Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-17
Military Men Believe He
Will Rank With Caesar
and Washington.
BATTLE OF THE MARINE
GREAT VICTORY FOR HIM
General More German Than
French in Many of His
Habits of Life.
SPANISH BLOOD IN HIS VEINS
Saw Great War Coming and Warned
the People What They
Might Expect.

NEW YORK. December lS-Although
General Joffre has been superseded an
commander of the French armies on
the western front and has been given
place az technical counsel regard
ing the direction OF the war" un-
prejudiccd observers agree he has to-
day tho greatest military record OF any
OF the leaders in the present war He
will rank in history with Napoleon l.,
Hannibal Caesar and George WASH
ngton.
He won the battle Of the Marine
where defeat would have meant COM
plete German success in the conflict
lie won II twice-frst. by directing
French preparations In the critical
years, 1911 to 1914, and, second, by
leading the armies OF the republic In
that fateful month Of September, 1914,
on the field Of battle.
He is one OF n group of great French
leaders who got their earlier training
In the 1901 struggle with Germany.
The others of the group include the
one-armed hero, General Pau, and
General Foch, who has been in direct
command Of the Somme operations
In many ways Joffre is more Ger
man than Partisan. Sober, simple in
habits Industrious. rising at and
going to bed at 10. and making no
great public appearance. he was not
the figure to strike the French i'm
agination at first view.
ACTS OF GALLANTRY
HAVE MARKED CAREER
His career had already been marked
by several acts CT gallantry, but IL
was as an efficiency man, an engineer.
systematizer and organizer. who
was not too proud to learn from the
kaiser's great general staff, that he
had impressed Pau and Castelnau and
others. who now became his imme-
date instruments in regenerating the
French army.
Efficiency was his constant theme
TO be prepared in our days" he de-
clared in public address. has a
meaning which those who prepared for
and fought the wars OF other days
would have great difficulty in under-s
standing. 1t would be sad mistake
to depend upon sudden burst OF non.
ular enthusiasm, even though it should
surpass in intensity that OF the yolun-
tcers OF the Revolution, if we do not
fortify IL by complete preparation.
10 be prepared to-day wa must assem-
bic all the resources of the country.
all the Intelligence of her children. all
1900 ''S'"i SIei SS ana Q1reCt them
toward single aim-victory, We
must have organized everything: fore
seen everything. Once hostilities have
begun. no Improvisation will be worth
while. Whatever lacks then will be
lacking for good and all And the
slightest lack OF preparation may spell
disaster"
SOME SPANISH MOOD
FLOWS
Jotfre is not thu Frenchman of
Paris. but the hard-wdrkinr peas,nt
type which made France great He
was born in Rivesaltes. I'm the Eas+
fyrenecs and loves to-day to talk the
Catalan dialect with his old friends
there lie was the third of eleven
children-no race suicide, one may de-.
Duct. The family We're traditionalIy
coopcrs. and none of them had had
military careers. There is some Span
ish blood in Joffres veins
rs q boy HE was modest, gentle and
sweet-tcmpered. He was even looked
down upon by certain masculine spir-
It's IN school--this boy who was to be-
come the man OF Iron and direct
!0oOo.OoO soldiers
AT fifteen he astounded his parents
and friends by announcing he intended
in Paris. the great training place for
ARTILLERY officers. He passed fourteenth
In his entrance examinations among
l22. and would have stood much higher
had his German not been rather weak
on points OF grammar, n failing of his
In which the French people now tako
a certain delight
Young Joffre's scholarship standing
brought him the embarrassing honor
Mt the artillery school of being APP
pointed sergeant. responsible for the
discipline of a dozen of his fellows. He
was not OF domineering nature and
had rather rough time of it--lndeed
ne found this little group of young
hloods harder to control than later
he did all the armies OF France
Before he could finish his course the
Franco-Prussan War began, and
JofTrc became sub-lieutenant in =
Paris fort. Here he got little chance
to distinguish himself hut the hor-
rors OF the Siege left great impress
sion on his mind and heightened his
patriotism.
PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN
BY MARSHAL NIACMAHON 3
Directly after the conclusion Of peace
he was employed in reconstructing the
Paris fortihcatious Ills work SO
pleased Marshal MacMahon when he
came to inspect 1t that he made the
lieutenant captain on tho spot.
For several decades Joffre's career
suggested In no way the brilliant fliy
tnre before him. Promo ion came slo W
ly. Flo married as a young man, waB
-f5snnfI,,Ia ~ ~.