Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-17
IELD MARSHAL KOLMAR
X Won DER GOLTZ is the


- worlds latest and most trying
puzzle. What is the aim of this sun-
regenerated member of the Prus-
sian Old Guard?" Is the private
war he is conducting in the north
west corner of Russia only a free
booting scheme on gigantic scale
Is it a covert continuation of Ger
manys plan of aggression eastward?
Or is the reseating of dynasties in
Germany and Russia back of the
grim old field marshaPs defiant en-
deavor?
These questions seemingly remain
unanswered in the sessions of the
Allied council at Paris, where Won
der Goltz's move is causing even
greater annoyance and uneasiness
than the seizure of Fiume of the
| Dreamer-Soldier d'Annunzio. At any
rate Germany has been ordered to
get Won der Goltz out of the Baltic
and has replied that it is unable to
do so. Won der Goltz himself has
returned bitter and insulting replies
! to the Allies orders, refusing to rec
ognize their authority over his &C
tions.
Perhaps the best manner in which
| to gain a line on the motives actu-
ating this old warrior who refuses to
| accept peace is to run back over the
career of Baron Kolmar Won der
| Goltz. He has been a soldier fifty
eight years. AS stripping officer he
| fought in the Franco-Prussian War
and won unusual distinction by his
, skill and almost mad daring. From
that time on he was a marked man.
Bismarck was his devoted friend
and the kaiser, 1t is said. held him
oil Ncf
to a fear, for Won der Goltz was an
irrascible sort, who spoke his OWL
mind and carried out his own will
and ideas with little regard for the
prerogatives of the throne.
Break With the Kaiser
By 1906 Won der Goltz had risen
to the ranking position in the Ger
man army. He was considered one
of the foremost strategists of the
age. Had war come a few years
earlier than 1t did he would have
commanded the German armies
and there are many who hold thai
the German reverse at the Marnt
never would have occurred had the
iron-visaged old field marshal beer
in charge of the Teutonic armies
como under the disapproval of Will
helm. Their break grew out of the
army maneuvers Of that year. Vor
der Goltz, it is said, had contemptu
ously rejected some of the kaiser''
strategic plans in the maneuvers. 81
the next spring Won der Goltz wa
retired. He was still in retiremen
when the Great War broke upol
Europe.
When the German armies reeleC
back in astounded dismay from tn
repulse at the Marne, Won der Colt
was called back into service. H
was given the task of governing Bal
GUM and he proceeded to do tina
Job with all the brutal infiexibilit'
of his nature. But that was a rathe
inconsequental task for a man con
sidered in his day one of the grea
strategists of the world and soon h
was given the assignment Of recon
structing the Turkish army, Ger
manizing it in other words. He ha,
an army that, as result of defea
: in the Balkan War of a few year
} before, had become little more tina
| a rabble. He made it a formidabl
5 army, put German officers in charg
3 of the important units and filled
! with a confidence and fighting abil
t ity that made it a force to be reck
;. oned with. The defense of the Dar
Qan6lleS was Won oSI GOltI . BTSd'
j est feat; he saved the topping &
\ the Teutonic Alliance a full tw
$ years by his work in that cam
i paign.
But Won der Goltz was campaig
: maker along tremendous lines. H
( urged the Germans to launch an al
d tack that would sweep the Britis
It out of Western Asia and woul
e imperil Egypt and India But th
i German general staff temporize
= and the chance was lost. Then h
g appeared as the proponent of tn
e far-flung drive against Russia.
n is said that he was a full year
persuading the general staff that
d should permit Won Hindenburg an
n Mackensen to make the sweepir
IS attack that put Russia out of IL
= war. All this time Won der Colt
Y. the great strategist, the man Bi
n marck had stamped as a man /,
l. marked promise, had to be contel
Is with a more or less obscure con
d mand, had to urge often and som,
Iei times in vain for action upon h
W plans. knowing all the time that ]
e was held back by the hatred of Il
sr vain man in the imperial palace.
With the collapsing of the &c