The Washington herald., 1915-08-15
FRANCE STIRRED
BY SARRAIL CASE
Nation Reused by Removal Of
General from Argonne
Command.
LET CROWN PRINCE GAIN
Union of All Parties Threatened and
Minister Millerand May Be
Forced Out.

been disgraced. according to reliable news
just received here.
Far more serious than the causes of
the generals dismissal. am told. is the
fact that the sacred union OF all par
ties in France. for which President Poin-
care pleaded when the war broke out,
has been strained to the breaking point
because of the circumstances of the dis
nissal. and it is now more likely than
ever that War Minister Millerand will be
forced to resign within a few weeks under
pressure from all the advanced republi-
can elements in the chamber of deputies
and senate
Gen. Sarrail was relieved OF his COM
mand because he allowed the imperial
Kronprinz to advance in the Arsonne to
the depth of mile early in July. Gen.
Dubail. who commands all the armies Of
the east from the Argonne to Belfort,
and who was Sarrairs immediate su-
perior, reported to Gen. Joffre on the in
cident, charging that sarrail had neglect
ed TO make adequate defenses in the Ar
gonne.
France's Savior Acts.
AS matter of course. Joffre Endorsed
Dubairs report and forwarded it to Mil
lerand. who in turn submitted il to a
meeting of the French cabinet. There
was no question of declining to take ac-
ton on such report bearing the sigma
ture of the comrander-in-chief. who has
won the noble title of Savior of
France" and. accordingly. the cabinet IS
sued decree disgracing Gen. Sarrail,
and President Poincare signed II.
Gen. Sarrail Immediately came TO Paris.
and as solution Millerand offered him
the command Of the French expedltionary
force in the Galiipoli Peninsula in sue
cession to Gen. Gourand. the brillia Mt
colonial officer who was recently serious
IL wounded and invaded home. At first
he declined.
1T is one Of two things" he said.
IF I am competent send me back to
the Argonne: il I am incompetent it
- useless TO send ne to the OAR
danelIes, where. in any case. ! should
have command inferior to the one
from which | have been removed"
After some reflections. however. and
after consulting his friends. Gen. Sar-
rail is reported to have agreed to ac-
cept the Gallipoli command on condi-
ton that the French force be strengthen
ed by several army corps. This would
make it numerically superior to the
French general would in the ordinary
course assume the supreme command in
rlsce Of Sir Ian. Hamilton.
Dardanelles or Trial.
1t is said the cabinet has decided to
order Ssrrail to the Dardanelles uncon-
Gitionally. The penalty of refusal in such
case would be trial by court-martisl
AS political general, Sarrail. I am
informed, is the strongest officer in
France at this moment He has the en-
thusiastic backing of the Socialists and
Radical-Socialists, who form q majority
Of the chamber of deputies, and an i'm
portsnt body Of these supporters are now
doing their utmost to make Alexandra
Millerand resign.
This new attack on the war minister,
coming on top of the determined move
ment against him, led by Georges Glenn
enceau and other powerful politicians. is
likely, eventually, to lead to his resigna-
ton or the overthrow of the Viviani
sacred union" cabinet.
All this week the republican groups
Of the chamber have been in an alarm
ing. fretful state of agitation. Meetings
OF delegates have been held daily for
hours and the upshot has been the
voting of a resolution Gaining upon the
government TO confer inquisitorial pow
ers on the different parliamentary COM
missions
When any commission wants TO know
what is going on at the front, it will in
future delegate one or several of its
members to proceed to the front. These
visitorial and inquisitorial missions must
receive the cordial cooperation Of the
military men. On their return to Paris
they will report to the commission con-
cerned who will then positively see that
the war minister applies the remedies
that may be needed.
Press Keeps 1t Secret.
Drastic as may appear this measure
which the government will concede or
else be overthrown by the Republican
elements-it is milk and water compa red
with what the extremists in their dis
satisfaction at the progress OF the war,
have been clamorinE for. They have
urged a reversion to the committee OF
public safety which operated during the
revolution.
They hav. demanded the re-establish-
ment of civilian 'commissaires" who,
like Saint Just. Lazare carnot and Lebas
in the i7aS epoch. shall be vested with
powers 10 harry the generals at the
front and bring them to book II they
are found wanting.
The French censor has been working
desperately to keep from the public /,
the news OF the origin of all this turmoil, |
and he has succeeded. No French news
pa per has yet announced the disgrace Of |
Gen. Sarrail
Jealousy among certain of the French |
generals is the real reason for Sarrail's |
dismissal. so his political friends say, |
and unselfish Frenchmen are depiorins (,
the apparent fact that the country's |
military chiefs should not be able to rise |
superior TO personal considerations In |
this hour Of peril. though they recognize !
that II is only a case Of history repeat
ing itEelf. and their confidence in the |
final victory is undiminished.
Hare is significant story Of what
in the Argonne a month be-
fore the kronprinz's advance. Albert |
Thomas. minister of munitions, was |
Gen. SarrAirs army with twcl
deputies In conversation with sarrail
he let fall a remark that he WAS suf- |
fering from the effects of jealousy of
other generals. Thomas demanded an
explanation, but Sarrail would say no |
more than that he was not in good |
odor in high quarters.
JoKre ms War Minister.
This is how his friends reason out
the whole incident: I
There is . feeling among the higher
commands of the army tina. one day
armament may come to the conclu-
sion that Jo6re. great though his serv-
ices nave been. is not the man TO
carry out the offensive that is to clear
France and Belgium Of the Germans.
He will be tactfully removed-psrhaps
made minister Of war.
n republican general. as distinct
from reactionary general. will be
named in his place, because evan now
the republicans are not taxing onvt
chances OF royalist coup d'etat This