The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
Cen Pau put Joffre forward as the

Gen Pau put Joffre forward as the
man In whom authority should be con-
centrated he hid solid reputation In
military circles but was little known
to the public.
The new Chief Of STAFF and Gener-
alissimo had been trained early in
science. After getting his baccalau-
reate in that faculty he entered the
Polytechnique. school of engineering
under the War Ministry In the
Franco Prussan war he commanded
a battery in the defence of the capital.
Then he went back to school and
after completing his studies. being
graduated with high honors he was
assigned to work on the fertilization
Of Paris. Mac Mahon. then President
of the republic passed by one day
and. calling the young subaltern to
-im. said: ! compliment you. Cap
tain" This promotion came to him
at tde age of a. There followed for
tfication work at Pontarlier. at Duego-
Suez in Madagascar, reputed to he
models of their kind. until Joffre
feared that his life would be passed
in moving earth instead Of leading
troops. But Admiral Courbet in For
mosa took the trowel from his hand
and put sword in IT," In the sudan
he rendered distinguished service
Then he got command of an army
corps at Amiens. later became head Of
, the engineering branch of the army.
taught fertilization at Fontaincblcau
| entered the War Board and landed at
last in the position where now he Is
| giving France daily cause to bless the
fates that made him the man of the
hour in the army.
| He began his administration quietly
enough. For period he was unosten-
tatiously busy in the seclusion Of his
office. After the southern manpuvres
Of 1918 he startled France by breaking
the career of five Generals whose UNI
bfitness for high command had been
exhibited Half Of France gave thanks
for his backbone. the other half at
tackled him violently. Politics" was
the first suspicion. But no. it was dis
| covered that the cashicred officers all
belonged to one particular school If
politics and that school oddly enough.
had always claimed Joffrc" \ COM
mander above politics: n Republican
and Frccmason disciplining other Re
| publicans ana Freemasons: France
mad hut one word for 1t, "stupcndous.
| There were no more secret hchcs ~
officers who went 10 mass and had their
| children baptized: there were no moro
| confidential reports to Precursor lodges
| of impulsive speeches by colonies sus-
| pcctcd Of reactionary tendencies The in
| nlence OF JoTrc stopped all that. aud
! stopped the lntrlEues that had been rife
! more or less IN the army since tho Drey-
| fus case. The parliamentary soldier Of the
| Gen. Andre type was invited to carry
| his politics to the corridors Of tho Cham.
| her and leave the army free to pursue ~.
| work
| Joffre is OF tho Midi. a Ga>con: yet
/ he is las silent as William of Orange"
hut without gloom When he under
took the task of repellnS the invader
| from the soil OF France an observer
! reported that his calm was "stagger-
| ing The greater the stress the
| clearer his faculties seemed to become.
| Though stubborn in Clinging to his
| judgment once his mind is made up
! he is open to suggestion. accessible 10
| collaborators and subordinates and
| not scornful of good advice. Tho
: isothcrms of temperament are not
so closely identified in fact as in COM
| mon speech with the boundaries he
| tween north and south. Delcasse. also
taCiturn, is native Of the Department
| Of Ariegc, southern as Juffrc's Eastern
| Pyrences. When Dclcasse was Am
hassador at St. Petersburg the CA
I said to him of Joffre. present on a
military mission. The General must
be from the north, he speaks SO very
| little" "A northerner like myself.
your Majesty" said the Ambassador.
Exquisite grace" "a temperament
of steel" extraordinarily humanta-
rian' arr the authors predictions OF
the French commander.
| In using his men Joffre displays
a true French sense of economy.
He does not "hurl" masses OF troa ps
mercilessly against exposed positions.
! but has always nice regard for
decent proportion between the end TO
| be- gained and the cost in life. His
scheme of lighting is SLOW. persistent
| imposing upon the enemy steady,
| wearing strain, policy Of attrition
| eliminating at the precise moment nf
| advantage in fierce onfall that makes
full use of his compatriots' well
| known gallantry Of the offence. II"
will never be caught without reserves
| of force, munitions and strategy He
is Napoleonic in the one re.pec; only
| of fitness for making the utmost hest
of the means and methods Of his time
| wholly different in this day from
| Napole MS. And the pioupious call
him "notre Joffre" and "Grandpere
Joffre" A man cool. sagacious.
! methodical; and able at the righ:
time to put on che dash Of the
| hussdr."
The Frenchmin - 1915 does no,
| have to be statesman or a general
| in order to serve his country. ami
| in Mr.. Dawbarn's gallery along with
Decasse, BRAND, Clemenceau, Louis
| Barthou. stand Professor Metchnikoff.
Anatole France, Rergson and Finot,
| Bleriot. Guitry and BrieuX Marcel
| Delaney. Mile. Helene Mrapolskv,
the lawyer, and Nine. "Chcvalier"
| Paquin. Jean ,Iaures who was as
| sassinated on the last day Of July,
1914. is included because in his last
articles in L'HUmdHit6 he urged his
party to support the Government.
| He was "the first victim Of the war"
NeutraIs.
In the presence of recent events