Evening star., 1916-07-25
or they did not think. Jotre takes no

or tney olu not tnlhh. JoATe tdkes no
excuses.
You were late" he said to the gen
eral who commanded a certain alvi-
sion at the pattIe OF Carency.
"Because-," began the general.
Take my pen," said Jorrre. Write
a request to be permitted to retire to
Limoges because of illness"
But said the general.
1T is now o'clock" said Joffre.
Your train goes at g."
1t is probable that too much i'm
portance has been attached to recent
political furries. So far as one can
see they were just the Kissing of fat
in the pan. 1t is difficult to believe
that Jeffre has ever ben seriously in
terfered with by the politicians He
does not permit himself to be seriously
interfered with. He is the sort of
supervisor who seems to do no work
at all. He does not touch detail. A
political worry would be detail.
"Joffre always seems to take 1t
easy" said an officer He is on the
line a good part of the time. His
minutes are saved by system by
which all important reports are di-
never seems worried or hurried or
vexed. He trusts his subordinates
greatly, but he first makes sure OF the
men"
Made a War Minister.
That seems to be one of his principles
Of action. He makes sure of the men.
Cen. Gallieni had retired as minister of
war after a career marked by friction
with both the politicians and the army
chiefs. Gallieni was a fine soldier and a
sincere. courageous, devoted man. Pos
sibly there might have been less troupie
II his physical health had been better.
His Forthcoming departure gave to the
politicians a chance to play politics
They played oh, how they played
There were days during which one heard
named by this group or that. Then an
unknown man was made minister OF war
Paris had never heard of him. Literally,
Paris had never heard of him
II want Roques for minister. Johre
had said. II know him. He is good
soldier"
The declaration seems to have ended
there. Roques became minister, just as
In a previous day Sarrail had ceased to
hold command on the western front.
There was no more popular general with
the politicians than Sarrail But he had
failed to force his men to intrench prop
erly. In order to properly celebrate the
patriotic date Of the 14th of July, it is
charged he sent his men against the Ger
man trenches without preliminary bonn
bardment. 1t is a complicated and un-
profitab BILE subject to discuss. Out Of 1t
appears that one day Jeffre sent for
Sarrail.
"Good-bye." said Joffre You're
through"
sarrail Left the Front.
There was a frightful rowdy dow,
but Sarrail left the western front A
little time before the politi eians had
talked of making him comma nder in
chief. To save his face he was given
command of the Saloniki expedition.
71s staff officers. When Gen. Herr
took four days to recognize the true
nature of the German attack on Yer
dun. De Castelnau made a night ride
to the scene and removed Herr before
breakfast Herr has friends and they
all protested.
What De CasteInau did was right
said Joffre.
He could not be shaken on that
Herr's friends have no doubt Joined
the friends of the other Limoges gen.
erals in disliking Joffre. They will
the lesser politicians of the country
But when the hearing is over, it
seems rather improbable that anything
will have happened except the freeing
of certain overburdened breasts From
the outsiders point of view the army
has recognized Joffre as the best all
round man to handle the war. 1t seems
entirely unlikely that the army would
consent for moment to his replacing
That is all that counts No matter
what may become the muzzle-velocity
of the politicians they will do what the
army desires. The country would see
to that. II a desire were but formu
lated.