New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-23
Frances Policy of Reticence De-
prives Many Leaders OF the
Celebrity Due Them.

The Jap6nese spraDg a novelty on inc "OAiN -
,ooa-o5 IN the embargo which they put on military
Information. But the French in many respects
have outdone the japanese. The official bulletins
rcom Pnris-and later from Bordeaux-have gwen
ont meagre summaries Of results The BRUSH cen
.or. have allowed some few unofficial details OF
the fighting in France to reach the outside world
But the French have apparently resigned them
alive. for patriotic reasons to the policy Of fighting
n. war through in silence They approve the
,s,tturn,tv Of General Joffre and are content to
know much less about the struggle which Is going
on In their own territory than do people on the
opposite side Of the world.
When Japan was trying to drive Russia out OF
Nanchuria we at least heard of the Japanese gen.
erals who led the main armies. Kuroh, Nog1 oku
and Nodzu became celebrated the world over Yet
after nearly three months of fighting more des-
perate In character and on vaster scale than any
in Manchuria, who knows the names of the com
manders Of the French armies which stopped the
German invaders in the Valley of the Marine and
pushed them back fifty miles toward the Belgian
frontier?
The German General Staff has freely published
the names OF its army chiefs. Won Kluck and Won
Ralow have now worldwide renOwn- When the
Germans entered France 1t was announced repeat
edly that the armies Of the right and centre were
commanded as follows The First by Won Kluck,
the Second by Won Btlow, the Third by Won
Hansen, succeeded in September by Won Einem;
the Fourth by the Grand Duke Abrecht Of Wur-
temberg. the Fifth by the Crown Prince Of Prussia
TWO other armies were stationed before Metz and
along the line south toward Belfort-One COM
manded by Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and the
othel by General Won Heerlngen. Recently the
command Of the new army on the right of Won
Kluck was given to General Won Boehn and that
Of the army which took Antwerp to General Won
Beseler. These names all appear with regularity
in the war news. Yet only few scattering allu'
sions have been made to the chiefs of the opposing
French armies.
We owe to the military critic of "The London
Times" our first real knowledge OF the apportion-
ment of the high commands in France. lie reports
that the leaders of the French armies which re-
pulsed the Germans on the line of the Marne were
from right to left as follows Before verdun, Gen
eral Sarrail; at Vitry-le-Francois, General de
Iangle de Cary: at Sezanne General Foch at
Crecy-en-Brie, General Franchet dEsperey. The
British expeditionary army came next and on It's
left were two more French armies, one composed
Of the garrison Of Paris, under General Gallieni
and one under General Manoury. General dAmadC
has been mentioned as the commander of new
French army in the north of France, and Genera
Paul Pau has also figured in reports from th'
front. though it Is not clear just what forces hi
had under him.
OF these officers, all Of whom have greatly dis
tinguished themselves, comparatively little 1
known here. De Langle de Cary was membe
of the French Supreme Council of War. So wa
General Gallienl the commandant Of Paris. Be
fore the war General Sarrall was at the head o
the Eighth Army Corps, Foch at the head Of thu
Twentieth and d'Amade at the head Of the Sixth
General de Curieres de Castelnsu who was re
Gently decorated for merltorious service, was
member OF the Supreme Council Of War, but wha
command he now exercises is not stated
The six French armies, aided by the British
army under Sir John French, co.operated witt
great skill and energy in the attack which forced
the Germans back from the Marine to the Aisne
They struck din concert and struck hard The Ger
mans were not prepared to meet so fierce an Of
fensive and had to yield to it. 1t was one Of the
finest performances OF the whole war, coming, as
IL did on the heels Of French reyerses and retreats
We are especially glad to give some personal credit
TO the men who carried the movement through
since The Tribune was almost alone In the dark
days of the German onrush toward Paris in credit
ing the French armies and the French leadership
with the capacity TO seize great tactical oppor-
tunity to throw the overextended Germans back
with loss.
Field Marshal Sir John French alluded in his
recent report TO the visit made to his headquarters
on August 90 by General Joffre, during which the
after unfolded plans for turning on the exposed