The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-11
SIR JOHN FRENCH
INSPECTS SOLDIERS
Surprises Them Now and Then With the
Unexpectedness of His Appearance,
Other Times the Inspections
Are Quite Formal.

British headquarters, France, Sept, IL.
The only man OF the hundreds OF
thousands at the British front who wears
( the crossed batons OF field marshal on
his shoulders appeared in an opening IN
the shrubbery which bordered the field
where machine gun battery OF the new
army was waiting for orders TO move.
None OF the men in the battery had
any idea that he was coming. They
were lounging and chatting as they
waited. In glance everyone identified
that sturdy figure with its square chin
and the white dropping moustache with
the pictures which they had seen in the
papers. There was no need for call TO
attention. The effect was like an cleo
trio shock which sent every man to his
place and made his backbone a steel
rod.
"Does Sir John French often slip up
on you that way" gasped one OF the
battery lieutenants who was all OF ~
years of age. Nineteen is the limit OF
youth for officers in the new army; and
there are scores no older. From the one
chocolate drop on that boy lieutenants
sleeve to the crossed batons represented
a dizzy altitude.
The battery had just come out from
England. 1t took the communicating
chief about five minutes to form his
| Judgment of the results OF their nine
months preparatory drill. He asked
| few questions as ne looked over each
gun and its crew.
every good!" he said, and returned to
| his car which was to take him on to
inspect some other formation.
| @Any idea that the commander I'M chief
spends all his time over a map with a
| telephone at his elbow" as the staff Off
Ger explained, lis quite erroneous. lie
Is always on the go"
| The automobile enables him to get
over lot of ground in day. Some
! times the inspections are quite formal
Different battalions of brigade drawn
up in fields await his coming. Com
manding officers know OF his approach
when they see the flag Of his car fiutter-
| ing along the road. On these occasions
he usually makes little speech. Once
when a platform had been arranged for
him to address battalion he passed il |
by and went closer to the men standing
in the field with their rigid columns
around him. After that platforms went
out Of fashion
"One might think that he could learn
very little by brief inspection or watch
ing troops march past on parade" said
the staff officer, but soldiers eye
takes in more than civilian can guess.
He not only sees that uniform and equip
ment are in good condition but he Is able
to Judge both the spirit and the physical
condition OF the men. If they have been.l
having hard time OF it In the trenches
he can tell how much fight is left in
them. He may judge the character OF
the reserves who have filled the vacant
places. And the men see him. He is
no longer distant figure. They feel
the effect OF his personality"
The new army eontingents as they ar
rive receive particular attention.
"Every general in the army seems to
be taking his turn at inspecting us,
said one of the new army officers. I'VE
had plenty of inspections at home. We
came out here to fight"
When this was repeated 10 stat otti.
Ger who belongs TO &c. II. O." as they
call general headquarters, he said: They
need not worry about that. They will
be getting fighting enough when Me time
comes. But they have the right spirit.
All the armies In this war have found
that the men who have been in the
trenches know from experience how TO
hold the trenches. They can dig and
they can stick no matter how heavy the |
shell FIRE. But fresh troops when pop |
erly drilled are the best for the oacn.
siye. England has a far larger army
which has never heard the crack of a
bullet than has ever been under fire.
The new army men learned a good deal
in England; they are to be taught more
at the front"
A battalion Of new army men drawn
up on the pavement Of a French village
in front OF their billets with their trans
port and their packs on their backs
waiting for a general 20 inspect them is
common sight. The subordinate In.
spectors have more time 20 spare for
the task than the commander .in-chief. |
Down the front Of the line Of each com
pany and then along the rear they move
slowly as they take in every detail.
They say that when an army Of mil /
lions has 70 be made by country that
had only small regular army 10 start
with and there is years experience Of
warfare, revolutionary In its methods,
to inculcate along with the old principles,
too much pains cannot be taken IN any
direction. New army mcn may be dig
cling reserve trenches or AZ morning mus
ter and an automobile stops and here Il
.v.s,f 49, s,Ntanw With a rod can Mhtrh Il
shows that be belongs 90 the stan or an
other general 20 inspect them. Every 4
body AZ the British front not IN the
trenches seems either occupied IN max
ing inspections OF looking out for an IN.
spection.
aIf Il isn't somebody bent on inspec
ton" said one Of the new army men, "it
i some army medical corps sharp en.