New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-17
CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
The Rising Tide of War Books-Bernhard'
Again-Men Around the Kaiser-Lon-
don's Historic Continuance

well
/ From an American publisher alone
/ the George II. Doran Company-we
are 10 have an entire series OF BOOKS
on the subject, presenting both the
Allied and the German-Austrian posi-
/ tons. II will deal with the diplomacy
+ leading up TO the war, but also WIN
/ the opposing armies, their organiza-
/ ton and equipment, and with the
, actual struggle in the feld. we are
| to have books on the German ana me
/ Russian army from within. on ne
/ Fleets at War" Aviation" and the
campaign around Liege, but also on
/ the Red Cross, the Austro- Servlan
deadlock. which was the immediate
cause of the conhagration, and on IT'S
remote ethical aspects, as IN prom
/ ised volume by Arnold Bennett, on
! Liberty" The comprehensiveness OF
/ the series is perhaps best indicated
/ by the fact that its initial volume IS
! General Won Bernhardis latest DooK,
"How Germany Makes War"
This is. in reality, condensed YER
I sion of the famous German military
writer's highly technical "0n War OF
To-day" published in 1911. Adapted
/ to the comprehension of the layman.
| the book requires, nevertheless, serl-
| Gus and close study. Its essence Is
here. its discussion of war as II has
come TO be conditioned b. the enor-
nous armies employed, by the range
and power of modern artillery, and the
resources of modern means OF com
munication and transport, especially
the motor car But beyond all this,
Bernhard seeks a Superior principle
OF action" the one advantage possible
where opposing armies must be as
sumed to be approximately equal IN
numbers, discipline. equipment and
mobility. Numerical superiority per
~ the author does not consider an
insuperablc advantage, rather the re-
verse, unless the numbers are mex
haustible and available without the
loss of time. The deciding superior
principle he finds, first of all, at head
quarters, in strategy. On the other
hand, he holds that, once major tao
tics steps in, the supreme command
must allow it's generals greater lib
crty of action than ever before. His dis
cussion Of the weaknesses as well as
the strength Of p nation unoer arms,
of morale after the first shocks, when
reserves ere called upon, is highly
suggestive. The weakness of France,
be holds, lies Just there, because she
will be obliged 10 mobilize practically
all her available mer al the outbreak
Of hostilities. He considers the Of
fensive the greatest asset of modern
warfare the defensive more danger
Gus than ever before in the history OF
war.
Especially worth while are his criti-
cisms OF the strategy and tactics OF re-
cent wars, Of the English in South
Africa, for instance, whose fault was
the extreme Capitalization of com
mand, which left the generals in the
field no liberty of action. 1t is curious
to learn that in 1866 the Prussian Cen
eral Staff failed utterly to comprehend
Moltke's strategy, the corps command
ers frustrating it utterly in the be-
lief that they were doing their utmost
best
The question has been asked why
General Won Bernhard has been per-
mitted by the German military author
tiles to write 30 freely about the prob
lens of this inevitable war. The ex-
PLANTATION will probably be found in the
fact that, after all, what he so openly
discusses in his books must have been
as we'll known to the strategists OF
France, England and Russia as to the
German General Staff itself obvious
facts and problems with which Europe's
miltarisms were known to be occu-
pied. Furthermore, II IS plain that
Bernhard has betrayed no real secrets.
If, in Germany and the Next war,
he outlined the first plan Of campaign
which failed under the shadow or
Paris, he said not word about that
second plan which is now being carried
out On the Aisne, from Lorraine to
the North Sea. In this new book OF
his there is not word about the
monster guns which have proved 10 be
the first great German surprise Of the
war Won Bernhard, in fact, assumed IN
1911 that no artillery could be found
capable Of reducing modern fortifica-
tions. Is there method in this? lie
speaks rather disparagingiy OF the
| Zeppelins, vet there is a growing I'M
preston that they will prove third
surprise, even as the German sub
marine has proved the second. The
wisdom is already perceptible Of the
authors opinion that politics will for
bid the utter destruction OF an enemy
who may be useful as an ally at tut
ure date.
"Men Around the Kaiser" was origi-
rally written in celebration OF the
/ lWNuNA min anniversary VI VIZ D'A'
perors rule, when he was hailed as
the preserver of the peace of the
world. 1t is now reissued with new
introduction by the author, which
furnishes an interesting contrast with
his earlier preface. As for the studies
of these "men around the Kaiser"
whom Mr.. Willie now calls the "war
makers Of modern Germany" they re-
tain their interest, and even acquire
new value. the leaders of art and
science and industry as well as the
warriors by sea and land. There Is
here. for instance, q sketch of August
Thvssen, the German Carnegie who
obtained a concession for private
harbor at Rotterdam early this year,
an incident which is now forgotten
but which at the time stirred up a
connection in England. Bethmsnn-
Vollweg, Won Tirpitz, Won Rooster, Won
der Goltz. Count Bernstorf. Won ia
cow. Zeppelin, the Crown Prince, Del
brueck. these are among the great hg-
ures of the hour sketched vigorously
with the pen Of an exceptionally able