Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-27

OF Gluvelt which rolled the Germans
back TO the positions which they had oc-
cupied that morning. AS French came
UP, Haig was Just returning TO conscious
ness. Refusing to so TO the hospital he
accompanied his chief TO the line. Dazed,
staggering on his feet like n groggy prize
tighter, he helped to make the new dis
positions and to rally the men. His ex-
cellent work in the retreat from Mons
and at the Aisne and Ypres has been re-
peatedly mentioned in French's dis
patches.
That first campaign of the British army
had to do with the old-time open lighting
which they had practiced in India, III
South Africa and in Egypt-the kind OF
lighting that both generals and major OIL
GERS knew. Over-sevcre critics to the con-
trary. IL is probable that no other smail
body Of troops on tho western front would
have done any better.
But after the grand assault OF the Prus-
sian Guard on November Is. the period OF
trench warfare set in-the kind Of fight
ing which no one knew very well, ana
least of all the British, who had never
possessed really valuable general STAR
to work out the theoretical problems OF
war. Moreover, the losses had been so
great that the old professional army,
which held the left OF the line in the re-
treat to Paris and which locked the pres
cnt line to YDres almost ceased to exist.
Now. the typical British common soldier
was q civilian recruited since the begin
ming Of the war. and the typical British
officer brave. intelligent young fellow
not yet educated-because there had been
as vet no time-in the finer points Of COM
mand And since that time, as the world
knows, the British have merely held,
punctuatlng their holding by few disas-
ters.
In tho affair at Neuve Chapelle where, as
In the recent affair at Loos. the British
merely won half victory through lack
of coordination. Haig was In charge OF
the army which attacked. However, none
ever seemed TO lay the failure to him 1t
was blamed officially 20 another general
who failed to arrive with reserves until
too late to secure the victory. II did not
seem TO blemish IIaig's reputation i'm the
army.
II they have done nothing else, the
British have secured a man who looks
like a soldier. A correspondent who has
seen every front remarked Of late that
he and tho German Won Mackensen,
among all the great soldiers whom he
had seen in Europe, best fitted the pic
ture. But Won Mackensen looks cold
and probably is" he said He Is all
steel and ice Haig looks as though he
were cold only on the surface. He gives
the impression of warmth underneath
Haig IL Just above the medium height.
but with a beautiful, suuare-shouldered
soldlery hulld winch makes MN appear
at first sight taller than he Is. lie Is
as handsome as his pictures make him
appear. and the effect is heightened, as
YOU see him in the flesh. by his fine
clear blue eyes, and those splashes of
! white hair at the temples. which actors
| always put on when making up for the
| handsome elderly hero. Hc shows his
Scotch blood in the gravity of his mien
| But he has n pleasant little smile back
| of It all When on the Job he is eNCep-
tionally silent. even for a soldier his
| whole appearance is that of intense con-
| Ccntration on the business in hand. In his
| hours at ease they say, he is very diff
| fercnt person-agrceablc. cordial and wit
! ty. But he indulgcd himself in few such
! hours since this war began. lie Is one of
| the earliest risers and the latest retircrs
| in his headquarters. and he is working
all the time
CREATES QUIET. CONFIDENCE.
One of French's great powers Is his
! magnetism Hc makes himself liked by
| his fellows The crisis Is never too great
! for him 20 Cham a little ~ way of re-
/ lieving his mind Face to face with men.
| he usually pcrsuades them An Ameri-
| can ambulance surgeon was working in
| the public square of Ypres Just when the
| line broke on that critical day of October
l. As he bent over the dying. the re-
| mains Of British battalion came stream
| ing In. They were beaten and showed II.
| The major in command was trying to
rally them. lie was actually weeping
! with his disgrace. but he could not hold
| them. Just then French came up in his
| inotorcar and took in the situation. lie