The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-11-10
Efficiency Of Army Against
Turks Is Due to His
Military Science.
HIS CAREER OF DARING
Laid Foundation for Great Or
ganizatiOn When Minis
ter of War.

oouy hDSs EVIL oWh scuh"
1t had been half forgotten. and to many
1t will be surprise to hear that until
the order for general mobilization was
iss0ed he did not belong to the active army
having resigned his commission in 1900.
He might we'll now repeat Lord Byron's a
words that "he awoke one morning to
find himself famous" says the corre-
spondent OF the Evening Neus.
For once fortune has not proved blind
In her bounties. n ever there was a man
who has won a right 10 her smiles that
man is Gen. Savoh There is some ap-
propriateness in finding him at the head
OF the victorious Bulgarian armies, which
owe to him more than to any one else
their extraordinary efficiency Before
undertaking the task of a Moltke he had
his two terms as Minister OF War had laid
the foundations on which was built the
superstructure OF Bulgarias military
organization.
| When. in 1891. the omnipotent Stam-
bouloff entrusted to him for the first
time that important Office. the Bulgarian
army. although 1t had already emerged
victorious from battle ordeal. still
lacked most Of the elements OF a modern
military force. For three years he con-
secrated all the resources OF an indom-
table will to remodelling the system and
making up the deficiencies.
The Mannlicher repeating rife with
which the Bulgarian infantry is armed
was first introduced in his time, and the
entire materiel OF the artillery was re-
placed by the then best Krupp guns.
In the spring Of 1897 Gen. Savoff left
tho tottering Cabinet of Stamboulofr.
in consequence Of private affair. and
spent three years out Of public life. He
had left behind him the reputation of a
first class organizer. and nobody was
astonished when in 1897 no was placed
at the head Of the division of Shoumla.
By training he belonged to the General
Staf. but during the Servo Bulgarian
war In 1885 he had. as commander of the
left wing OF the Bulgarian army at Sliv-
nitza. displayed real powers as active
commander and greatly contributed
to that notable victory.
At Shoumla his qualities AZ leader OF
men again shone out and soon hia division
was pronounced the premier uniS:in the
whole country. His next appointment.
a. Chief Of Tho Aiihtary.1Asademy 9 Sofia.
offered him fresh opp6r Srrainer
Of men. and the young officers who re-
ceived their military education under
his immediate supervision srenoW nearly
m commanders Of companies, filing
perhaps the most responsible positions
in the fighting army.
Relations between the former teacher
and his pupils have always been most
intimate, and are marked by an absolute
trust. without which some Of the recent
exploits in the Thracian theatre of oper-
atoms would be almost inexplicable.
In 1902 1t became evident to every one
in Bulgaria that the army had been tagging
behind the times and by universal con-
sensus Gen. Savof was for a second time
placed at the head Of the War Ofice.
The Macedonian question had been
lately looming on the political horizon
and the conviction was gradually settling
IN the mind Of the nation that before
very long its solution ", uld have to be
entrusted to the arbitrament Of the sword.
Bulgaria was at that time surrounded
On all sides by i'll will and could only rely
on it's own efforts. The realization Of this
fact formed the keynote OF Gen. Savoff's
second administration and the famous
military law Of 1904. the crowning point
Of his career as military organizer.
This great act aimed at nothing less
than transforming the entire nation into
a fighting machine. Many Of the prin-
oiples Of his previous organization were
wiped out. the whole system OF reserve
troops transformed. the effect being
that In case OF general mobilization the
normal military forces OF the country were
increased sevenfold.
The believers in traditions looked
askance at this revolution and Parliament
had to be almost coeroed into sanctioning
it. but the results Of the present mobiliza-
ton have entirely justified the daring
innovation.
This was. however. only one part Of
the stupendous work which Gen. SavofY
performed during the years lsO2-o7.
Tho armament Of the artillery was entirely
the engineering troops were
for the first time placed on a sound foot
ing and special school was opened for
the training Of reserve officers, which
In the course OF some ten years has sup
piled the army with nearly 5000 officers.
most Of them men Of university and college
education.
Having brought to successful termina- |
ton this herculean programme Gen.
Savoff once more retised in 1908 into
private life. But he did not abandon
his keen interest in the army and quite
has been contributing to various
periodicals sensational articles on the
necessity of appointing in time of peace
a commander in chief who would lead
the armies when the day Of reckoning
came.
Many were of opinion that he was thus
offering his own candidature for that all
important post. and it must be admitted |
that he was proclaimed by all the younger !
Of tho Bulgarian officers as
the future leader of the nation in arms.
His whole career has been long chain |
of daring conceptions and every Bulgarian
nstinctively felt that resolute will
backed by sober calculation could alone
enable the younger kingdom to grapple
with tho mighty problem
which European diplomacy had be-
lueathed to it in 1878.
or all the leaders which the stormy
,vents in Bulgaria during tho last TWENTY
NrNl wan lel IanN l.t.... ul.s