The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-15
He Had Supported Army In
crease With Considerable
Reluctance.
Reluctance.

By LA MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.
y order to understa nd the Kaiser's
virtual dismissal OF his Minister OF
war. General Won Heeringen, anc
the clean sweep which has been made
OF the heads OF the principal bureaus
of the War Department, 1t is neces-
sary to explain that the bill Just
enacted By the Reichstag, providing
for the considerable Increase OF the
standing army, at enormous expense,
was only supported with a good deal
or reluctance by the dismissed min
lister and MS principal subordinates.
Nhen the measure was first mooted
by General Won Moltke, the chief or
the general staff, 1t was not merely de-
precated oy Won HeerinSen. but actu-
ally opposed. In fact. IL was only at
ter the Kaiser had insisted on the dill
going through, and after IL had re-
ccived the vigorous and enthusiastic
championship Of the Chancellor ana
most Of the other ministers, to whose
advocacy in the Reichstag the success
OF the measure was due.>that the chief
OF the War Department consented to
indorse 1t In a sort of half-hearted
manner.
There has always during the last
ten or fifteen years been a certain
amount OF bad feeling between the
general staff and the War Department
due largely to jealousy and to fears
that the one was usurping the powers
and prerogativcs OF the other. This
has been intensified during the tenure
or office of General Won Heeringen, as
Minister of War. to the manifest dis
advantage of the German army as q
whole
1t is in order TO put an end to this
that the Kaiser has appointed a new
Minister of War in the person of Cen
eral Eric Won Falkenhayn, whom
American officers that took part in the
international expedition in China in
1900 for the relief Of the besieged
legations at Picking will recall as a
particularly popular major. serving on
the staff Of Field Marshal Count Wal
dersee. General Won Falkenhayn is
the ninetieth Cabinet minister appoint
ed since the accession of Emperor Will
liam a quarter of n century ago; from,
which 1t will be seen that the terms
of Cabinet office are not unduly pro-
longed at Berlin. 1t is only fair to
add that those OF the Ministers of War
have been much longer than In the
case OF the heads OF the other depart
ments.
General Won Falkenhayn is a rela-
lively young inau of the age of fifty
two. and. during his military career,
put in three years OF service In China
as military instructor OF the Euro
pean-trained army there. He Is very
agreeable and tactful. with singularly
charming manners, making friends
everywhere, which was not the case
with his predecessor in office, and 1t
may be recalled that his elder brother.
General Eugene Won Falkenhayn, was
the chief mentor and military gov
ernor of the crown prince and of his
brother, Prince Eitel from their tenth
year until they attained manhood.
The new Minister of War is warm
personal friend OF General Won Moltke.
chief of the general staff, and in
thorough sympathy with all his views,
and it is worthy of note that the new
heads Of bureaus IN the War Depart
mcnt are all very much younger men
than those whom they have suppressed
cd. and are, moreover, in close touch
with the general staff; SO that there
is likely to be henceforth complete
harmony between these two great
branches OF the administration of the
German army.