Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-07-29
JoFFRE, FRANCES S BIG SUCCESS
(By William Philip SimmS)
LInited Press Staff NorresnoNNent.l

CBy William Philip SimmS)
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Paris, July 29.-General Joe Joffra
must be enumerated among the great
French successes of the first - months
of the war
This goes as it stands, whatever he
may or may not do in the future. l
say this because Joffre is not without
his critics: There are those who say
he ought to move faster.
Joffre already deserves the undying
gratitude OF his country if ne never
strikes another blow. He refused at
Charleroi to sacrifice his men for
brilliant but temporary success though
he must have known the country was
waiting for him to make gool; he order
ed that soul-sickening retreat before
superior foe when lie knew that every
heart in France was weighted down by
the doubt concerning him and ais army;
he patiently sought and seized the op,
portunity he was looking for, then in,
stantly transformed the swift German
advance ON Paris into disorderly re-
treat; he stopped short the mighty see
Ond German offensive in the west
against the channel ports and pinned
his enemy down for long winter
trench campaign where ne neld the al.
vantage; he won the confidence of his
men, individually the most intelligent
soldiers in the wTld, giving them rea.
son for their cheer<nl courage which
never faltered even on coldest, wettest
mid.winter days.
Lastly, but by no means least, he so
handled his resources in material and
men that now, at the beginning of the
second year of the war the French army
is the finest fighting body in the melee
Joffre was the one man in France s
frty million for the job.
AT that, Jofirc was an accident!
That France had the right man for
the place and the time he was most
needed, was almost pure accident, for
her system of running the army, until
o year or so before the war broke out,
was not calculated to develop the man
for the job.
For some reason France mad not seen
fit to nominate gcneralssimo, a com.
mandcr-in'chief of her army, until Just
prior to the war There was simply a
board Of generals and this board was
supreme.
Maneuvcrs were conducted Just as
one would expect board to conduct
them. The blue army, under one set
of generals, would take such and such
n position at such and such a time. The
red army, under another set of gener.
ais, would oppose the blues, and to do
this they would hold such and such a
line The action would begin at a
specified time, would take a specified
form and cease at prearranged hour,
the Blues and Reds then to be occupy.
ing this or that position.
/ For a given number of days this sort
of thing would continue until the final
/ event, which took place before the
president of the republic and his guests
| foreign military attaches, and the rest
whose tinscl-tassclled tents were pitch
ed on the eminence overlooking the
field where the climax according tC
arrangement would unfold itself
Naturally maneuVers under such cir
cumstances scarcely developed intia
tive on the part Of generals and thel'
staffs, The weaker ones and indolcn
fellows were able to make about al
good n showing as the best.
Suddenly all this was changed. Iof
FIRE came on the scene. The genera
unrest in Europe showed to France III,
.unwisdom of letting this situation con
tinue, and Joffre was named general
issimo Of the army How he came (,
a., uo,n,J a. ppt .1nurI,, lpo,ru. I ha,r,
heard that General Pau was the frs
cnoce, hut he, for reasons of his own
thought Jofire ought to be named An,
joffrc il was.
Joffrc was destined TO have but "p,
90 at playing war before actual wa
began, but he changed the rules radical
ly for this one, He gave the Blue army
a city and its surrounding country {,
hold and he told the Red army 10 tax,
il. He told them TO 20 10 II. All meth
oils were good. there was no "tim,
out for anything and he hoped th,
best man would win.
There was the dickens 10 pay, Of
course. Easygoing Officers were lef
far behind; incOmpotency developed II
lunlookcd.for places; whole command
got captured, generals commanding
staffs and all There were all sorts Of
mixups, hut loffre looked on and tool
in every detail. The newspapers hint
ed that the mancuvcrs were a fiasct
and that the French army was In
bad way But Joffre considered M,
war game the most successful he ha'
ever witnessed.
He had found the weak spots in th,
machine and, knowing them ac coul,
apply the remedy lie applied II an'
a number Of Officers were retired.