The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-01-22
General. jOFFRE
HEADQUARTERS
Pen Picture Of Industry Around
Popular French Commander.
WORKS FAR FROM TRENCHES

Never Displayed Among the Machine
like Clerical Force.
Paris.-"War in its grim reality has
upset all the ideas which we had of
its aspect" says Frantz-R eichel who
in the Figaro gives pen picture of
1 General Joffre and his staff at work
at the headquarters of the French
/ army. lie G. @ c." abbreviation for
grand quarter general" is what the
headquarters of the Eeneralissimo is
called.
For each army the headquarters is
! anywhere from seven TO twelve kilo-
/ meters behind the firing line. while
/ for the entire field army the great
headquarters is from so to 100 kilo
meters away. Great headquarters is
| the mysterious confer from which
| comes nothing but what is duly au-
! thorized To go there, to see those
who. grouped about the chief, are as
| ISOLATED. however little, in the work
of the brain that thinks for all; TO APP
proach that corner of France where
are brought by telegraph or telephone
| the results of every hour, from where
leave the orders which inspire the
movements of that immense and many
| jointed body. the army, is the dream
of all, the privilege of few.
But the great headquarters where
the generalissimo works-the man who
assumes the superb but crushing re
! sponsibility of the life of Francis
far different from what one would
! imagine it. When one has viewed it,
with all its installations, the impress
sion that one gets is of gigantic
manufactory where in Offices filed
with work everybody tolls with order
and method at the accomplishment OF
tasks well understood.
THE great headquarters of the
French army was in a little town at
goodly distance from the trenches,
| shifting whenever the occasion requir-
ed it.
THE town ii occupied presented no
/ uncommon sight-a commercial town.
with humdrum streets. which were i'll
times of peace animated by its popu-
lation concerned in two industries. the
repairs of material of the Eastern rail
road and the manufacture of wooden
/ goods
About General Joffre gravitate 200
officers, assisted by an army of secre-
taries. These men collaborate at three
services of the general staff prop
/ erly. the service of the rear and the
service of the rairoads-all placed IN
der the orders of three officers who
are the immediate associates of the
genera lissimo The three services are
installed in three school buildings. Day
and night the staff is AT work attend
ing to the thousand aud one exigencies
of the frout. where 100000 men are
deployed along a stretch of 800 kilo-
meters.
in thess offices, from which are sent
out the orders commanding the thun-
der Of the guns. the rattle of small
arms. the pandemonium of regiments
hurled forward 10 clamoring assault
there is IA silence absolute. impressive.
They are working without noise. with
out respite The only sounds are the
gathering Of typewriters and the ring
ing Of telephone bells. One has the
sensation of passing through the offices
of a great industry. where every one.
animated by duty and held by strong
discipline, works faithfully at his APP
pointed task Heads are not lifted as
one passes. Such order. such applica
ton gives one a feeling not of hope,
but of confidence that the fluctuations
of the battlefield cannot shake The
faces reflect confidence and faith.
.All this is the work of General Jof-
fire. incompatible administrator, emf
nent strategist admirable chief, who
by his own example and the influence
he wields has brought all his subordi-
mates into the path of duty we'll done.
An interchangeable worker. his great
! Headquarters is run like a piece of
we'll oiled machinery. The generals
simo himself follows a strict routine
He rises at 3 o'clock and has light
breakfast of coffee and rolls; then he
visits the three service chiefs, works
with them hearing or reading reports
sanctioning solutions adopted; after
that. before luncheon. he takes walk
on foot during which he works out in
his brain plans for the action Of the
allied nlr;os. The walk over. the gen
eraliSsimu returns to his house. where
he has luncheon.
Every three or four days the gener-
alissimo goes on tour of inspection in
his automobile. he visits each Of his
armies in turn. confers with their
chiefs. chats with the soldiers His
Ihaufeurs are two of the most famous
racers in France. Boillot and Rigal.
General Joffre likes Ia take maps while
his automobile is flying along He says
IL induces n most restful sleep
plain and good. just In rewards as
in punishment. he is respected. esteem
ed. adored by all Obeying nothing
but military necessities. be chooses his
men. leaving to each one his initiative
Inseusibie b eulogy. Indifferent to crit
icism n general Of duty. be has con
auered the admiration OF the entire
world