Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-02

these reports were filed and no more.
The government did precisely as y
pleased and made few and unsattefac-
tory reports.
There were factional troubles as well.
Two socialist members of NJ Eivianf's
cabinet were reported to have declared
At a socialist meeting in London that
they were not in favor OF dismember-
ing Germany" The socialist group In
the chamber demanded that they dis
avow this statement and they did not
NJ Viviani was called upon to turn
1t seemed at the time-this was some
months ago-that defeat for the gov
eminent might result, but a speech by
NJ. Viviani smoothed things over.
The personality of NJ. Millerand. the
minister of war. made for friction
Millerand was socialist, and the
members of his group have never Tor
given him for taking office under<
greater respect for efficiency than for
courtesy. He gets things done without
any particular regard for other peo-
pies feelings. He says yes" and no"
bluntly. The political habit here Ia
vors circumlocution. He did not want
people who did not know anything
about his business to come messing
around. and said so. He became enor-
mously disliked.
Then the ''Sarrail Incident
So matters stood up to the "sarrail
incident
This really dates back to the battle
OF the Marine. Sarrail is supposed 10
have gone contrary to Jofre's orders
in that battle with most excellent re-
suits. 1t is held that he was not given
his full need of credit in Joffre's gen
eral orders after that battle. Gen.
Fosh. also-another of the royalists
xU-l.-
der in -chief--was credited with
grievance. Fosh is an apostle of the
offensive in warfare. According to the
common tale he had been ordered to
do SO Joffre sent to ask why. This
was the memorable reply he recaived:
My left is crushed. my right has
collapsed. l am attacking with my CEN
ter.
That attack by Foch is held to have
largely contributed to the victory. The
royalist faction in the army believed
that its leaders had not been given due
credit, but beyond mutterings that
were heard on the boulevards nothing
WAS done. Then came the crown
princes offensive of a few weeks ago,
directed against Sarrail's army. As a
result Sarrail was relieved from COM
mand. No clear reason has ever been
given. and the fact that he was relieved
has never been printed here. Rumor
has it that although he had gas masks
! in plenty for his men they were not
given out. 1t is also said that his
| troops actually broke through the Ger
man lines. One regiment is said to
have penetrated for seven kilometers.
but was forced to fall back because
there were no achievements handy.
Sarrail came back to Paris and aired
| his grievances on the boulevard.
When Sarrail Baked.
He has many personal friends. the
| royalist faction resented Joffre's al
legged unfairness toward their members
and there were the other causes for
discomfort which have been mentioned.
The government yielded in Sarrairs
case. and he was appointed command
erin chief at the Dardanelles. He Is
said to have refused to go at the be-
ginning unless he were given 10000
pore men, which would enable him to
foutrank Sir Ian Hamilton, commanding
the British forces. The moment seemed
opportune for an attack upon the gov
eminent all along the line. The va
| rious groups in opposition consolidated
upon their demands:
I'VE insist upon full parliamentary
CONTROL" was the notice they served
on the government.
That meant that the conduct of the
war would have been placed in the
hands of parliamentary committees
rather than of the Poincare cabinet
VI
self and the conduct of the war by
Joffre. The worst fears of the prcph-
cts of evil hereinbefore mentioned
seemed about to be justified. Confusion
must inevitably have followed any
practical application of the system pro-
posed by the parliamentary groups. As
| it was. one began to hear sinister whis-
pers that, although graft" had been
cut short, Il happier era might soon
open. 1t was obvious that IL the poll
| ticians got control Millerands days
! in the cabinet were numbered. 1t has
been said before that Millerand is I'M
questionably very impolite. He is also
very efficient.
The government defied the politicians.
although they presumably had a ma
jorty in the chamber. More than that,
it demonstrated that the country as a
whole is with Poincare and his cabi-
net and with Gen. Joffre. N. Viviant
fatty refused to yield an inch. He con-
scented to a secret session for purposes
Of debate, but insisted that there
should be no secret vote. Every man
must. stand up and be counted. The
chamber adjourned for week. In that
week 1t heard from the country.
A vote of confidence I'm the adminis-
trafion was passed with one dissenting
vote. This war is to be fought out to
the bitter end. The politicians got into
the sawmill. but after looking at the
machinery they decided not to monkey
with the buzz saw.