Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-21
Silent" Johnnie French

army from Tommy Atkins up knows him simply as
Silent Johnny French" The Beers in South Africa
gave him a still shorter they called him Devil
and they had good reason The Germans before the
used to call him Engsnds greatest tsctcian ant
Europes greatest cavalry leader. What manner or
man he every reader OF the Bee who read the
other day his report OF the glorious stand of the
British troops" between August q and August can
Judge.
sir John French lie the personification Of English
GOODNESS and The dispatches from the front
have painted little vgnetes Of him IN the field walk
ing among his quietly smoking. Thet Is charac-
teristlc Of the 1t is said Of the man that he
went through Of the hardest fighting OF the
Boer war without raising his voice or hasten
ing his step Out there the Tommies used to say OF
him: "oId French don't bark much but, Lord. don't
he bloomin' well bite" II his bite that made the
Beers call him "Duivel."
French was ubiquitous the veldt. And he
never got frightened or ratified The tighter
place he found himself in the cooler was French.
Once when dining with General Ian Hamilton during
the progress OF OF his famous raids the Beers
stopped and sheled the camp. They got the range
OF headquarters down to inch and an orderly
rushed into the where French and Ian Hamilton
dining to that shells were falling all
about It, silent" French said. THANK you" and or
dered another chop.
That's the manner Of man England has sent into
the field to command its armies. What might have
happened to the British forces between Mons and
Compiegne II Silent French had not been In con-
troll of the situation makes grim speculation. He Is
really a extraordinary That he Is in the
army at all is an accident. His famly's ambition
realized and he drifed into the navy He spent four
years in the English and since the English
navy has haunted the English army with the claim
that the best soldier 1t hes is a sailor.
Like 80 many other good soldiers. Field Marshal
French IL Irishman though he born in the
English county of Kent. sixty-two years ago. His
people not rich influential; that is why
young French designed for the ministry. Boy
and he has been noted for the mildness OF his
manners for economy of speech and for the coldly
and ray ha war about
He left, the English navy because 1t was a dull life
and got into the cavalry branch Of the army because
he liked horses. But though he has been cavalry
for forty years he has never learned 70 ride
a horse with distinction
When he q he was gszetted TO the Eighth
Hussars, and few weeks later to the Nineteenth
1t in 1884 that he first service when the lo
expedition sent to rescue Gordon. In December
of that LOO OF the flower of the British army
French among them. led by Sir Herbert Stewart. com
menced their march across the Bagoda desert, aud
at Abu Klea fought the savage and bloody bat
tie England engaged in in Egypt After this
battle French, impeded with stores and wounded
marched twentyseven miles the desert. to Me
temneh on the Nile. French saw some desperate
fighting in that fororn dash across the desert When
the machine janmed in the fierce fight at Abu
Klea. and tho British square was rushed by bowling
dervishes the killing included the hero of the Ride
Khiva." Colonel Burnaby, who struck down
at French's side by q poisonous javeln.
1t was during this campaign that French made
that impression General Butler which resulted later
in his South African experiences After his work in
Egypt French spent some years on the staff OF the
inspector general OF cavalry in India II here
that he made the study of cavalry which has made
him the leader cavalry alive. India
he was transferred to Aldershot in England where
he attempted to put of his original ideas
about cavalry in operation Every cavalry tactic
he displayed however frowned upon. His
superior officers considered the young enthusiast a
little bit demented the subject of cavalry and
finally he recommended for retirement That
meant Dismissal from the service. and at that time
England came periously near losing forever the man
who saved its from humiliation the other day.
II General Butler who saved French. When
Butler sent out to Africa to take charge OF the
campaign he invited French to Join his staff
That was the first great opportunity that had come
to French and he made 1t make him.
General Butler gave him command of the cavalry
division in Natal with the rank OF major general.
His first blow to the Beers was the victory of Eland
slaghte. which desperate fight the Tommies dubbed
Ell and Slaughter French was in Kimberley
when the Beers first invested the town. Sir George
White. who knew how valuable French would be in
the field, sent him away from Kimberley the last
train that got A shell passed through the car
riase in which French travelling but when It
did he was lying under a seat smoking csar.
When Lord Roberts arrived on the he called
on French to help him in the relief OF Kimberley.
With 5000 men French commenced a Wild ride to
assist the beeaguered town. He crossed two rivers.
over parched. waterless veldt and then had the
crowning JOY OF a straight uninterrupted into
Kimberley and knowing It saved Immediately
Every man who was fit to ride again in the sad
die, and they set off long night gallop close
one unprotected rift and head off the command
The result the surrender at Paardeberg, which
covered French with glory But there more Of II
in store for him, for he commanded the cavalry di-
vision at the capture of Blomtontein Pretoria as
well winning many other brilliant during the
remainder OF the He mentioned In dis
patches many times and received the K.C B. and
KONG.
On returning TO England he given comma nd
at Aldershot, becoming in lieutenant general IN
1902 and full general at the In 1911 he be-
came chief of the imperial staff and first military
member Of the army council being made a field mar
shall in 1918
In March of last year when the Ulster trouble be-
acute, General French resigned from the staff
rather than be involved in any conflict with his own
countrymen And Tommy Atkins who idoIized
French, stood with the man who has led them out OF
many tight places.
Twice Told Tales
sure sian of Recovery.