The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
EUROPEAN WAR PERSONALITIES.
By WILLIAM ATHERToN DU PUY.
The Ghost of MetI.

While Germany's spectacular dash was
being pushed into France, and while the
! campaign that followed was being fought
there sat at Metz the gaunt figure OF
Field Marshal Won Heeringen, chief OF
the general stan. A great chess player
is this cadaverous individual who knows
more about the strategic features OF the
French border than does any other man
] in the world. A lean man who sleeps
| little at night, he is accustomed to wake
with the dawn and call for his chess
board. With his back against the wall,
he sits on his rough bunk and, for half
an hour is buried in the intricacies OF
the movement Of his chessmen. So, for
thirty years, has his mind been, each
/ day, directed into the groove that fits
it for the problems of moving armies
about the war chessboard that lies be-
tween Berlin and Paris.
Won Heeringen Is not always in Metz,
! though his heart is always there. There
| is another spare room in Berlin where
wars are actually made and in which as
semble fve men when diplomacy has
failed This room is at the headquarters
| OF the general staf and about its table,
not long ago, gathered those men, who
are admitted into its deliberations. The
| Kaiser sat at the head of the table. The
| Minister of War. the Naval Minister, the
Minister OF Railways. the Chief OF the
General STAFF were there. The time had
come for the movement Of Germany
fforces The plans had been worked out
| years before, but these men discussed
the actual going into action. the necessity
OF crossing Belgium, the probability Of
England's course. From this room the
! campaign was set in motion.
Then Won Heeringen went to Metz, that
German fortress that was the center Of
the Franco-Prussian war forty-four years
ago, and from which the pawns are be-
ing moved in the present conflict. The
chief of stan loves his Metz above all
4 things His whole life has been centered
about It. Early he was recognized as a
great strategist and called into that in
ner circle OF some 200 men, who go to
make up the brains OF the German war
machine This general staff is entirely un-
der the control OF the royal family. Most
efficiently organized and conducted il
draws unto itself genius that il may
use from many sources. Dhe mechanic
with the knack for creating new war
materials, the scientist who may keep
the fighters healthy, the industrial genius
who may provide the sinews of war.
the strategist who may fight campaings,
all /have places in the general stan.
| Presiding over these sits the gaunt figure
whose heart is in the fortress at Metz.
! Won Heeringen is today playing the
role that was the part OF Helmuth Won
Moltke in the Franco-Prussian war. He
is peculiarly adapted to the part OF
+. the old master in appearance. Won Heer-
ingen is tall and lean as was Won Moltke.
He is silent and austere, dyspeptic, and
erractic. laconic and Unconditional He has
only chess as a diversion and only Metz
as an object Of affection.
u Won Heeringen is known among the
men Of the garrison as the ghost Of
Metz Through the years he has sat
over his chessboard and evolved eXpedi-
tions from this center. Probably it-Eould
be a night sally and dash toward the
border. Upon conceiving the idea the
chief Of staff would proceed to Demon
strate its possibilities or lack OF them.
Perhaps alone or with a squad of a
dozen men he would start at midnight
to determine whether or not a given
outpost could be struck at dawn. Afoot
and at the head OF his squad the silent
general would push forward through rain
or snow. by the route that must be fol-
lowed On other occasions he would gal
: lop wildly into the post at midnight over
some other route. OF late even the aero
plane has taken its place in his expert
mental campaigns and he knows exactly
and by experience how quickly a mes
sage can be delivered in Berlin or Paris.
He has made these trips. His unexpected,
nocturnal appearances in these expert
ments have gained him the title OF the
ghost"
When the German army started to
Paris it was the ghost OF Metz" who
sat by the Chessboard and made the
moves. The Kaiser came often in per
son to look over his shoulder and the
crown prince fell under his immediate
direction. But none questioned the mas
terry of the dried up, limping, sleepless
| man who moved the pawns.
The CorteIyOu of Russia.
NJ Kokovtsov is the premier Of Rus
sia- In addition he is secretary OF the
, treasury of that the richest country In
, Europe. He is the president of the
, council of ministers and the actual head
: Of the government, so it is evident that
he is an individual who has no little
' to do with the present great crisis.
Yet the premier is neither statesman
nor politician. Born in a nation ruled
by autocrats. he is unromanticaIly mid
die class. Called TO positions Of vast
responsibility. he has steadily advanced
not because he has done brilliant work
but because he has made no mistakes
He is the Cortelyou of Russia He has
pushed up from obscurity in the de
partmental service to one post after an
other. while more brilliant men have
, gone into the discard. He has held or
to his high Office by the lack of color
in his personality and the lack of ag-
, gressiveness in his acts.
. Likewise he has kept alive in the most
, dangerous post in the world. NJ. Stolypin
his predecessor. came to dissolution al
, the hands of an anarchist. 1t is tht
end that is normally to be expected by
. a Russian premier. Yet the suavity Of
. NJ Kokovtsov is such that even tbs
/. Nihlists have not interefed with him
> The premier received his position be
cause the Gar does not like to see new
, faces about him. The Gar is alway:
-. greatly annoyed when he has to disturb
the conditions that exist in his officia
: family. For this reason it often hap
pens that one man holds two or three
: posts. Stoiypin had been head of tht
government and minister Of the interior
The present premier was secretary Of the
treasury. and, when advanced to tht
4 head of the government, retained thai
post. To be sure. this left the post Of
l the interior to be filed. but the Czal
feet at ease and of this there is a rather
D interesting story
The Car was travelling in one of tht
provinces when his premier was assas
o sinated. All those satellites who revolvet
about him lamentcd the irreparable los:
to the nation. taking that this was 'ht
key that would appeal to the Gar. But
as a matter OF fact. the Car dislilSeC
the murdered Stolypin and therefore car
ed little for hearing him praised. OF al
the men he met at the time. but ont
1 sounded a different note. This was on