Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-06-05
GETS HIS REVENGE
Aged French General Waits A.
Years for Day.
Since 1870 General Maunoury, Recent.
ly Decorated by King George.
Has Worked and Planned
for Revenge on Germans.

Paris.-'T owe to you the attain
ment of the aim towards which all my
efforts. all my energy have been
strained for forty.four years past--re-
venge for 1870"
This message from the order Of the
day In which General Maunoury
thanked his troops for their victorious
participation In the battle Of the
Marne. explains the whole life Of the
veteran upon whom King George has
conferred the order OF st. Michael and
st. George.
In a war which has clamored for
the qualities of youth. . general upon
the retired list. sixty-seven years OF
age. might well have imagined that
his hopes Of active employment were
vain. that the most hs could expect
would bs some post ~ organiser in
the depots well to the rear OF the some
Of operations.
General Msunoury was called from
his flowers and his farming In the
Loir OF Cher in August, and came to
Paris in the hope of obtaining some
command In the held where he would
be able TO work directly for the re
vanehe"
At the outset Of the war all the gen.
eral officers belonged to the active
army, and for Q time General Maun.
curry had to content himself with the
useful. II less satisfying, work OF in
specting depots and the organization
of reserves.
1t was not long. however. before
he was given the command OF On army
formed ct Verdun. ut the head Of
which he took part In the early and
disastrous lighting along the Belgian
frontier. During the retreat no fought
q series of actions with the greatest
hrilliancs, while at the same time re-
organizing and completing his force,
General Maunoury was ordered to
Paris to undertake the task Of organ.
izing and commanding the army des-
tined, In the event OF things turning
out badly ON the Marns, To act In the
defense Of Paris.
The appointment was fiattering,
but to General Maunoury 1t aroused
many cruel memories. for he had be-
gun his military career In the army
of Paris In 1870 and. a. artillery Of
ficer, had known the bitterness Of DE-
feat In the series of battles which was
fought In the neighborhood of the CAPT.
tai.
That bitterness he wiped out In sig
nal manner at the head OF the army
of Paris which at the critical moment
swung on to the German right along
the Ourcq and withstanding the most
terrible battering for days, finally pre-
cipitated the general retreat OF the
enemy back to the Aisne.
General Maunoury comes from q
family which has been noted for Its
service to the countryside of the Loir
ct Cher and to the greater country,
France Perhaps his most striking
characteristic is quiet modesty, his
unassuming nature.
He is q type of the oficer bred OF
the desire for revenge. For that he
has worked; 1t was that idea which
gave to his teachings their stength; 1t
was that idea which gave to his spirit
the force required of 1t during the bat
tie Of the Ourcq. From the ourcQ
General Maunoury and his army have
moved up to the Aisne.
1t was there that ! had the honor
of visiting him.
Like many another army commander
I have been privileged to meet along
the French 'front.' General Maunoury
has refused to admit that q generals
place Is in the study poring over maps,
receiving reports, conducting war a.
though 1t were nothing but game OF
chess.
He declined to believe that the tele-
phones, wireless, the aeroplanes, and
modern shell fire have In any way
belittled the importance Of men, and
he made . point Of making ct least
one visit day to the front trenches.
where bis CHEEKY smile and cheering
words never failed to Increase the re-
spect and admiration In which he 10
held by his ofiicers and men.
1t was during one Of those visits
that Q bullet found him with bis eye
at peephole and temporarily do.
prived France of his service.