Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-11-07
RISE OF J0FFRE
BY SLOW STAGES
considered Most Complete Soldier in
France-He Was Selected Over
Others by University

tary hierarchy and to whose geniu5
or strategy the Germans were DC
fected to the southeast from the,
march to Paris and then driven baci
toward the frontier, was born JAM
airy II, 1852, at Rivesaltes. in IN
Pyrenees-Orientales He was, thee
fore, Is years Of age at the time
the Franco-Prussian war of 1870
| He was one of those students &
the EcOle Polytechnique who wer
IappOinted second lieutenants On SEP
TENDER y of that year and employc.
on the Notifications of Paris He %a.
there during the siege and was take
prisoner, and so played no par
against the Commune with the army
! Of Versailles which came to the re
lief Of the stricken city.
There are few anecdotes concerning
the Joffre Of those days. Persons who
| remember him, however, say that
there was a total absence Of the mill
tary swagger about him; that he was
quiet and unaffected, and even home
ly in appearance. His conservation
was that Of a refined and well-edu
Gated gentleman. From that day to
! this, except for promotion on two or
three occasions for Especial service"
his career haos been that Of the typi
cal French officer Of engineers.
Cpatain in 1876.
After the war Of 1870 he returned
to the Ecole Polytechnique, and or
graduation in 1872 took the course
Of applied military science at For
tainebleau. He became a captain il
1876, and was at once engaged in re
organizing and rebuilding the defen
sive works OF Paris. Tis position
however, was that of a subordinate
In the same capacity he was later
employed at Pontarlier and Mont,
pelier, and then as chief engineer
Of the works at Mont Louis
In 1855 he was sent to the far east
and formed part Of the expedition to
Formosa. Then he was ordered tC
design the Notifications at Hanoi anH
to build them, which he did to the
satisfaction Of the general staff. He
returned to France in 1888 and joined
the staff Of General Mensier, head
: engineer Of the ministry of war.
Promoted for Sudan Work.
, He was promoted to be chef de
: battalion" in 1889, and then major OF
the fifth regiment of engineers al
! Versailles. In 1891 he qualified fol-
the professorship Of Notifications at
the Ecole dApplication at Fontaine
bleau. The confinement of the class
room, however, did not appeal to him
and the next year he was taken over
; by the ministry Of colonies and sent
on a mission to the Sudan. There he
rendered valuable services and was
promoted for them to the grade OF
Northumberland. He returned from
the Sudan in 1896 and was appointed
secretary Of the commission for the
examination of inventions Of wal
!. apparatus. He held that position for
one year, the last three months with
the grade Of colonel.
In 1901 he received his commission
} as general of brigade and command
ed the Nineteenth brigade Of artil
lery at Vincennes, where he was also
appointed a member of the technical
engineering committee. Later he was
made head engineer of the ministry
Of war.
AS general Of division in 1905 he
was placed at the head Of the Sixth
infantry division at Paris. Two years
later found him in command Of the
Second army corps, with heapquar-
ters at Amiens. Thence he passed to
the COUNSEL Superieur de la Guerre,
and when the present war broke out
he was chief of the general staff.
Politics Played No Part
1t is evident, therefore, that in plac