The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
FATE OF GENERALS WHO HAVE
MET DEFEAT ON BATTLEFIELDS
Kaiser Ruthless in Treat.
ment of Leaders Who
Fail to Fulfil His Ex-
pectations - Surrender
Alone Unfor Civ a b lie
Military Sin

OF those English in South Africa who
fought against him to the proud posi-
ton OF their Premier: and he has been
accepted as such with enthusiasm and
with ,okens OF warm approval 10y the
Fritish Crown and by the British Gov
erninent and people.
Even those English commanders who
met with crushing reverses in the Boer
war, such as Sir Redvers Butler, Sir
Charles Warren and Lord Methuen,
were most generously remembered by
their sovereign in the way of rewards
and by their countrymen with manlfes-
tations Of sympathy, undiminshed pop
ularity and esteem. This was partic-
ularly the case with Lord Metbuen
His name was associated with disaster
after disaster, and when superseded In
his command he asked only permission
to remain In the field until the end OF
the struggle, content to undertake any
work assigned to him, regardless OF
his seniority in rank. A peer OF the
realm. Of large fortune, with beautl-
full country seat In England and
charming family. he plodded away. per-
forming the most wearisome duties. I'M
dergolng all sorts of fatigues and hard
ships quietly and uncomplainngly, do
ing his best both for his country and
for the men under his order. Finally
shortly before the close OF the war the
troops under his command were am
pushed and routed. he himself being
very badly wounded. crippled for life
and taken prisoner Yet on the restora-
ton OF peace he was rewarded with
the Grand Cross of the Order of the
Bath. some years later received the
command In chief OF the British forces
IN South Africa and wound up his mill
tary career with the baton of Field
Marshal, although he had not a single
victory but only "A long series of de-
feats TO his credit as General
This goes TO show that there is balm
for those commanders who have failed
to achieve success and that there are
rewards not only for the victors but also
for the vanquished, always providing
that the latter have borne themselves
CALAMITY. The names of the defeated
Generals are necessarily associated with
the victorious ones In the record of the
battle. and time. which rights so many
wrongs and furnishes the perspective
needed for sound and sober judgment,
deals so considerably with the unstc-
cessful commanders that their names
are ofttimes held in more kindly re-
membrance and retain stronger hold
upon the imagination OF the people
than those Of the leaders 20 whom they
have succumbed. or course the latter
In measure contribute TO this condition
Of affairs. For in the first place chiv-
airy demands consideration for a gal
liant but unfortunate foe, and then any
attempt to deprecate his merits would
necessarily diminish, at any rate in the
eyes of the public, the value Of the sue
cess achieved
Perhaps the greatest ovation ever
offered To defeated commander was
To Emperor Francis Joseph, who on
Tuesday last celebrated his eighty
fourth birthday. When he returned to
Vienna in 1859. after the terrible re-
verses OF his army at the battle of Sol
ferino. where he had assumed personal
command-the defeat entailing the loss
to Austria of all her possessions in
northern ltaly-he was hailed by his
people with even more en-, huslastlc tok-
ems of profound affection and loyal de-
votion than those accorded to him when
he had ridden forth from his capital to
what all his people believed would prove
TO be victory for Austrian arms. His
people realized that he had done his
utmost for them.