New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-17
"Scrapped!'

blunder in the opening battle was dun
der which rad heavy consequences 1or
France and almost cost Great Britain 'ne
only army she then had on foot
Late in the afternoon Of August % SIR
John French, still fighting the opening
nbasa of the Battle Of Mons, was In
formed by Jofre that the two French
.rnoies 70 the east were retreating after
seyere engagement which had turned OUT
badly. Sir John French was advised that
his own flank WIS threatened and tha1 ne
hopelessly outnumbered.
Despite this warning the British com
msnder did not begin his retreat until
twenty hours after the notice. He was
deceived by the success Of the operations
on his immediate front and seems TO have
imagined that he could win another
Waterloo.
When French finally decided to retreat
his situation was critical. Klucks flank
ing corps was coming up. 1t was, IN TACT
almost on the flank Of the British army
The Battle of Cambria. "the most critical
day." to use Sir John Frenchs own words,
when the British were nearly pinned down
and DESTROYED, was the direct consequence
Of the delay at Mons.
Sir John French brought his army out.
No army ever shone more brilliantly than
the British force in this terrible operation,
Only veteran professional troops could
have retreated under such pressure and
escaped a rout. But the army was unable
to get on its feet and make stand. Ihus'
while the two French armies TO the east
had checked the Germans on their front at
Guise and near Rethel, the condition OF
the British was such that Joffre had to
give up the line Of the Champagne Hills
and the Somme and retire to the Marine.
At the Battle Of the Marine French
failed again. His mission was to pin
down two Of Kluck's corps, while Manoury
struck east from Paris on the extreme
flank Of all the German armies and rolled
Il up. But French was slow and dis
PLAYED a McClellan-like tendency to exag-
Rerate the force before him. His slow
ness permitted Kluck to draw back the
two corps in front Of the British, transfer
them to his imperilled flank and throw the
Paris army back. The overestimate OF
the German numbers led TO the diversion
TO Sir John French of half corps, which
might have given the Paris army deci-
sive advantage.
In consequence of Sir John French's
slowness at the Marine, the decision of the
battle was not had before Paris as Joffre
had planned. Instead il was obtained by
Foch in the centre about La Fere Cham
penoise. "My right is beaten, my left is
retiring, my centre is crumbling; at this
point take the offensive" These are the
words Of Foch, and they contrast unpleas-
antly with Frenchs.
Foch's success against Hansen was com
plete and a general German retirement
became necessary. The German centre
was shattered. But Kluck had won clear
Of the trap Joffre had set, thanks tC
French's failure, and got back to the Aisnc
in good order. In consequence the Marine
was not. as it should have been, a victory
y
mans.
AZ the First Battle of Ypres French did
we'll although there was even here de-
gree of slowneSs The battle was British
battle. the Waterloo sort Of fight, battle
in which the British stood and died. II
was a case not Of tactics, certainly not
of strategy. 1t was just a stand-up fight
on "a fixed line and il was won by the same
quality that won Waterloo; but it was a
soldiers battle pure and simple.
The next failure Of French was at Neuve
Chapelle. The German lines were broken,
the Aubers ridge was within the grasp OF
tho victors-but the supports did not come
up, the Germans had time 70 come back.
For some hours the great city Of Lille
seemed TO be within reach of the British
and France would nave been liberated. But
the same slowness, the same lack Of APP
probation of the actual situation disclosed
at the Marne lost the great profits. There
was won town, already in ashes the line
went forward few rods That was all
and il cost nearly $1,000 in casualties.
Then came the munitions scandal Who
was TO be blamed, Kitchener, FRENCH or
both? 1t is impossible to say. But the
fact is that there was stupid, hopeless
laundering, and the British were disclosed
Gnready for the great "drive" France,
Russia, Europe had expected. So Ger
many went east and won the great Russian
campaign.
By autumn the British had munitions
Tie Balkan crisis had come and it was
osgential 20 make some move that would
impress doubtful states. Accordingly
Jogre struck in Champagne and French
in Artois. Again the British went through
the German lines. They took the Hohen
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