The Washington times., 1915-07-29
ONE YEAR OF WAR IN EUROPE
AS SEEN IN FRANCE
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.

PARIS. July 29.--Gen. Joe Jofrre
must be enumerated among the
great French successes OF the first
twelve months Of the war.
This goes as 1t stands. whatever
he may or may not do in the future.
! say this because Jofrre IL not with
out his critics: there are those who
say he ought to move faster.
Joffre already deserves the undying
gratitude OF his country II he never
strikes another blow. He refused at
Charleroi to sacrifice his men for
brilliant but temporary success.
though he must have known the
country was waiting for him to
make good; he ordered that soul
sickening retreat before a superior
Zoe when he knew that every. heart
In France was weighted down py
the doubt concerning him and hrs
army: he patiently sought and seized
the opportunity he was looking for,
then Instantly transformed the swIrt
German advance on Paris into a dis
orderly retreat: he stopped short the
mighty second German offensive in
the west against tho channel ports
and pinned his enemy down for a
long winter trench campaign where
he held the advantage: he won the
confidence OF his men, individually
tho most intelligent soldiers in the
world. giving them reason for their
cheerful courage. which never fat
tered. even on coldest. wettest, mid
winter days.
Lastly. but by no means least. No
30 handled his resources in material
and men that now. at the beginning
OF the second year OF the war the
French army IL the finest fighting
body In the melee. Jofrre was the
ono man In Frances 1000 ,0OO for the
job.
At that. JofYre was an accident!
That France had the right man for
the place and at the moment he was
most needed was almost pure acci-
dent. for her system Of running the
army. until a year or 80 before the
war broke out, was not calculated to
develop the man for the Job.
For some reason France had not
seen fit to nominate a generalissimo.
a mmander-in-chief Of her army.
until Just prior to the war. There
was simply a board of generals and
tnls board was supreme.
Maneuvers were conducted Just as
one would expect a board to conduct
them. The Blue army. under one set
of generals, would take such and
such a position at such and such a
time. The Red army. under another
Blues. and to do this they would
hold such and such a line. The ac-
tion would begin at a specified time,
would take a specified form. and
cease at prearranged hour. the
Blues and Reds then to be occupying
this or that position.
For a given number OF days this
sort of thing would continue until
the fnal event. which took place be-
fore the President of the republic
and his guests. foreign military at
taches.. and the rest. whose tinsei-
eminence overlooking the field where
the climax according to arrange
mentJ would unfold itself.
Naturally, maneuvers under such
circumstances scarcely developed in
itiative on the part Of the generals
and their stats: The weaker ones
and indolent fellows were able to
make about as good a showing as the
best.
Suddenly all this was changed.
eral unrest In Europe showed to
France the unwisdom Of letting this
situation continue, and Joffre was
named generalissimo Of the army.
How he came to be named Is not
clearly known: I have heard that
General Pau was the first choice.
but he. for reasons of his own.
thought Joffre ought to be named.
And Jofrre 1t was.
Joffre was destined to have but
one go at playing war before actual
war began. but he changed the rules
radically for this one. He gave the
Blue army a city and it's surround
ing country to hold and he told the
Red army to take It. He told them
to go to 1t. All methods were good.
there was no time out" for any
thing. and he hoped the best man
There was the dickens to pay. Of
course. Easy-goins officers were
left far behind: incompetency de-
veloped in unlocked for places:
whole commands got captured: gen
erals commanding. staffs and all:
There were all sorts Of mix-ups. but
Jofrre looked on and took in every
detail. The newspapers limited that
the mapeuvers were a fasco. and
that the French army was in a bad
way. But Joffre considered the war
game the most successful he had
ever witnessed.
He had found the weak spots in
the machine. and knowing them, he
could apply the remedy. He applied
1t and a number Of officers were
retired.
War caught Joffre in the middle
OF his reorganization. But he
fought II out like a man until he
won a breathing spell. then he dis
passionately continued his merciless
looping of Of official heads. His
generals now average ten years
younger than at the start, and he
has tried man at every part Of
the line.
Jofrre has accomplished all this
in year,