Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-02

Paris, July 2, - The French drive
/ against the German line north Of
Arras is being made by General de
Maud huy, commander Of the tenth
French army, the general who has
risen faster since the war began than
1 any one else in the French forces, He
/ is also the most remarkable "charac-
/ ter" in the French army.
General de Maud huy is responsible
for most of the effective fighting on
the western front during the past six
weeks. He has taken Vermelles, Ca
rency, Notre-Dame-de- LOratte. and
the famous German Labyrinth
string of complicated trenches over
ten-mile front Now he is forcing
his advantage by striking for Lens.
so he can cut the German line OF
communication and cause d general re
treat. The men he has been throwing
against the German defenCes are
mostly older territ0rials and resery-
lists, men OF an average age Of 40
They have been fighting the Bavar-
ians, the best German troops If de
Maud-huy wins this battle he will be
come one of the heroes of France It
VIII also mean the beginning Of the
end Of the German invasion Of
France.
General de Maud uy holds the
unique record Of not having lost
trench during the entire winter and
spring campaign. Although he had an
army formed last October out Of stray
divisions to prevent the Germans out
thanking the allies and capturing
Amiens, he has succeeded in making
it the most effective unit in all the
French forces. Among military men
1t is known as Maud hugs army"
while most Of the other armies go
by their numbers.
When with de Maud hugs army q
few weeks ago was struck by the
remarkable vivacity of its leaders and
by the cheerfulness of the 'poilus.
as the French call the unshaven
soldiers" relates a correspondent. ''It
is by all odds the finest body of fight
ing men I have seen. not excepting the
army with which Won Kluck dashed
for Paris. or the original British ex-|
pedittonary force. And yet this army
had been picked up here and there in
the midst of the Battle OF the Aisne."
The personality of de Maud 'huy is
both for the spirit Of
his troops and the way they are
fighting. He not only keeps the man
agement of his whole army under
his own control, but also moves about
y, oil ~
on terms of intimacy with them 1t
is not at all uncommon for him to
sleep anywhere along the front,
where he happens to be. sharing a
room with the ordinary soldiers. He
says he can learn more about what
his men are thinking and how they
are feeling by mixing" with them
than by reading reports Of staff Of
fcers
De Maudhuy was only q brigadier
general when the war started. /
though he had been responsible for
large part OF the excellent system Of
training at St, Cyr. the French West
Point His politics had not helped /
him He was a Catholic and q cleri- +
cal and was suspected of having roy |
alist leanings. So he could not get
very far in radical France. He was
not even in the front line In August, /.
but was in command of reserve bril- /
gade at Dillon, But he was so eager /
to have s. chance TO fight in Lor-
raine that he was transferred and +
fought in a whole series OF battles f
at the end OF August against the /
crown princes army,
He was eager to fight in Lorraine
because ne was born in Metz OF an /
old Lorraine family, which refused .
to become German after the Franco /
Prussian war. It has been the dream /
Of his life to regain Metz for France /
He belongs TO that small group in i
France which never stopped thinking /
OF Alsace-L Lorraine, and ne 1onged /
for the revenge This is also true !