Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-06
THE GENIUSES OF NINE AND NINETY
Some of the Worlds Heroes of Achievement Began Early
Life and Worked Late-Fame and the Ages of the
Famous-An Inquiry Without an Answer
By LUKE GUARDIAN

IF ADMIRAL Won TIRPITZ, creator of
i the German navy, should be superseded
In the office of Minister of Marine by Admiral
Hugo Won Pohl, chief of staff of the Ad-
miralty, the change will not be made for the
sake OF putting younger man on the Job
because he is younger. They say that Tir-
pitt is Ill and they say he is old but he was
In his 65th year when the present war broke
out, and he has showed not a little vigor, to
put 1t mildly In the year that has Just
passed. The Kaiser has a general working
at the western headquarters who is so years
Of age-Count Gottlieb Won Haeseler. But
we were talking of the post of Minister of
Marine. Admiral Pohl is so.
He was 21 when he became a lieutenant in
the Imperial German navy, and three years
later he was made first lieutenant. This
man, whose name is mentioned with increas-
ing frequency In the news dispatches, is one
of the very few commanding German naval
authorities who before the outbreak of hos
tiiities in 1914 had been on board German
ship when it exchanged actual shots of war.
The only opportunity Germany had had to
try out her navy after Won Tirpitz had
renovated It was at the forts of Taku,
China, in 1900. when the Boxers were active.
Admiral Pohl is extremely popular with the
Kaiser and wears, a gift from his sover-
eign, the medal of the second class with
black, Order of the Crown.
Active Old Men
These sexagenarians of the German navy
are by no means the only men In the war
dispatches TO remind us Of the Oslerian age
limit. Doctor Osler spoke half In Jest and
no wonder, when we consider the ages of
Won Hindenburg 50; Won Buelow. 70; Won
-
ensen, 65; Won Kluck, 81; Emperor Francis
Joseph, S5; Joffre, "a; Pau, 70; Kitchener 65;
French, SO; Fisher, 70. Foch is "a; Manourny
IS; d'Amade, go; Cadorna, e5; Caneva, 70. Sir
Henry Jackson, First Sea Lord Of the Brit
ish Admiralty, is 6O General Hamilton, in
command at the Dardanelles, is So. Premier
Asquith is SO; Balfour, 81; Lansdowne, TO-
Thus we might go on with a list OF sexa-
genarians, septuagenarians. even octogen-
arians. who are active figures today in
European affairs.
So to paraphrase Shakespeare, what's in
an age7 At Paganini was composing
sonatas; at 81 Michelangelo was complet-
ing the great cupola of st. Peters Refer
ring TO the history of past wars, we find
that:
Nelson. Blake Farragut and Dewey were
beyond threescore when they achieved their
fame. Won Moltke at 70 won the battle of
Sedan. oyama won his greatest victories
over Russia when he was past 60 Cromwell
was unknown at 40, which is hardly remark
able. Washington was 4S when he took COM
mand OF the Continental army but 2s when
he became the hero OF the famous Braddock
expedition Caesar was SO when he crossed
the Rubicon and 55 when he sent his laconio
message from Asia Minor: "I came. I saw. I
conquered" But Alexander was only p
when he stood at the head Of his army on
the plains OF Thessaly, and the conaueror
of the world was dead at 49, Napoleon
crossed the Alps into Italy at the age of 80.
In the field OF statesmanship, Gladstone
and Bismarck were the controlling powers
in the European politics when both were
more than 76 years old Gladstone won a great
political triumph at 80 and was made Pre-
mier at SO. Palmerstons death al the age
OF 81 came when he was serving as Premier
Prince Ito was at the zenith Of his power
when he was assassinated. He was then 80
Theirs, President OF France. was so when he
achieved his great diplomatic victory over
Bismarck But william Pitt was elected 10
Parliament at 21. and was Prime Minister
while still in his 25th year wliberforce en-
tered Parliament at 2l. At % Clay was a
member OF the Constitutional Convention of
Kentucky, and at 20 was appointed to mi out
a term In the United States Senate. Alexang
der Hamilton was II when he made a stir
ring speech at meeting OF American pa-
triots In New York IN l774 ana 10 when a.
commander OF an artillery company he per-
formed work which drew him the special
attention OF General Washington But Of
Americans We shall speak again further on.
II e In music that We look Tor the youth