The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-29

tituGs OF compiacency on the part OF
the upper classes and Of apathy among
the lower classes has given way to
One Of united determination.
AS SEEN IN FRANCE.
BY william Philip Ssmnss. United
Press starr Correspondent
fFourth Ssory.l
PARIS, July sa-Genefzl Joe Jo6re
must be enumerated among the great
French successes q the first twelve
months of the war.
This goes as il stands, whatever he
may or may not do In the future /
SAP this because Jonre Is not without
his critics. There are those who say
he ought to move faster.
IoHre already deserves the undying
gratitude Of his country II he never
strikes another blow. He refused at
Chartered to sacrifice his men for a
brilliant but temporary success though
he must have known the country Was
waiting for him TO make good: he or
dered that soul-sickeninx retreat be-
for. a superior foe when he knew
that evry heart in France was weight
ed down by the doubt concerning him
and his army; he patiently sought and
seized the opportunity he was looking
for, then instantly transformed the
swift German advance on Paris into
disorderiy retreat. he stopped short
the mighty second German offensive
in the west against the channel ports
and pinned his enemy down for long
winter trench campaign where he held
the advantage: he won the confidence
OF his men. individually the mos: in
teliixent soldiers in the world, giving
them reason for their cheerful cour-
age which never faitered even on
coolest, wettest mid-wtnter days.
Lastly, but by no means least. he
so handled his resources Ia material
and men that now. at the beginning
o. the second year OF the war the
French army is the finest fighting
body In the melee. Joffre was the
one man in frances forty million for
the job.
At that, Jofre was an accident.
That France had the right man for
the place and at the moment he was
most needed, was almost pure acct
dent, for her system OF running the
army, until year or so before the
war broke out, WAS not calculated TO
develop the man for the job.
For some reason France had not
seen at to nominate . generalissimo,
a commander-in-chiefo Of her army. IN
til Just prior to the war. There was
simply a board Of generals and this
board was supreme.
Maneuvers were conducted Just as
one would expect board to conduct
them. The Blue army, under one set
Of generals, would take such and snch
position at such and such time.
The Red army, under another set Of
generals, would oppose the Blues and
to do this they would go
to such and such line.
The action would begin at .
specified time, would take a specified
form and cease at pre-arranged
hour, the Blues and Reds then to BE-
occupying this or that position.
For a given number OF days this
sort OF thing would continue until the
final event which took place before
the president OF the republic and his
guests, foreign military attaches, and
the rest. whose tinseltasselled tents
were pitched on the eminence over
looking the field where the climax fac-
cording to arrangement) would unfold
itself.
Naturally maneuyers under such
circumstances scarcely developed ini-
tiative on the part of generals and
their stats. The weaker ones and in.
dolent fellows were able to make
about as good a showing as the best
Suddenly all this was changed Jof-
FIRE came ON the scene. The general
unrest in Europe showed to France
the unwisdom of letting this situation
continue, and Joffre was named gener-
alissfmo Of the army How he came
TO be named fs not clearly known;
have heard that General Pau was the
first choice, but he, for reasons OF his
own, thought JofYre ought to be
named. And Joffre It was.
Joffre was destined to have but one
go at playing war before actual war
begun. but he changed the rules radi-
caliy for this one. He gave the Blue
army city and its surrounding coun-
try to hold and he told the Red army
to take If. He told them to go to it.
All methods were good, there was no
time OUT for anything and he hoped
the test man would win.
There was the dickens to pay, Of
course. Easy-going officers were. left
far behind, incompetency developed in
unlooked-for places; whole commands
got captured. generals commanding,
STATS and all. There we're all sorts
of miK-ups, but Joffre looked on and
took IN every detail The newspapers
limited that the maneuvers were
fiasco and that the French army was
in a bad way. But Joffre considered
the war game the most successful he
had ever witnessed.
He had found the weak spots in the
machine and knowing them. he could
apply the remedy. He applied it and
a number Of officers were retired.
War caught Jofre in the middle OF
lEHICH VALLEY