The Cordova daily times., 1916-07-06
HA|G, HEAD IF THE BRITISH IN
 FRANCE

FRANCE. June 29. - Correspondence of the Associated Press No mill tary leader Is more averse to pub licity o rworks more silently than Sir Douglas Haig. the British commander in chief in France. To those who are importunate for the offensive his an- swer is patience, and yet again pa tience. while the new munition fac tories begin to produce and he con tinues his building. His generals say that he never tells them his plans; only what they are to do.
 Probably not one man out of ten of the million or more under his com mand would recognize him if they saw him. Not given to reviews or any kind of display, this quiet and studious Scotsman was the choice of the pro gressive, practical driving element of the army, as the one fit by equipment, training and experience to succeed Sir John French. At fifty-five he is nine years younger than Sir John, and ten years younger than Joffre or von Hin denburg.
 There is a story that he entered the army as the result of a boyish wager. He went through Oxford with dis tinction before he went to the military arm was the cavalry, which has had so little to do so far in this war. But no sooner had he received his commits sion, later in life, than most officers because of the time that he had spent at Oxford than he set out with the thoroughness of the student to mas ter every branch of his profession.
 He studied the French army, too, and the history of all campaigns with the systematic thoroughness that he applied to everything. It was the same with his pastimes as his pro- fession. Whether he had talent for it or not he made himself a first class golf player, though the form he developed did not excite the envy of professionals.
 At the British Army Staff College, where officers learn organization, he was a marked man before he acted as chief of staff to General French in South Africa in the operations that made French's reputation. He was a soldiers soldier, who had won solid professional esteem though the pub lie had hardly heard of this reserved undemonstrative worker.
 Going out in command of the Elrst army of the British expeGituntry force, Sir Douglas had Hevon ,"n months experience, Mons, Y1'~5 'rd Loos, of warfare of the western froCt which all agree Is the toughest school any soldier has ever known.
 There was odoubt who commend I ed the first army. It was Ha'g. He was no figurehead for the work of an able chief of staff. London gossip did not bandy his name about; ha was not personality to the public th"dght he was to the army.
 When anyone asked at the front who was the best man to take Sir Johns place, the answer was almost invariably: "Haig" He had not cap tured the armys imagination, but its reason. The tribute was one to- 1 brains.
 The new army was arriving in great numbers from its English drill grounds when he took over command. His first operation, carried out without hitch and unknown to the Germans, was the taking over of the trenches occupied in the Arras sector by Gen. eral Petain's army, which was released for Verdun. This gave the British an intact front of about one hundred miles; and was decided upon by the allied commanders as wiser than a premature British offensive in the mi-e and bog of the flat country of Flanders and northern France.
 A wisp of flag and two sentries designate the entrance to the chateau smaller than that occupied by many division generals which is the head quarters of the commander in chief.
 The only occupants of the chateau beside Sir Douglas are his private secretary and his aides, who are crooks" which is the army word for officers who have been wounded and are not fit for the physical exposure of the trenches.
 The hour of any appointment Is ex- act to the minute; and whoever has one at his chateau is expected to be there on the minute. general head l nuartara ttma There ia little cere-