Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-12-16

1885, and Has 0erved With Distnc.
ton In Soudan, South African Cam
paigns and Western Front IN the
Present War.
LONDON. Dec I6.--G2;l5 n. m l--
b'icd Marshal Sir John French, who
'at his own request has been relieved
I the command Of the British forces
,ll France ana Flanders, has been
succeeded by Gen. Sir Douglas Ilaig
since the landing of the expedition
ary force Sir Douglas llaig has hnd
command OF the first army and has
been repeatedly mentioned In di8.
patches by his chief, whose place he
now takes. The change had been ex
pcted In some quarters for some time
and IT was announced in the house "
commons yesterday "Wednesday that
Il statement would be published I'M
medatcly.
Sir John French becomes command
erin chief of the armies in the United
Kingdom. For his Is months service
ht the front he has been created Wis.
count Of the United Kingdom.
Although many had been mentioned
IA possible successors of Field Mar
shal French, including the Duke OF
Connaught, the appointment, II Is
stated in the best informed circles.
Sir Douglas llnig is nine years
younger than his former chief, and
won his spurs as cavalry officer.
His first commission was In the
Seventh IIussnrs and, as has been the
case with most British officers OF high
rank he saw service IN the Sudan.
India. and Africa He vase hief staff
officer to Sir John French during the
Coleshurg operations, when the Brit
ish cavalry had difficult task In
trying to round up the mobile Boer
commanders. Later he was given
command q n group Of columns and
after the South African war was
made inspector general of cavalry In
India, one of the most coveted COM
mands for cavalry officers in the
British service.
After few years OF staff duty In
England he became chief of staff In
India and at" the outbreak of the war
was general officer commanding at
Aldershot From there he took the
first army to France.
Gen. Sir Douglas Haig, who VIII sue
ceed Field Marshal Sir John French
as Commander OF the British forces
In France and Belgium, Is Sd years old.
He began his military career with the
Seventh Hussars in 1885 and served
In the Soudan and South African cam.
paigns, in both of which he won dis
tnguished honors and promotions. At
The outbreak of the present war he
was general officer commanding at
Aldershot and afterwards was mnde
commander of the First army.
Several times during the war Cen
eral Haig has come in for hign praise
IN the dispatches of the general he
the Asne, his conduct was described
by Field Marshal Sir John French as
bold, skllful and decisive"
In November of last year, Sir Doug
las. then lieutenant general, was
promoted to the rank of general for
DISTINGUISHED service in the field.
Field Marshal French, In his dis
patch to the British war office describ-
ing the famous retreat from Mons,
credited Sir Douglas with having ex-
tricated his corps from a difficult po-
stion at Landrecles.
General Haig Is Scotchman. He
won his first honors under General
Kitchener in the Soudan, where he
was promoted to a brevet major on
the field for gallantry at Atbara and
| before Khartoum.
Field Marshal Sir John French had
been in charge of the British forces
on the continent since the outbreak of
the war. He is one of the best-known
of the British soldiers. and always has
had the reputation of being a skilful
and dashing leader of men. Sir John
was born in 1852. He served four
years in the navy. but not liking the
sea, he joined the militia. and through
| il entered the army. He has seen
wide service. During the famous Ul-
ster movement in March, 1914, Field
Marshal French. then chief of staff
of the British army, resigned his COM
mission. He was one of the sigma.
tories of the memorandum to Briga.
dier General Cough. giving guarantees
to the Ulster uniOnists, and, regarding
the reputation Of the document by
the government as slight on himself,
he resigned. Sir Douglas Haig then
became chief of staff, but at the out
break of the war Field Marshal French
was appointed to command the ex-
peditionary army.
The announcement of the war Of
flee, making public Sir Douglas ap-
pointment reads as follows:
General Sir Douglas Haig has been
appointed to succeed Field Marshal
Sir John French in command Of the
armies in France and Flanders.
"Since the commencement of the
war during over 16 months of severe