New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02

whelming odds. Perhaps II would De
more correct to state that SUCCESSION
of victories Of this nature was requisite
for the Grand Cross For Field MarsnaI
Moltke only received the Second Class TOT
the early defeat of the French in the war
of 1870. the First Glass after the battle
of Sedan and the Grand Cross after the
equalization Of Paris. Emperor Frederick
then Crown Prince; Prince FREDERICK
Charles. father of the Duchess OF CON-
naught and to whom Metz capitulated;
the late King Albert of Saxony. tleld
Marshal Won Manteuffel, and General Won
Werder were decorated with the Grand
Cross at the close OF the war OF 1871
To-day the King of WurtemberS and the
Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and
of Oldenburg are the only tnree ocCu
pants OF German thrones lett VINO sun
wear the Iron Cross-not however, uis
Grand Cross, nor even the First class,
but the Second Class, which they Won
during the campaign as young suoaiterhs
of cavalry
A SINGLE STAR.
In all the history of the order there has
been only one star thereof awarded, name
". TO old Marshal "Vorwarts,' otherwise
the first Prince Butcher. During the war
of Liberation eliminating with the hrst
capture Of Paris by the allies In 1914. anu
the exile of Napoleon TO Elba, the prince
had won i'm succession the Second CLASS
of the order. the First Class, then the
Grand Cross After the battle Of Water
loo. Frederick William III, at loss what
further reward to bestow upon the most
Successful German commander IN the
Homeric struggle against the great
French Emperor. caused an iron cross to
be affixed 10 a golden star. which he be-
slowed upon Butcher. II was unique OF
its kind, and on his death the ruler OF
Prussia cxacted its return BY the heirs'
and IL now figures as one OF the most III
,eresting OF the many historic relics ana
treasures of the Museum OF the House OF
HohenZolern, in Berlin.
The cross. as I have intimated above, Is
81 ordinary iron. silvered at the edges
and worn with black ribbon. with white
edges, il won on the battlefield, and with
white ribbon with black edeeDf earned
elsewhere In every case. however, the
possession OF the cross indicates heroism
The difference between the crosses of
hundred years ago and those Of the war
Of 1870 is very small. and apparent only
to the initiated. Identical in shape the
cross of the War OF Liberation IL abso-
lutely devoid of any ornament on the
diverse. while on the reverse. in the upper
arm OF the cross. are the Kings initials
IF. W. with the crown. in the centre
three oak leaves. and below the date OF
the foundation, 1913.
THE DESIGN.
The crosses of the war of ls'V sho" on
the diverse the late Emperor Williams
initial "W'' in the centre. with the crown
above and $50" below: and on the re-
verse the triple oak leaf in the centre
with below, 1873. and above, the i. w,
surmounied by the crown, thus linking
the war Of is7o-'7l with that Of lsiS-l5.
In spite Of what has been alleged to the
contrary, the Iron cross has not been
awarded 10 women. either i'm the War OF
Liberation or in that Of 1870. There has
been only one exception. namely, that 81
Augusta Fredcrica krtiger. who won II
ninety-nino years ago as man. IA "A non
commissioned officer Of the fourth COM
pany of the 9th Goldberg Infantry Regi-
ment. Sh. received II for distinguished
bravery I'm the various battle between
Iaon and Parts. I'm 1874. the date OF the
award being June 3 Of that year. and
twelve months later was badly wounded
al the battle Of Waterloo, when her sex
was NJ length discovered.
There Is, however, an order restricted
to women somewhat resembling the Iron
Cross that was originally founded by
Queen Luise. and which was revived by
her daughter-in-iaw. the late Empress
Augusta, In 1S70-1I mainly 10 reward the
services Of those women who had distin-
gu,shed themselves by their care OF the
sick and wounded on the battlefeds and
i'm the ambulances. II was this order OF
IIlisc for services in 1901 that the
American morganatic widow of Prince
Felix salm-Salm WAS won't TO wear when
visiting her native land, where she had
been known prior to her marriage as
Miss Agnes Leclerque, OF Washington. II
was this that was mistaken for the Iron
Cross. Eh-AIlA'
tCopyrlsht. 1918. by the Brentwood Company