THE LATE VON MOLTKE

Evening Star, Issue 16197, 19 August 1916, Page 6

THE LATE VON MOLTKE

General Helmuth Von MolUse -was the second son of Adolf Von Molfcke, the ' younger brother of the celebrated field- ; marshal. Born in 1848 at Gersdori, in Meokleniburg-Sehwerfn, he eerved in the wax of 1870 as a lieutenant in the King's Grenadiers, and was decorated with the L-on Cross of tho Second Class. His military career was one of steady, uneventful rise. From 1876 to 1879 he studied ob the War Academy, and in the following year Joined the General Staff, being: promoted to captain on the Staff two years later by i the favor, at is said, of the old Emperor. j After the death of the Emperor Frederick he resigned from the Staff, and the proBent Kaiser placed him "oil the [list of actxvo officers, with the rank of major. In a short time he was: given the command of the Second Guard Regiment of Infajvtry, and after the death of,his uncle ha was appointed aide-de-camp to the Kaiser. In" 1898 he reached the rank of majorgeneral, and was placed In command of '< the Guards Infantry Brigade, and made military commandant of Potsdam. In 1902 he was made, a general of division, and four years later succeeded Count Schliaffen as Chief of the General Staff. According to the ' Handekblad,' ho resigned his post in December, 1914, owing to a difference of opinion with the Kaiee* as to the beet way of breaking- through the Allies' line, he favoring an attack front the Verdun region, while the Emperor insisted on an advance through Flanders. Von Moltko is credited.with being the . leader of the party which forced on the war, _ and which insisted on the priority of military over diplomatic considerations. In consequence of the unbending attitude of tho military authorities, who asserted that the existence of Germany was at stake, the fateful decision was finally adopted by the German Goxernnient to violate the neutrality of Belgium. The programme, which "had been carefullv . thought out and worked out to the smalt- i est detail in time of peace, was attempted, , and was indeed crowned with success up to the series of battles in tho Jlarne Valley, which threw the German armies back to their present lines. Moltke was shortly afterwards superseded as Chief of the-General Staff, and his place was given to General Von Falkeuhayn. The usual excuse at to lieadth was made at the time, but it was generally believed that .the change of leaders ■was due to the failure of the scheme. : Subsequently it became known, however, that Von Moltko really was ill, and l his death has caused no surprise. He acted as aide-de-camp to his uncle ■ for many veal's, and was looked upon as the repository of much of his military lore. In appearance he was singularly unlike the great man whose name he bore, for he was fat, unwieldy, and shapeless, while the groat field-marshal of 1870 was spare, , ; lean, and wiry. ' For many years he enjoyed the intimate friendship of' the Kaiser, and held a very important place not only in the German: armyj but in German society and German politics.