The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-19
GENERALS WHO WILL DIRECT THE
MANEUvERs IN THE FIELDS
OF CARNAGE.
MAKERS OF HISTORY
GENERAL-IN-CHIEF OF ARMIES OF
FRANCE WAS A BOYIsH LIEU
TENANT IN FRANCo-PRUs-
SIAN WAR.

Four great generals soon will face
each other on the fieid OF battle They
are General Joffre. comander-in-
chief OF the French forces and mas
ter Of offensive tactics: Field Mar
shall Sir John d. p. French, chief OF
Britain; General Holmuth Won Moltke.
chief Of the Kaiser's general staff and
communicative chief of all the German
army forces, and the Grand Duke
Nicholas Nicholaievitch. commander
in-chief OF the Russian army.
OF the fourth It is probab that
General Joffrf Is the most skilled in
the technicalities OF warfare. although
General Won Moltke has devoted his
and General French has had compare
lively recent actual experience. Cen
eraI Joffre. too, has been In actual bat .
tie. but that was in 1870, when as a
boyish lieutenant, he commanded a
battery during the siege of Paris In
the France Prussian war. Grand
Duke Nicholas Is a somewhat unknown
quantity. He is man with strong
liking for things military. but has
never been given an opportunity to
demonstrate his ability. At the time
of the RUSSO Japanese war there was
some talk Of is being sent to the Far
East to take command, but this move
was never made. Nicholas is the only
communicative chief 81 royal blood.
He is a second cousin OF the Car and
and a grandson OF Car Nicholas |, OF
Russia.
General Joffre is sixty-two years old,
four years the junior of Won Moltke,
He entered the army at eighteen years
Of age and served through the Franco
Prussian war He led the French
forces that occupied the town of Tim
buctoo and later beca anne military gov
ernor of Madagascar Having COM
pleted the organization OF that prov
ince. General Jofrre returned 10
France and was given high once In the
army He is an expert artillery officer
and lover Of mathematics. which
play no small part In warfare. General
Joffre In generally credited with nav
ing brought the French army to the
point of efficiency that only re emily
brought forta wor ds OF praise FIR an, all
parts Of Europe.
Little moe than a year ago Gen.
eral Joffre went TO Russia and re-
ceived marked consideration At the
hands Of the car and the Grand luke
Nicholas during the Russian army
maneuyers. He has been noted for
his discipline. During recent army
maneuvers in France General loire
summarily removed Ave French gen
erals Tor their ina pility to stand the
physical tests. He has demanded az
high a physical standard for officers
as for rank and Ale
Field Marshall Dir John French
gained his name In the South African
war where he saw much active SER
vice. He Is considered next to Lords
Roberts and Kitchener, the best army
officer In Great Britain. He In an
expert cavalry of1cer and command
ed Lord Roberts cavalry division
during the Cape Town campaign and
at the relief of Kimberley Sir John
was born in 1882. a son of Captain
French. OF the British navy He
served four years In the navy and
then entered the militia Later ne
Joined the Nineteenth Hussars and
after several years of peace with
that regiment went to the Nile cam
psign and took part In Sir Herbert
Stewards fruitiess dash across tho
desert to save Gordon. Sir John also
took port In the battles of Abu Klea.
Gubat and Metemneth In 1893 he
was made commanding officer OF the
Ninteenth Hussars.
AT the outbreak or the South
African war Sir John commanded a
cavalry division in Natal AT the
battle OF ElandslaaKte he was vir-
tually in command. for Sir George
White. arriving when the fight was
nearly over, declined TO supersede