Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-10-22
Won M0LTkE II WORTHY.
OF FATHERS NAME
Misgivings of Military Germans
Dispelled BY Subsequent
Accomplishments.
From the Kansas City Star.

For nine years Von Moltke has been
fh1ef 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 sobriquet of
THE Battle Winner"
His supreme lord. the kaiser, and the
tremendous organization Of 5000, 600 Of
hcers and men which General Won
Moltke heads, at any rate have unal-
loyed confidence in his ability to vindi-
cate the traditions entrusted to his
keeping. Meanwhile, emulating the
habits which rave the onqueror of
France still another popular title, 1.-The
Great Silence Keeper" Won Moltke's
energies are devoted to hammering in
TO stu more deadly perfection the
mightiest war machine the world has
yet known. The victories which the Ger
man army has won in the first six
weeks of war are a striking tribute to
his genius.
Succeeded Count Won SchIieffen.
Won Moltke succeeded a brilliant
soldier. Count Won Schlieffen, at the
general staff on January l, 1906. He
had had a somewhat more than or
binary career in the army up to that
time, Won his lieutenacy and Iron Cross
IN the field as a STRIPPING in the Franco
Pruss1an campaign, and acquitted him
SELF credltably In various grades of the
service until he reached his lieutenant
generally in 1902. But men inside and
outside h army look askance on his
elevation to the post SO long adorned by
Schlfeffen. They declared he owed it
primarily to Emperor Williams passion
TOR the picturesque and a gnawing de-
sire once again to have the magic name
of Moltke at the hea Of the brains
department" of the German army.
Detractors 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 maneuvers"
held under his auspices before he had
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 max splendid cinema films, but
cost the lives of a division in war.
Stopped Maneuver Pyrotechnics.
With the taunts of his rivals ringing
in his ears that he was a kaiser staff
chief" pure n simple, Won Moltke's
first innovation was ruthlessly to oblit-
crate the picturesque from the autumn
A1idiiCoNClo LII SuDSlllulo SuGll10G,
practical operations-night fighting,
forced marches and all the other trap
pings of rear war. Count Schlleffen.
who had opposed William IT'S predilec-
ton for pyrotechnics, had finally to
leave the general staff in disfavor.
Won Moltke. revealing a will 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.
General Won Moltke. born in Neck
lenburg- Schwerin in 1S48, was &C a
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 von 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 the general staff from 1881
until the field marshal's death in 1891.
While escorting the latter to the grave.
Emperor William informed the then
Major Won Moltke that he hRd 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 reginental and divisional
commands in the guards until In 1904
Emperor William created a quarter
master generalship of the general staff.
hitherto filled only in war time, and
designated General Won Moltke to oc-
cupy 1t. The post is that Of vice-chief
and Won Moltke was thenceforth looked
upon as Count Schlieffen's eventual,
successor.
Not a Spectacular Soldier.
Won Moltke's qualities are not of the
dazzling order. Bulky and stocky Of
exterior, with the ungainly outlines of
q Bismarck, blue eyed and blondfsh
gray haired. taciturn to a degree. a