The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-10-11
THe kAIsER,s COMMANDERS

/ 49, ANfff~A-tA - ~'hS
The reported "shake-up" among the
high commanders of the German mill
tary forces needs confirmation to JUS
tify any conclusions that might be
drawn from it. but the circumstantial
Ity of he report gives It considerable
cie1ence The rumor that the kaiser
has displaced the chief of the general
| STAFF. Count Helmuth Won Moltke. Is
however. in a different category from
the report of changes in other com
mands, and is hardly, IN the absence
of better authority than it has thus
far shown, to be credited 1t may be
admitted that the Won Moltke Of ~.
aay is not to be raDhed with his IS
tlnguished uncle, who directed the tri-
umph OF German armies in 1901,
and it is even probable that he is
surpassed in ability by a number OF
commanders In the field with the Ger
man forces today but no one mind
controls the military policy of the
great war machine that has been con
structed with such infinite care dur
ing the past forty years, and the chief
OF the general staff is but the admin
lstratlve head of system in which
many elements are combined. In a
practical sense the personality OF the
chief of the general staff is not mat
ter of supreme Importance, as long
as there is no assumption or attempt
ed assumption OF arbitrary powers
by him, and Count Won Moltke, ac-
cording to all accounts, is a man Of
n Oldest disposition and in no measure
given to self exaltation The emperor
H. the only man who might be expect
ed to undertake imposition of his in
dividua will upon an opposing coup-
sci, but it has been shown in the civil
AFFAIRS of the empire that upon neces-
sary occasion, the kaiser can be con
trolled by his ministers, and it Is a
reasonable conclusion that the militia.
ry caste to which he Is devoted Is
strong enough TO assert its common
will against the opinion OF any one
man, even though he be the emperor
tho displacement of the chief of the
general staff at the present stage OF
the campaign would be taken newt
ably as q declaration OF dissatisfaction
with the whole course OF the war and
that, in the face of what has been
achieved by German arms and especi
ally OF what has been claimed for and
Is believed by the people Of the EN-
pire OF the prowess of the army, coult
not fail to produce most unhappy ef
feet, TO be compensated for only ~
fe8Gita that could not be expected
from The change in the personality o
the head of the war council The III
NOR Of the displacement of Count Voi
Noltke therefore, may be dismissed
as eanard,
This reasoning would apply will
much diminished force If Mt all. t.
the other changes that have been re
ported and the significance of an,
That may have been made may be &C
tGally negligible If there has bee
anything like a general shifting, how
ever, of the field commanders of tn
German forces. the fact 10 impor
tant enough TO induce inquiry MS t,
It's cause AS far as outside observe
ton is possible through the thick vel
drawn by the censor over the opera
tions Of the war, the German stratt
gy and taettcs have been generally o
very high order. II there has bee
any falling away from the standard
imposed by the genius of the wonder
full system upon which the empire ha
pinned it's hope and upon which it ha
stahed its very existence in this 81
preme adventure il would he NOR
than interesting to know in what Re
spect and what points it has al
peared.
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