The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-29

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wiped out had it not been for JoGre,
wfo commanded the rear guard. tie
rallied his men. dsove back tn
enemy, and earned the honor II he-
ing the first French commander 10
reach Timbuctoo.
ln-the early nineties. not quite =
years old. he came back 10 France.
throughout the French Army as
'Joffre the Tactiturn." lie seldom
spoke, and his written orders were
models Of laconic direction. lie was
a bachelor Of exemplary habits. and
from that time on he has been mark
ed as a man destined for the high
est honOrs.
Shortly after his return TO France
ne married. but he has 10 children.
He grew a bit stout: his mustacheS
grew long; his hair white. He is Of
medium stature, but his shoulders
have tremendous width.
Hard A. Nails"
\ visitor to his home in Paris a
month before the war describes it lin
The London Daily Mail} as "a pleas
ant, airy house If yoh were asked
if anything had made a particular
impression upon you YOU would prob
ably say, Yes, its restfulnesS." Gen.
Jeffre IS a restful man. His wide
brow, under. close-cropped hair. is
tranquil. His blue eyes are calm and
clear. Beneath a heavy white mus
tache his lips are firm. They show his
teeth "a little when he talks.
Others describe him as a man Of
most affable in his home Gr
IN society, exceedingly courteous. Of
an even and happy temperament.
Yet in the field. or in his office at
the Ministry OF War. he is another
man, a man hard as nails He ac-
cepts no excuses when his orders are
not carried out. There are as many
stories about his strict discipline in
the french Army as there are about
the discipline Of Kitchener in the
English Army. Once an officer il
Madagascar, hen asked how soon he
could bring up certain supplies from
the interior, replied. casually, Il
don't know. Perhaps in two weeks:
perhaps in a month"; Joffre replied
They will be here in a week or you
will return to France"
The Commander in Chief ma sym
pathiZe with the incompetent, but he
dismissed five Generals from the ac.
tive list Immediately following tn,
m~anoeuvres. Paris gasped. Ever,
garrison in France was excited
Nothing like it had ever happened
before.
Joffre said nothing. The five Gen
erals had failed in measuring up t.
the requirements for physical fitness
1t was essential for Frances securit-
that they be deprived of their com
mands. They disappeared from tn
active list. The general public 0
France, which had paid little atten
ton to the new Chief of its Genera
Staff heretofore, suddenly becam
aware that its armies We're being re
organized by an exceptional man.
Fol- the past two decades, nearly
Joffre has pursued his career i
France, having previously seen a we
rounded experience in many of tn
French possessions and in all branch
eS Of the military service. He becarn
a professor in the War College. an
was promoted successfully to tn
command of q brigade, a division
an army corps, and finally, OF all tn
A.: military forces Of France.
When the honor Of Chief Of tn
= General Staff was awarded him by
unanimous vote of the superio
Council of War he made no common
e He did not thank the council. an
he showed no signs either of elatio
at reaching the highest post whic
a soldier could desire, nor of depres
sion at "a consciousness of the gravit
Of his new responsibilities. He We
n simply .Joffre the Tactiturn."
Knows French Character.
o Yet on occasion he knows how
n appeal to the peculiar pride and very
u which is half the battle with
S Frenchman. Witness his proClams
ton to Alsace on Aug. g: After forty
four years of sorrowful waitin;
French soldiers once more trod ii
O soil of your noble country. They al
s pioneers in a great work of reVeng
For them what emotion it calls fort
and what pride to complete the WOI
which they have made at the sacrlfi'
h of their lives! The French NatiC
,e unanimously urge them on, and
II the folds OF their flag are inscribc
r the magic words: Right and Libert,
e Long Live Alsace, Long Live France
l. In his present capacity it has b
come incumbent nicer Joffre fl
quently to cOme into close relation
with the Gar Of Russia and the Xii
II of England. 1t has been noted
1t him that on such occasions he do
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