The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-02
! COMPLETE TEXT
INTERVIEW WITH
BIames Mistakes of His Own
Staff For Retreat From
CharIer0i.

~~~~~V~~~~V~~V
ny far the most thrilling document
X published since the war began
IL Is an interview with General
Joffre giving his views of mill
tary operations from the battle of
Charleroi to the French reverse at
Solssons, says O. f. Bertelli in the
New York American The interview
was obtained by his lifelong friend,
Paul Huard, and printed in Depeche
de Toulouse on Jan. 30.
After the preliminary greetings"
Huard writes, II turned the cOnversa-
ton to military operations. and Jofrre
expressed his utmost confidence In
final victory. He had told me the
same thing the very day war was de-
clared. Now my mind went back to
the anxious hours of the Germans
overwhelming march on Paris and to
the defeat Of Charleroi, which had
seemed to me a bloody denial Of Jof-
fre's persistent confidence.
"'You ought really to give me some
explanation Of Charleroi,' said to
him.
Joffre's Criticism Of Stah.
"The general was neither astonished
nor offended by my question
Il asked him If 1t was really true, as
the general public and even the COM
batants believed, that we were out
flanked in Belgium by overwhelming
masses.
"'Not at all Not at ALL replied Gen.
eral Joffre. Our army was in suffic cient
numbers. We ought to have won the
battle Of Charleroi. We had ten
chances to one to win It. We lost it
through our own faults, by mistakes Of
our commanders. Long before the war
broke out was aware O great number
Of our generals were worn out C'fa.
tigues'D. Some of them seemed to me
unfit to fulfill their duties. Some In
spired me with doubts, others even
with disQuietude. l had made known
my intention to introduce a young ele.
ment into our superior command. De-
spite all comments and In face Of all
Ill feeling I would have pursued my
task, but the war came too soon
"Ihere were certain number Of
generals whom trusted, but who i'm
perfectly came UP 10 my hopes. The
fact Is the real test OF men cited for
warfare is war itself rather than
strategical colleges. The keenest in.
telligence, the most complete knowl.
edge are Of little value If to them are
not added certain qualities Of action
Such are tho responsibilities Of war
that It IS their peculiar attribute that
they paralyZe the rarest faculties In
men Of merit. That is what happened
to some of my chiefs. They could not
do justice to their merits.
Observing those deficiencies, had
set about remedying them. Some Of
these generals were my best comrades;
but while l love my friends, I love
France still more. I therefore relieved
them Of their commands. I removed
them as l expect to be removed my
self If am found deficient. not, tn
deed, as a punishment, but simply for
the public veal. did this with IN.
guish in my soul, and when left in SOL
itude wept.'
How Paris March Was Checked.
Turning the general from his mel.
ancholy memories, said to him, Now
explain to me your retreat, especially
by what surprising miracle or what
singular caprice General Won Kluck
obliqued so suddenly when Paris was
already within his reach
The retreat was very simple re.
piled Joffre, now smiling again. With
numerous details he explained to me
how Won Kluck's men, casting aside
their haversacks. swept like q whirl-
wind on Paris.
He explained how during the ten
days the English French retreat lasted
he. Joffre, built up in the region of
Amiens-that Is. On flank Of the line
OF 1nvasion-an army whose existence
was unknown to all. and especially to
the Germans, until the day when this
army Of General Maunoury gave such
sudden and violent elbow blow to the
Teutons that he threw them, as plan
ned, on to our lines on the MHrne.
General JOffre explained these mill
tary events to me In the most indiffer-
ent tones, as though he himself had
played most secondary role with the
same air rs an assistant military pro.
fessor would explain to class the re-