The Washington herald., 1914-09-27

royal house Of cards from the impend-
ing crash by allying himself with the
enemy, seized Rome and marched north
on having the French soldiers in Italy
join him in defense of france, had to
march them against his foolish and un-
grateful brother-in-law.
The deseFtion of his old comrade in
arms, whom he had found in a tavern
stable and had made King, was
painful thrust, but the treachery OF his
own sister, Queen Caroline, was the most
unkindest cut of all. The conduct of
Murat," he said, lis infamous, but the
conduct of the Queen has no name"
Still another blow was dealt him in his
old marshals. when Bernadotte took from
him the last of his allies. The Crown
Prince Of Sweden, forehanded in picking
up the wreckage, moved upon Denmark.
which was compelled to renounce its al
lance with France and cede Norway to
Sweden and Helgoland 10 England.
The ill-wind that was driving the en-
pire on the rocks. however, blew open
poleon no sooner saw Rome in the hands
of Murat than he started the prisoner of
Fontainebleau on his homeward journey
TO the Eternal City. that he might
der" Another prisoner also profted by
the misfortunes Of the empire, Ferdinand
being liberated from his captivity of
nearly six years to return to Spain and
over the ballast from his sinking ship.
but too late to keep it afioat-
NapOleon's Plan of Defense.
The allies concentrated behind the
Rhine in early December for an imme-
diate invasion Of France They had en-
rolled 10000 Russians and zoo Nus
trfans, 1000 Prussians and 10000 Ger
mans from other states, which, with
1000 Swedes, enabled them to count
upon a grand total of $50, 900 troops. They
did not choose to wait, however. to as
semble those great masses, but deter
mined to open a winter campaign with
$4,000 men, while the Emperor yet had
no more than 5000 troops at the French
border.
were then no neutral. buffer states be-
tween Germany and France, for Holland
and Belgium had been swallowed up in
The empire. whose frontier included not
only everything on the left bank of the
Rhine, but also ran beyond the Elbe.
Lying on his maps in the Tuileries
Napoleon studied the problem Of defend
ing the French frontier. The allies, he
calculated, would come in three armies.
Bulow would attempt TO march through
Holland and Belgium, but he would op-
pose him by concentrating at Antwerp
and and marching against his eommnisa-
general in command in the Netherlands
will never throw himself on Belgium
so long as you can place yourself be-
tween nlln anu DTeOd anu Can IndFCn on
Gorkum." ?. -s---'1 >
A SECOND army under Blucher might
come through Luxembourg, moving on
the River Meuse. II 80, Macdonald
Charleroi, defend those towns and the
river and follow the right flank Of the
invading corps, thus covering the de-
bouches of Paris, while Marmont should
maneuver between Thionville, Marsal
and Metz. observing and, IT, possible,
containing the invadeE. But IL driven
over the Moselle he should throw a di-
vision in the fortress Of Metz and an
Paris. II. on the other hand, Blucher
turned by the lower Meuse to threaten
Belgium, Macdonald should defend the
river, while Marmont should follow the
left flank of the enemy and do him the
utmost harm possible" :.
The third, or more properly. the main
allied army, under SchvarzeHbe-g, would
come through the Vosges, Napoleon
Belfont and marching on Auxonne- To
meet that body, the Emperor ordered
Ney at Nancy and -Epinal, Mortier al
Langres, and Victor in the Vosges to
cade them, assemble there the National
Guards, the Field Guards, the Forest
Guards and volunteers" but should the
enemy penetrate into the interior in
force, those three corps are to close the
road TO him and always cover the high
way TO the capital After having retard-
ed the enemy and disputed the ground.
he should actually march on Paris,
they could arrive before him."
Such was the NapoIeonic plan for the
oetense OF the French frontier and capi-
tai But II was not destined to be put
70 practical test. for the Emperor was
asking his marshals to make war WITH
out soldiers. From his lifelong habit OF
oeceiving the enemy, he seemed now to
De the victim Of sef-deception and at
least appeared to believe that nis own
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