The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-10-22
Won MOLTKE Il WORTHY
OF FATHERS NAME
Misgivings Of Military Germans
Dispelled BY Subsequent
Accomplishments.
From the Kansas CITY Star.

Twin NAO AAo - 1N1Ns "a. .#
For nine years Won Moltke has been
chief OF the great general staff Of the
German army. The decisive arbitrament
OF the present campaign will be neces-
sary to determine whether Gen. Hell
muth Won Moltke, nephew OF the "Or-
ganizer OF Victory" Is entitled to his
celebrated uncle's other s~obriQuet of
The Battle Winner"
Els supreme lord. the kaiser, and the
tremendous organization Of 5000, 900 Of
1cers and men which General Won
Moltke heads. at any rate have n
loyed confidence IN his ability to vindi-
cate the traditions entrusted to his
keeping. Meanwhile, 'emulating the
habits which gave the conqueror Of
France still another popular title, The
Great Silence Keeper" Won Moltke's
energies are devoted to hammering in
to still more deadly perfection the
mightiest war machine the world has
man army has won in h first six
weeks of war are a striking tribute to
his genius.
Succeeded Count Won S~chIieffen.
Won Moltke succeeded a brilliant
soldier. Count Won Schlieffen, at the
general staff on January l, 1905. He
had had a somewhat more than or
binary career in the army up to that
time, won his lieutenacy and Iron Cross
AA ~ bOAu 10 a 49, RAAA6 ~ AN - 1AASN
Prussian campaign, and acquitted him
self creditably in various grades of the
service until he reached his lieutepant-
generalcy in 1902. But men inside and
outside the army look askance On his
elevation to the pos SO long adorned by
Schlieffen. They declared he owed II
primarily to Emperor Williams passion
for the picturesque and a gnawing de-
sire ono again to have the magic name
OF Moltke at the head of the brains
department" Of he German army.
DetIactors were destined to have
their skepticism dramatically under
mined. Having scoffed at Won Moltke
as a decorative figure, they rubbed their
eyes over the first Kaiser maneuyers"
held under his auspices before he mad
been at the general staff 10 months. The
great autumn mimic campaign for
years past had been distinguished by
operations which that oft quoted mar
shall Of France would have called mag
nificent, but not war" The kaiser had
an uncomfortable passion for thrilling
cavalry charges over bare fields, which
would make splendid cinema films, but
cost the lives Of q division In war.
Stopped Maneuver Pyroteehnics.
With the .taunts of his rivals ringing
in his ears that he was q kaiser stan
chief pure and simple, Won Moltke's
first innovation was ruthlessly to oblit-
crate h picturesque from the autumn
maneuvers and substitute guelling,
practical operations-night fighting,
forced marches and all the other trap
pings OF real war. Count Schlleffen,
who had opposed William lis predilec-
ton for pyrotechnics, had finally to
leave the general staff in disfavor.
Won Moltke, revealing a win Of steel,
succeeded speedily where his eminent
predecessor had failed. His growth in
the esteem Of the army was consistent
and rapid thenceforth. That the Ger
man army today Is essentially work
manlike" is to a large degree the
achievement Of its present chief Of
staff. r .-..
General Won Moltke, born in Neck
lenburg- Schwerin in 1S4S, was &c years
old in May, 1914. He Is often mistaken
ly called Count Won Moltke, for the
title of count, conferred on his great
ancestor in 1870. on the day Metz fell,
was inherited by the elder brother Of
the present Moltke, General Count
Wilhelm Won Moltke, and ceased with
the latter's death a few years ago. The
organizer Of victory" whose wife was
an English woman. Miss Burt, had no
children. General Helmuth Won Moltke
served as adjutant to his distinguished
uncle at h general stan from 1881
until the field marshaPs death in 1891.
While escorting the latter to the grave,
Emperor William informed the then
Major Won Moltke that he had decided
to elevate him to the rank OF a per-
sonal aide-de-camp. Five years of
service in the kaiser's encourage were
succeeded by regimental and divisional
commands in the guards until In 1904
Emperor William. created q quarter
master ~generalship of the general star,
hitherto filled only In war time, and
designated General Won Moltke to oc-
cupy it. The post is that Of vice-chief
and Won Moltke was thenceforth looked
upon as Count S~chlieffen's eventual
successor.
Not a Spectacular Soldier.
Won Moltke's qualities are not of the
exterior, with the ~ungainly outlines Of
q Bismarck. blue eyed and blondish
gray haired taciturn to a degree, a