The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-25

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 On long table before the British coInzzander were number of maps and reports Otherwise. the man who directs the operations of che British army in France appeared comple teIy disassociated from the details of the different army departments situated in other off1ces about the town It was heads fthese departments reported to Fieid Marshal French i1nnaedia iately upon telephone request.
 Ecoking younger than his phot0- graphs make him appear, ruddy and alert. Sir John shows no signs of the strain Of the las teight months as he stood before his grate fire and talked of bis campaign and the war.
 What were the most important con- fributing factors making yc-r retreat Norm Mons secure against overw helm ing odds9e. Sir John was asked.
 The dpgged tenactty Of our title regular army which contested every foot of the ground as we fell back, was the answer. Not once did our soldiers lose heart. They undefstood that we were not defeated by making strategic retreat before heavy odds they could inf1tct on the enemy by q cool and stubborn resistance from point to point was no less valuable to. lthe ultimate object than if they were sadva ncing Their confidence that their turn to tahe offensive would come Iren5aIned l1llsh ken. Next in 1inpor-. E 5 tarce was the work of our cavalry in. its aggressive alertness in preWe ntins5 EtIis cavalry of the eneny from getting EaFDnnd us. our cavalry established Ia decided superiority over that Of the enemy which was of vital assistance.''
 And what, to you, was the most critical moment of your cam paign in France was the next question put to Sir John French, One would not have been surprised if he had said when his reserves were virtually ex- hai1sted in the battle Of Fpres and -A -Arrnentieres to save the channel ports. His answer had characteristIc promptness and decisfveness.
 On the retreat from Mons at Le !Cateau We were in the open coun- try in a very dangerous posftion and the German ambition for Che anniEii- lIation of our little army might have been realized if our cavalry had not been daal to it's task Of covering the Hanks of our steady, disciplined Teg1Iars.,'
 Pew Americans probably are ss Ia niliar with the campaign of our Civil ar as is Sir John French He has made thorough study of them and from them he has drawn lessons which he has found helpful in France. He mentioned Stonewail Jackson.
 To me General Jackson was more like Cromwell than any other leader of history said the British eoznman- der. 4 heroic. martial figure, whose wonderful career came, to happy Close soldier desires in the hour of victory g have followed all his m arch es and battles with unfla gging admir- Ation- He had the religious exaltation bf Cromwell, the dash and deternina- tion and the genius of inspiring his troops with his own indomitable spirit and enersF
 But Of all your commanders. Robert 5 E. Lee. in his patience, his resource his boise. his soundness Of Judgment and his possession of the qualities of nigh command in all emergencies, is Foremost. in my opinion. 2
 A good deal has been said about the novel conditions which trench warfare in this warfare has deveIoped.s was the next thing said by the correspond- Frt- Has it changed the qualities re- quired Of a soldier2ss
 he replied. Human nature remains tue same, and it is the man who gives and takes the blows, what ever the nature of his weapons Cour- age, discipline and tenacity are still the dominant elements of success
 And the guns-it has been repeat edly stated that this has become war of artillery
 think there has been an inclina- ton to =exaggerate the importance of artillery, Sir John answered. saNo doubt of the three arms artiIler-z has increased in relative importance It may take a dozen shells to get one man and one bullet will get one man 'The weapons which decide the day are fhe rife and the machine gun. ana the Infantry is still the queen of battles.
 As soldier speaking of his enemy Sir John French was far from depre- eating the fighting qualities of the Germans. To the troops Of Emperor William he paid soldiers elliva lrous tribute But they are no greater fhan other soldiers he said q at- tribute their vaIor and their well dis cIplined heroisrh to the fact that from the cradle they are taught discipline and to worship their Emperor and the fatherland and that it is their duty to die for the fafherland when their ern- peror comma ds.s'
 2. As to the conduct of the Germans. is it as bad as reported 2ss was asked Of Sir John. Have they consistently brok ensstlle rules of ciyfItzed war fare z,s
 For the first tirue the British com 1nander hesitated before speaking. Evidently as 9, soldier he wished to be entirely just to his enemy