The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-13
SIR JOHN FRENCH
At HEAD OF ARMY
His Resignation Because of Diff
fcrenccs Over Ulster Situation
Now Almost Forgotten.
CALLED BACK INTO SERVICE
Restless and Swift Moving Gen
cral, Who Has Entire Con-
dcncc Of His Men.

4 Especial Cable TO Tho Times Dispatch. ]
h LONDON. September i2.-All Eng
\ land TO-DAY is cheering for Field Mar
\ shall Sir John T. u. French. commander
4 in-chicf of the British exDeditionary
l force fighting in France against the
\ Germans. Londoncrs have almost for
L gotten that only few short weeks
/ aso--it now seems ages-French re-
/ signed from the army because OF the
\ difference between the government and
/ certain distinguished officers over. the
Il question of using British troops TO
!. nut down tho threatened uprising in
4 Ulster. French sides with the officers.
i In those days which now appear as
i dim ms ancient history. the Irish home
/ rule question was all absorbing. The
\ Britieh press devoted almost as much
/ space 70 the now forgotten muddle as
\ to-day they give to the European war
\ Tho resignation Of Sir John French
I created a sensation.
Prime stey-Asquith In the House
/ OF Commons, voiced profound regret
\ that the splendid career of SO distin-
4 Suishcd n soldier should have come TO
| r. premature close. The Prime Min
/ istcr. though, added the now seemingly
prophetic words that he still regarded
4 the special abilities OF Sig John French
\ AZ a future asset OF the nation in the
\ event of war.
\ Asquith spoke truer. perhaps, than
i he knew. Within six weeks French
vas again summoned into the military
councils OF the nation in which for
some time he had been the head. with
| tho titlc OF inspcctor-peneral. Ills
h resignation was forgotten. and few
!. days later the world learned that Brit
ish force was on the Continent 10 aid
the French against the legions Of the
Kaiser. and that Sir John French was
al his head as commander im-chicf
/ >TJBHiNI;SS II CHIEF
PHYSICAL CHAHACTEIfIsIIL
The chief physical characteristic OF
SIR John French II stuDbiness. for he
is STUDY in iSure, wears stubby
mustachc. almost always is chewing OH
stubby c2Gr. and has the capacity
FOR trcmc ndous physical cxertiom over
long stretches that cnly the stubby
can endure.
lie is p restless and swift-movinG
man. whose duties on the battlefield
have SO far been confined 10 carrying
out with surprising Vigor. at the pace
his tine cavalry get. tho orders Of others
/. who hnvc,cn,iustcd TO him one part OF
- combined movement In these last
+ few days OF the war. French Is called
mon to perform almost identical
function as ;hc, troops OF which he ~
tn supreme cominand.N arc but one part
( 81 inc most stupcndous combined
~ o"cmcnt that has ever been con
ceiNcI upon "a field of battle.
Like all great leaders, French has
won the entire confidence OF his mon.
/ They trust him absolutely The only
peril vet seen in his Spectacular career
/ Is tho unbrokcu line of his successes
So far AS recorded, he has never been
defeated. To-day nc is IN the most
difficult position he has ever known
Nct merely because of the inherent
fatality Ia tho pride ana integrity OF
! the French nation lie is supporting. hut
because by the inevitable disposition
oil the forces. he has been up TO now.
/ nianoeuvring his troops from action to
action 10y retreats. II Is tho first time
that Sir John French has had the cX-
pcricnce Of falling back.
When 1t waS In India OF IN the sudan,
Il Was his cavalry advances that en-
ablcd the combined forces TO move. for
ward to success. IN south Atric,.
where lac relieved Kimberly iron, ::
prolonged siege that had almost dc.
stroycd II, where mis- banking mcve-
mcnts enabled Lord Roberts to capture
Hloemfontcin ANA Johannesburg with
IN Tour and five months respectively.
or his arrival 1T the Cape Frcnch's
whole experience was made up Of adj
Nances aud attacks.
ESPECIALLY PREPARED
FOR HIS PRESENT TASK
again and again he had the soldiers
icward Of being mentioned in dis
patches. The nation came 20 look upon
Him above all the military iicures i'm
that campaign. as the leader of adj
Nanccs ana attacks. Iut the last few
wears he has been especially prepared
for his present task.
From 1907 TO 1911 he held the uosi-~.
ton Of Inspector general of the home
forces. which brought him into dir,c,
touch with all branches Of the service
For tho last three years with the ex
ccption OF the short time he was out
OF the army because Of his resi.,n.,tic,
over the Ulster controversy French has
been chief OF the Imperial general stan
which rs the ti;le OF the first military
member OF the General stan of the army
which controls not merely the home
forces. but also the disIositio and ,i
rcction Of all the military resources
within the imperial dominions
lie has, therefore. held the chief mill
larry place III tho general army council
which came INTO being under the direc-
zion OF Lord Haldane. who remodelled
the British army from 1907 un to now
along the lines Of the German military
organization. He was made a field
marshal last year.
Sir John French is updcr no dclusiuns
10 the formidable force with which he
is in conflict. brilliant and daring as
this leader of cavalry has always been,
lac will attempt no movement of offcnse
for which calm deEDcration would not
support his expectation of success
Already in this war he has earned high
praise from the French and British
governments.
When the Boer War broke out in
1899 and the British forces began to
blunder through it somehow the first
lesson that the English learned was
that the ancient triumphs OF the Erit-
ish army could not be sustained by any
organization not constructed on utili-
tartan principles. Utterly unfurnishcd
for it's great task, with officers in high
command for almost any other reason
than their fitness, the British army in
South Africa for the first few months
Of the war went from blunder to
blunder.
The astonishcd British nation woke
mp tho British War Office and stirred
it to action, but Kitchener. OF Khar-
toum, was made chief of staf--just as
in tho present war lie was called to be
Secretary of state for Wau-and almost
his first act was TO employ Colonel John
y. F. French, who had Il fine lighting
record In India and the Sudan rs tho
head Of the cavalry brigade,