South Bend news-times., 1915-05-14
CEN. MAUNOURY
ALTHOUGH 81 Is
STILL A FIGHTER
Aged French Leader Beloved
by All For His Intimacy With
Men in Trenches in Whom He
Still Believes.

PARIS. May III owe to YOU the
attainment of the aim towards which
ali my efforts. all my enesry, have
been strained for "A years past-re-
venge for 1870"
This message from the order of the
DAY ia which Gen. MaunOury thanked
his troops for their victorious partici-
patton i'm the battle of the Marne, eX-
plains the whole life OF the veteran
upou whom King George has con
ferred the order Of 81. Michael and
81. George.
I'm "a war which clamored FOR the
qualities OF youth. a general upon the
retired list ca years Of age might well
have imagined that his hopes of active
employment were vain, that the most
ne could expect would bee some post
as organizer in the depots well TO the
rear of the zone of operations.
Cen MaunOury was called from his
flow CTS and his farming IN the loir et
cher ina August. and came TO Paris i'm
the hope Of obtaining some command
i'm the field where he would be able to
work directly for the 'reranche."
At the outset of the war all the gen
eraf officers belonged 20 the active ar
my. and for a time Gen. Maunoury
had TO content himself with the useful
if less SATISFYING. work of inspectine
depots and the organization OF re
serves.
IL was not long however. before he
was given the command of an army
formed at Verdun. at the head of
which he took part in the early and
disastrous fighting along the Belgian
frontier. During the retreat he fought
a series OF actions with the greatest
brilliance while at the same time re-
organizing and completing his force.
h. ha 70
Jonre phrased il. the hour had come
10 die rather than TO give away Gen.
Maunoury was ordered TO Paris 10 un-
dertake the task of organizing and
commanding 'the army destined. in
the event of things turning out badly
on the Marne. 10 act as the army of
defense OF Paris.
The appointment was fiattering; but
to Gen. MaunOury it aroused many
cruel memories, for he had begun his
military career in the army of Paris
in 1870 and, as artillery officer. had
known the bitterness of defeat in the
series OF battles which were fought in
the neighbOrhOod of the capital.
That bitterness he wiped out in sig
nal manner at the head of the army
of Paris which ut the critical moment
swung on TO the German right along
the Ourcq. and withstanding the most
terrible battering for DAYS. finally pre-
ClnllAIeu the EeUtIdi retreat OF the
enemy back To the Aisne.
Gen. MaunOury comes of a family
which has long been noted for its ser
vice 10 the countryside of the loir ct
Cher and TO the greater country.
France Perhaps his most striking
characteristic is his quiet mOdesty, his
unassuming nature.
The earlier years of his career were
spent in the discussions which arose
ont of the urgent necessity for aTtil-
Iery reorganization following upon the
defects revealed in 1870. The quail
ties he showed led to his appointment
as professor Of artillery course at St.
Cyr. where he remained for four
years.
His intellectual activity was such,
however. that the mysteries even of
the most technical arm did not salts
fy it. He studied tactics at the EcOle
SuDerieur de Guerre, Of which. at a
later date. he became director. He
also directed the riding instruction
courses at Fontainebleau.
IL would seem, indeed that he had
deliberately set himself out to become
the ideal corps commander by pro-
found study of the different arms of
the service. He commanded the 18th
and later the goth corps and in 1910
became member of the supreme cOun-
ell OF war, being finally nominated 10
the post of honor and retirement, the
military gOvernorship of Paris.
Gen. MaunOury has spent all his ser
vice in the training of himself and 9TH
ers and had no opportunities of win
ming distinction on active service i'm
the colonies. All his life he abstained
from seeking the aid OF politics to fur
ther his advancement. lie is a type
OF the officer bred of the desire for
revenge. For that he has worked: it