that. being very
wealthy, he ought to increase her all
mony to 10000 francs a year. or course
he did. What else could he do?
Prince Albert of Monaco has at last
abandoned his famous yacht Alice and
has christened his new pleasure vessel
the "Hirondelle" (Swallow). The ruler
of the principality which fourishes
mainly by the grace Of the gaming
tables-some call them bank" by cour-
tesy-at Monte Carlo. the income from
which has made him a millionaire many
times over. and who is known as the
scientific man of the sea- named his
first yacht after Alice Helm, daughter of
a New Orleans banker and later Duchess
of Richeleu.
The Alice had the reputation of being
the best fitted yacht in the world for
deep sea studies So devoted did the
prince become to the yacht in which he
studied oceanography and to the sea
itself, that. 1t is said, he neglected
Princess Alice herself Now, while the
divorcee in the Chateau de Richelieu, in
Paris, the prince has cut of the last
reminder of her by dropping the yacht
that bears her name.
The romance of the yacht seems to
have carried him back to his first love,
Mary Duchess of Hamilton, for the
stately daughter of the house of Hamil-
ton was known as the English Swal-
low"
The prince is sixty-three and ambi-
tious to lecture on oceanography before
the great universities of America.
The Duke Francisco di Campobello seems
rather too frisky a nobleman to be SO
nearly related to a prince of the church,
and Italian society wonders what the
venerable Cardinal Rampolla in his heart
thinks of his none too honest nephew, and
how he would have treated him had he
(Rampolla) been selected Pope in place of
the present incumbent.
This reprobate duke now and then
brings scandal on the cardinals good
name and goes to his venerable uncle to
have his debts paid. Last year the coun-
cause Of the money which he owed q
woman who did not hesitate to telephone
to all his clubs that he had "swindled'
her. Checks with the cardinals sigma
ture began to trickle into Rome, amount
ing eventually to $4,000. The money
lenders were thrown into CONSERVATION
when 1t was learned that his eminence
had repudiated them. Suddenly a silence
fell over the dukes doings, and 1t was
that the long-suffering uncle
had again come forward to save the
honor of his house.
Now once more the thirty-five-year-
old is before the public. That is to
say, he was before the public. but is now
behind prison bars. 1t seems that among
his other qualities is an appreciation of
beautiful women, and, meeting in Genoa
the attractive Countess Bentivoglio, a
mutual liking sprang up. The idyll con-
tinued for some days at Genoa, and then
the lady announced her intention OF leav-
ing town. At the door Of their hotel their
bill was presented to the duke, but he
handed II back, saying he was going to
see the lady off and would pay on his re-
turn.
The hotelkeeper, a stolid German, was
not satisfied and followed them to the
station, having the duke arrested for
fraud as he was entering a railway car
riage.
The unfortunate wife Of the duke is the
Princess Teolinda Altieri, of the great
Roman family of that name. She Isl
separated from her husband, and lives In
with her two children, and. II
ia said nm vary etra ifenod means Prince