Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-22
Two Armies Turn About Each
Other Like Boxers in Prelimi-
nary Phase of Fight.
SURPRISE ELEMENT LACKING
Use of Aeroplane Prevents ORA
matte Opportunities Which
Gave Napoleon Fame.

The beginning Of the war when IL be-
came necessary TO break the careers
of i've generals who had shown weak
ness in their nanocuvrcs. lie did not
hesitate or compromise. All OF them
went
II has been declared that Jonrc is
al the school OF Napoleon. This must
lie accepted only with the great rcGer-
Nnt!on that nothing could Ice further
frcIh the wars Of Napoleon than the
grca: battles Of III" Marnc arai tho
bisnc.
Ia themselves these battles do not
prcscnt anythins like TIA. tactical in
tciest OF those examples OF military
alli:l Of 100 years ago. AuI thu aero
pl:tuc Is responsible. II sccs every
th.ri from its elevated vantage
pcirt from il nothing is hidden. IL
looks behind the screen II cnyalry
mastinG the cnemy's from; i; secs
irucrs on the march or Ocin-; c.rried
in trains; l. notes the numbers "i army
.orps, the proportion of the different
arms and AL The details "i vast
machine.
Thus the art uf war has been rob
hch ~ tia; element OF surprise which
afforded Napoleon dramatic opportu-
nifty for the display Of l,iy genius. His
object WAS to discover the weak spot
IN thc .ueWy's lines. and. having dis
covered IT, to hurt upon il all ihe
depended upon tie speed and sureness
with which the great blow could be
struck. y premature revelation
would have spoiled all.
tOtr or THIS SORT
M IoNGEH POSSIBLE
i:ut u coup OF tho sort s no longer
i,o:slble, for - mInoeuvrc on the one
side IL mot instantly by Inanocuvre
on the other, War now consists in II
series OF parable! movements: its art
lac changed. II would scarcely lac
,NuEgcratiUn 10 SHY tina, II docs not
.siat. The two armies turn abou,
each otliCr like boxers i'm the prctim
mary phuses OF hight. They pivot
,,IuuisiI. to catch each other az Il dis
.dy;,ntagc. aud that rs practicaliy all
tho art Of IT.
The resi- Is 'ins dong battle OF
resistance, OF fnarching and counter
marching. Anything less like Napo-
lsso,'s way OF making war Il would he
dinicult to imagine. I, ~ IKE iia!lnG
bridge with your opponent looking
over your shoulder Tic knows When
YOU are nncssng and when you are
playing for au opening. IN those con
,iItions. how Is it possible TO gain
bril,inu, victory by great. crushiii.
blows. having calculated tile psychic
logical noment"'
This Is as Tar from present realities
%.noloou's cautcr on his white
b,,,l. ON a visit TO the outposts. You
,.n,,Id not Imagine Joffre canicrinS
from puuItlrk To Bclfort before break
fast al the m"mout OF beginning ths
rattle, which lasts We'Ns' "'" ~
merely :, single day.
THUS. all thu conditions of warfare
,.ay,, changed, ana w!th them the men
,al!,y and methods OF commanders.
.Ionru is rarely seen on horscbtck' bn'
ne has much ih. iisurc OF IN. corsica"
,rtNfr
preston ot power. lie spends a paft
.f c;lch day in Z, long, low, rapid inoio'
EAR ,isi;in. the lines. IL y >lnpos3!pie
10 visit al the points--mucti must n'
loft 10 the corps commander 'itrr t't
General piau is settled rhis robs
..cucralissimo OF personal contact Win
ms truors: he is more or loss unknown
10 them. and Jonre probably has TO
how papers to his seutrics. lie wears
mt two chauiT.urs II day III his rush
rom point 10 point.
ior,irRE HOLDS WIRES
~ rWEMENDOIs SYSTEM
E,,t beyond that Jorrc must hold the
,yjrcs in this tremendous system. J on
have to Imagine hin passing ions
hours in an uuprctentious room With
n receiver 10 his ear. HIS assiStap'
gencr,ls. l,cud over maps ana EXAMINE
attcntiycly the lie Of country bu'
Iorrc has no need of that, rivers,
mountains, valleys are Gus ''tN'u 49,
~ IN his brain
His chief characteristic Is ciihiiiesS.
lie IL us calm in war ~ in peace. ma
tnut quality has bred confidence lie
has confidence in himself i.Ilh i'ts
.riycn ccn.i,!cmcc 10 others. ll's stan
never for Il moment doubts his ca
n.citv 10 win and that conviction has
ucrcolut.d through To the masses "i
The troops. 1t has made him popu'a''
,houwh he has don" nothing ~ en-
cschcws popularity He lives apart
from press 'reclamc"; nc does not seek
H. aud liz uisliiScs il. To those VINO
attack him and TO those wn" uelciu
him he shows al equal ihdlhefehrr.
Junior officers sometimes take UP the
,,idycls fol. him in u ncwspapcr--iur
loire has made enemies lik" most
.;trou:: ncu--but he disrcSards their
.oud Offices just rs he disrcSards crit
cisni None can say that he owes ms
promotion to having defended Joffrc.
Military mcrn les the only dnality rec
u:;nized 10y the Scncralissimo.
But iI lc appears to take no noiicc
OF attacks, particularly In the popular
press lie is none the less very open 10
ideas. and listens attcntiNcly When
lively plan is presented to INN We
knows how to combine the best IN his
own and other peoples projects. lie
is modest rs he is unassuming. His
readiness to accept suggestion has
Eos tered the belief that nc is an
adapter and organizer, rather than
strategiSt. He is both. His Cant
pnigms show the soldier as well as the
engineer and organizer.
But his great maxim is that In war
nothing can be impruviscd. Every de-
tail must he thought out: that marks
his superiority over other modern com
manders 4 long preparation has gone
to each success He succeeds because
he takes the infinite trouble necessary
to secure II.
HEST MILITARY BRAINS
IN FRANCE At WORK
His achievement is the formation of
tho general staff, He has brought to-
gcthcr the best military brains In
Ernncc and co-ordinatcd and con
,rolJed tneir efforts lie has exercised