The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-08-18
MEN WHO LEAD
THE FORCES OF
TRIPLE ENTENTE
Joffre, GeneraIissimo of the
French Army, Believes In
Policy of Attack.
JELLlcoE sAND KITCHENER
British Commanders On Sea and Land
Are Notable Figures-SukomIlnoff
and Grand Duke Nicholas
Head Russia's Millions
of Troops.

Notable figures and interesting per-
sonalities are the men who are COM
handing the armed forces of the triple
entente in the European war. Prob
ably the least known of them all in
this country is Joffre, generalissimo Of
the French army, who controls the
movements of more than 100000 Of
icers and men.
Like SO many great military leaders,
General Joffre is a silent man, rather
retiring in his demeanor, yet of the
kindest, quietest, most unaffected and
easy going manners, which do not at
first convey the impression of his rigid
will and steel-like determination that
constitute his chief characteristics.
Burly in figure, with heavy f1axen
mustache plentifully tinged with sill
yer, thickly tufted eyebrows, shading
pair of very clear blue eyes that
often twinkle with merriment, are
usually genial and but seldom hard, he
suggests when in civilian clothes one
of those courtly country gentlemen
that are to be found in rural France.
Army Has Confidence In Him.
During the three years that he has
been in supreme command of the army
the latter has had time to take his
measure, with the result that 1t has &C
corded to him its unbounded conf
dence and believes in him as leader
who can be trusted to lead it to vic
tory.
Although the cleverest mathemati-
clan in the army and a scientific sol
der in the best sense of the word,
General Joffre is the most determined
supporter of the policy Of attack in
war. The only tactics that he has any
use for are those of the offensive, and
it is these that are best suited in his
opinion for troops of the temperament
of the French soldier of today.
Hailing from the Pyrenees, a gradu-
ate of the Ecole Polytechnique at
Paris, from which all the engineer and
artillery officers of the French army
obtained the rudiments OF the scien-
tific branches of their profession, he at
the age of eighteen commanded a bat
terry of artillery throughout the siege
Of Paris, and on the restoration of
peace was appointed to first lieu
tenancy in the engineer corps. He
took part in the Formosa and Tonkin
campaigns, and later was engaged in
West Africa, directing the construc-
ton of railroads there. heading the re-
lief column which went to the assist
ance Of the BONNER expedition, and
finally penetrating as far as Timbuc
too, and Selling that mysterious city
which for centuries had been the head
quarters of the native trade of Central
in the conquest of the island OF Mad
agascar.
Joffres chief lieutenants are the
brilliant Marquis de Castelar,, General
Pau, hero of the war of 1870, and
General Hubert Lautey, to whom
France is indebted fer the conquest OIL
| Morocco.
Peyrere Heads French Navy.
AS for the French navy, it is under
the supreme command of Admiral de
home and abroad as the most distin
! guished officer of the French navy, he
has both in his capacity as chief o.
the admiralty staff and as minister O.
marine completely reorganized thai
service, eliminating the dead wood
| Oh al c6 dc OF oil u
IDLE abuses, consigning to the scraI
heap battleships and cruisers tina
were out of date and paying particu
lar attention to the development O
submarine navigation. His popularit,
among all grades of the service i.
very great
With knowledge of warfare at sea
derived from his experiences as chic
of staff to Admiral Courbet in France.
naval conflict with China, it is to hin
that not only his own country but alst
England and Russia look for the pro
lection of the interests of the tripl,
entente in the Mediterranean, whert
all thesnayal forces of France are con
centrating under his command
Admiral Sir John JelIicoe.
Great Britain's powerful home fleets
| for the greater part assembled in tht
North Sea, are under the chief com
mand of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, I'm
til now second sea lord at the admiral
ty and renowned as the shortest office
/ of the British navy, barring of course
the midshipmen. His exceptiona
brevity of stature did not, however
| prevent him from winning fame in hi.
younger days as an all round athlet,
| and as a boxer.
Moreover, he has seen plenty o
! fighting, having been present at tn,
bombardment of Alexandria in 1SS:
| and afterward taking part in the bat
tie of Tel-el-Kebir as an officer of tn,
naval brigade. while he was badl,
wounded in the attempt to relieve tn,
beleaguered foreign legations at Pc
kiA. IA years ago. receiving Boxei