1870 AND 1914.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 71, 13 August 1914, Page 4

1870 AND 1914.

I It is interesting to compare tin; first move* of the opposing armies in IS7O and ill 1914. In the former year. France was tlie aggressor. and though she tail nominally 5G7,000 men'available, actual-, lv there were only 330.000 French soldiers to oppose Prussia's 500,000. In iuldition to this handicap, the French troops were badly equipped! to a large extent were unfamiliar with the new Shassifort rifle, and with a few conspicuous exceptions the oflicers wire (|iiite unfitted for their positions. On the otlicr hand, the Prussians were well armed, well drilled, capably lead, and had tlie master mind of von Moltke, whose genius as a military organiser and strategist, is recognised as being m tihe forefront of tlie world's most notable soldiers. In 1870, France struck tlic first blow by attacking the enemy at Saarbrucken with a force of :!ll!!0 against 1000 Prussians, who had to retire, and this so-called victory made Paris insane with joy, but the dream soon ended when the Crown Prince (the present Kaiser's father) arrived on illic. scene, and from then onwards the success of the Prussians was never for a moment in doubt. Von Ifoltke's guiding principles in this were only two in number—(a) keeping his forces compact and numerically superior whenever there was a battle, and (b) tlie determination to strike at Paris. From these he never deviated, the result being that not'only was France crushed and humiliated, out the Empire was shattered, and out of 'ls ruins arose a federated Germany wi l ."-- constant aim has since been to become the dominant military power of Europe, and to that end has steadily devoted many millions of gphl and it is now sacrificing many thousands of lives. But to-day Germany has no von Moltke, anil as a consequence, although the neutrality of Belgium has been ruthlessly violated, the German commanders seem to have nnder-rated the strength of the Belgian defences and the opposition that would be shown to the passage of a German force through Belgian territoryMoltke would have made no such error, which T>ids fair to cost the Germans a big price in men and munitions ol war. In 1870. it was the French wfto made the first move, but to-dav it was Germany that tried to get in the first blow, only to he foiled by the much despised (from a German point of view 1 ! Belgians. So great has been neither German folly or arrogance that to-day she is alone among all the European powers, except Austria. Apparently the same principle- that of striking at Parisanimated the German olTipcts at tha commencement of the present war. us was the <a?e in IS7I hut how vastly different are the conditions can be readily «in. V> doubt Germany considered that to ivarli Pari, In- way of Belgium would lie tlie imiikest way and would be the line of least resistance. Tt never .pays in warfare to mider-esfimate opponents oe even obstacles. The fatal error which Germany has committed in relation to Tielgimn has given both France and Fiv.'laud time to mobilise on a satisfa.-ton scale. 11. is not wise or politic to hoa=t or indulge in jingoistic exuberations. hut in the, light of the circumstances connected with the. initiation of the campaign, there is every reason for the countries whiclh are opposing German aggression to feel justly confident ill the issue of the struggle, and, judging from the enthusiasm displayed in oil parts of the British Empire, the hearts of the people are in this (Hit of right again=t might. It was to c.M.'e s .oner O'- Inter. if the peace of the world is lo lie saf. -

guarded in the future, the power of i.ci-many as the' disturbing factor must i»' broken onoo and for all. It may be that the price will be a very heavy one to pa;,\ Tlie .Powers may he trusted to - : ee to it that an era of prolonged .peu.ce shall follow on the elose of this unjustiliable war. -lust as the war of IJS7O consolidated Cermany and created an Em]iire oiit of a lot of peLv states, so --Mould the war of 1914 consolidate those I'owers who are lmndeil together in the ]" ace and make it impossible = "!• 1,, »' Power to sot the pace in •'•'iD.-imeiils and be a perpetual menace -■>" h as i icrtnany has -been in the past.