TWO DISADVANTAGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 41, 5 October 1914, Page 4

TWO DISADVANTAGES.

U was said that tho German Army would enter a great war under two disadvantages—its conservative methods of attack and the eagerness of the Kaiser to direct operations. If it is true, as reported, that the Kaiser is commanding in person on the Russian frontier, we shall see whether one part of this statement was justified. Expert opinion does not seem to rate the Kaiser highly as a general, the military correspondent of the Christchurch Press says. He loves showy movements, particularly cavalry charges. He likes to take command at manoeuvres, and he invariably wins. Once he commanded one side and then the other, and scored two victories. Whatever German officers may think of his generalship, nothing is said. It is not easy to criticise even the most modest of raonarchs, and the Kaiser has a great opinion of his ability as a gen-

©ral. One of the ablest generals in I Germany was retired because he cri-. ticised his Emperor’s idea|.| The | Kaiser is Comamnder-in-Chiei, fe as his grandfather was in the war of 1870, but not until the history of the war is written will he know whether he is as wise as King William I. was in allowing his able advisers a pretty free hand. The King was in supreme command in ]B< 0, but the strategy was Von Moltke’s.