The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-12-28


+ soldiers. j
j. He first gained distinction in this ].
+ war for his valor in the battle Of j.
+ Loos. j
+ He is favorite of the royal fam +
i lily. +
+
*+++%%++++* +++++++4
Field Marshal Sir John French, after
sixteen months in a command which
included the mightiest armies Great
Britain ever put in the field, at last
has been succeeded by a general who
has spent most of his own active ca
reer under Sir Johns command and
who probably has been praised more
highly by Sir John himself than by
any one else.
The news that Sir Douglas Haig had
succeeded Sir John French as CON-
| mander In chief of the British armies
in France and Flanders probably came
as no surprise in Great Britain, where
precisely this change had been fore
cast for months, and open predictions
had been made-although none of them
| ever got past the censor to America
| that Sir John soon would be out and
| Sir Douglas in.
Predictions Known to French.
These predictions were made long
| before the battle of Loos and cannot
have been unknown to Sir John, but
/ the retiring chieftain none the less in
trusted Sir Douglas with command of
| the attacking forces in that battle and
gave him unstinted praise for the man.
ner in which the trust was performed
The contrast between the two men
is marked in many ways. Sir John
is sixty-three years old, of Irish de-
scent. though born in Kent, a short,
sturdy, white haired, cheerful soul who
won his greatest laurels as a daring
and audacious cavalry leader. THE
Phil Sheridan of the British army" he
has been called.
Sir Douglas is fifty-four, the young
est of all the generals who in the pres
ent war have been intrusted with COM
mand of British army, a Scotsman,
born in County Fife, tall, powerfully
built, dour and masterful. almost over
, bearing in his manner and so close a
+ student of his profession that before
the war he was generally nicknamed
won Haig" by his fellows. He also
has served most of his career in the
cavalry. the one arm of the service that
has had the least employment since
August, 1914. He is, however, the au
thor of several works on tactics and is
, considered one of the most thoroughly
trained soldiers in England as well as
the most unsparing driver of his subor
dinateS.
> Favored by Royalty.
. Sir Douglas also has been known a:
: a royal favorite. His wife, Lady Haig
was Miss Dorothy Vivian, favorit,
f maid of honor of Queen Alexandra
! The late King Edward as a specia
+ mark of favor to Sir Douglas not onl.
: permitted the marriage ceremony TO b.
! performed in Buckingham palace, bu
Z attended in person with Queen Alexan
: dra and afterward gave luncheon il
honor of the bridal pair.
Sir Douglas has stood as high IN tn
good graces of King George as in thos
: of his father. During the months in
mediately preceding his appointment t
- command the First army he served a
!. special aid de camp to the king
= Sir Douglas was in command of tn
:, attacking forces of the British at til
- battle Of Neuve Chapelle, which, b,
= ginning as a brilliant success for til
ie British, was transformed into som,
le thing very near disaster by the breal
le down of the organization, the failuI
u OF reserves to get up and general COZ
u fusion, which resulted in the shellin
I'd Of thai, own mar, bv british artillerv
"a Absolved by French.
Sir John French, however, in his T
ha port took great pains to abSolye
mr. Douglas of all blame for these blu
2 ders, saying: Il am of the opinion tn;
- this delay Gn getting up reserves al
an Strengthening out the disordered res
- ments. which proved fatal to Il
"A further advance of the British wou
- not have occurred had the clearly e
:. pressed order Of the general offic
commanding the first army been mo
=. carefully Observed
A little later in his report, moreove
Sir John said: 4 consider that q
- able and skilful dispositions whi'
zee were made by the general officer col
- IA handing the first army contribut
IN largely to the defeat of the enemy a.
Vi to the capture of his position The e
d. ergy and vigor with which Sir Dougl
d. Haig handled his command show hi
lu- to be a leader Of great ability a
power"