The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
BIRTHPLACE Az RvesALres
Nine. ArtuS Says Grcat-Grand-
fathr Was Political Refugee
From Spain.

>p.rH correspondence to Tnr stN.
rAr's. Jan. IA private letter from
New YORK. written about q month ago.
,ifd tn., King Nbert was the popular
hero ~ the war iu the United states and
nest Z, him Kitchener. but that Joffre,
general sslmu Of the French army. was
Amos, ignored This may still be true In
r. J'uitcI states but II 81 It hardly does
t1at Justice to the French General TO
which hc Is entitled. without any attempt
20 diminish the credit due to the King OF
TIC Belc.ans or the British War Minister.
II /. entirely the fault OF the French
rIitar, authorities. Joffrc himself being
IL. chief cause. that the personality and
trumnhs Of the generalissimo and his
officers are not better known.
The Belgian authorities have done their
best to allow correspondents to see some
thing Of the war. The British authorities
have done their best to prevent any thing
being known. hut have been thwarted to a
great extent by the enterprise OF English
newspapers who have spent large sums
In order to LEI England have some news.
The French public, however has been
limited to the news given out officially,
and its press has done little to supplement
this, partly because the STATS have been
modified and partly from want Of enter
prise.
Within the same week three special
writer's for American magazines appealed
TO THE SUNS correspondent for material
FOR articles OF Gen. Joffre's personality.
. articles for which these magazines were
crying by letter and cable. The CORE
snondent's replv was that he knew very
little and that Gen. Joffre himself had re-
nuested that such articles should not be
published during the war.
Almost the only anecdotc quoted about
- ,s.14t N.I n a.
n. vas the son of pcddler who went
round the country fairs crying - offre'
n offerl such and such an article, so that
Re became known as "Jotfre." The anec-
do,e does credit to its inventor and has no
foundation.
Lat. in the day La France dc Bordeaux
has been fortunate enough to secure an
Article based on information supplied by
the Generals youngest sisteT. Nine Artus
or Spanish Origin.
Our family" she said. lis by origin
Spanish. and according to certain docu-
r.nte, noble. My great-grandtather
driven from Spain for political reasons.
settled at Rivesaltes, near perpgnan, In
m. Pyrences -Oricntales Department tthe
southeast corner OF France, bordering on
Spain. where many Galatians are TO he
founI).
lie was called 'Gourfre.' and gave his
name the French form 'Joffre lie was
. tradesman and left his business to my
Grandfather. lie had several daughters
and one son when my grandfather was
~ Ny grandfather became wdower
neglected his household and my father
was allowed to grow up as he liked
When ne was old enough he was appren-
to-d to a barrel maker and worked as
an ordinary laborer at making casks TIL
D.. married, when he entered into posses
sion Of his mothers property-not FOR
tune. but enough TO live on. He continued
IN work Al his trade. as our family con-
sisted OF eleven children. of, the eleven
there are only three alive, the General
brother Gin the Inland Revenue Ohlce)
sTd myself
Ny brother went TO the Perpisnan COL
lsse aud at the age Of 10 went to Paris
70 study for the Polytechnic School
Where future artillery officers study,
A. u ne entered the Polytechnic. being
No. - OF the entering class. DO you
l1ow why he was only fourteenth? BE
cause he could not tackle German. lie
has learned it since, but his forte was
mathematics.
Before his first year at the school was
over the war OF 1870 began ard he
served as a second lieutenant in the enEi-
r-ers Iu tho siege OF Paris. When peace
AS signed he returned to the Polytech-
' and left il AS lieutenant. to he en-
,.o'ed ON the new outer ring OF Paris
,'ls, FOR section Of which he drew up
the plans
- Versailles. Montpelier, In Brit
l+'N, Ne built barracks. In China he
Fought. lu Africa he was with the col.
uI1 Tat avenged BONNER. At Diego
H''fe@ ue dug the port, and when 40 he
va a. General