Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-04-15
Modern Generalship
Frederick Palmer in oOiusr's.

n, ENERALsHIP today is about as much like
VI eralship Of Napoleon's time as two-old-cat like
major league game. The general who watches
the battle hill will be blown bits by artillery
fire. I've a general horse in this
II he travels. it is in automoblei ana he
travels very little. He sits in front Of map covered
with blue and red-pencied lines OF the trenches and
the enemies. A dozen experts around him-each
specialist He is but the chairman OF the council, the
silent who listens. The others plan and organ
ize; he mods. Photographs from aeropanes tell him
the changes each day in the trenches He works with
a card-ndex system of lives and material An expert
in brigade command decides whether It's practioa-
BILE to gain few trenches the division staff decides
TO let the brigade commander try perhaps carries
II to the corps staff which in turn It on
to the great staff Joffre Won Hindenburg sits
on the lid. He must keep his mind on the great
main object; he must not bother with details; and he
must never never lose his head.
OF Joffre they say that when reinforcements
demanded he IL always slow TO respond Yet they
always arrive IL they needed In day have
seen 6oooo French troops pass q single line Of
railway. for they may be sent very rapidly when
necessary.
Joffre II not caught mapping. though he always
sleeps his eight hours day. Won Hindenburg seems
never perpexed. never rushed though he has struck
such telling and sudden blows
Where Napoleon threw in 1000 reserves and from
his horse watched them double past to change the
tide Of battle Won Hndenburg throws 10000 men
railroad trains in the night into East Prussia, and
everastngly surprises and overwhelms the Russians
Meanwhile, in what seemed fierce and desperate
attempt TO break through in OF warsaw he was
only feintine. But he did not make a half feInt
II cost him 1000 5000 casualties The allied news
papers were rejoicing in his repuise before warsaw
when he was preparing his coup in East Prussia.
Some Germans who were taken prisoners in front n
warsaw had on their persons copies or orders ind-
eating that the frontal attacks were to be pressed
Perhaps these Germans fell prisoners very easily.
Again in December, copy Of appeal by Joffre
to French soldiers saying the time had come to
drive the enemy out of France by e supreme effort
was taken on French prisoners. Now the German
staff could tell whether this was a ruse or not
Joffre did begin attacking in TO indicate
| he might be about to launch a general attack. The
Germans had to hurry up their reserves But all
Joffre was aiming to do to hold the Germans off
from the Russians at critical moment Jeffre had
to lose as for this object Napoleon lost
| In Of his battles.
Yes It takes Of steel and a heart Of steel
TO be great modern general directing hundreds Of
| other generals and this war is a big game played
| behind curtain of military secrecy. with too many
elements at work to form hard and fast judgments.
] notice that most Of the people who were marking
| the positions tho map with flags aren't very
| busy The changes have not been swift and ex-
citing those of a fast ball game. Indeed the flags
at times seem to have frozen in place this winter
until the Russians flung out OF East Prussia in
February. The war has gone far enough to permit
certain conclusions
At the start the world thought that It was cinch
Tor the allies They spoke Of three nations against
| one, overlooking Austria Germany's ally The
enormous bulk of Russia filled the worlds eye Russia
had mililons and millions OF However. there
are millions and millions OF bushels OF wheat growing
| In the United States and Canada but they ara not
yet ready for market Germany could be fully mo-
biliEed in three weeks; Russia in three menths
The confederate General Forrest. when was asked
what made great general said Getting there frs,
| with the most menu Germany got there first with
l. TO most mainland with the best armament But II
Eight month"; after the war nobody is a winner
Every people in the war Is disappointed with results
Tho Sritish hoped 20 see the German navy come cut
II id not come They thought that while the French
army held the German, the Russian would 20 TO Ber-
I'm hlsiishmen had great confidence in the Russian
rNss; 80 had the Russians. Austria thought IL could
win decisive victory the Russian before II
was fully modified, Germany thought the Austrian
could hold the Russian for at least two months Ger.
many was certain it could crush the French army
getting a separate peace from France and fhen tnrr
and wallop Russia that It would also Yield a
separate peace Every nation buoyed up by the
national esoism OF belief In racial superiority
England had no idea that Il would be putting 3
million and perhaps two million. men in the field
France or Germany or Austria had none that eieb
months afterward IL would be calling to the color,
men OF over 40.
Though Germany thought il could crush France
unk am right in saying that before the war q
majority OF the members OF the German staff IL the,
could give frank opinion with the certainty Il woIt
not be made public. would have said that n Fren,l
army corps and German army corps were set &c
march 100 miles to gain strategic point the French
would arrive first and probably beat the Germans
Never! neverl" l hear German civilians nro
claim P''
But II Is only when you talk with expert nro,a.
sonal soldersNth that you get at the facts It's ,he
duty not to let patriotic fervor altogether inerfe,,
with their judgments
The first phase OF the was that first rush vvher
the Germans set their trenches on foreign soil IN fu
hhowedse OK the power of modern arms In the de
fensive; the second the winter campaign. IN,
third approaches with the spring when the allies viii
try 10 put them back