Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-01
"A Day With General Joffre
on the French Front

on
Correspondence OF Associated PTess.1
Paris, May 2O;Twenty lone months
Of responsibility by General Joffre ia
the conduct. of4thc greatest war in his
tory. during which time he has been on
duty an average of seventeen hours a
day and has travelled more than 10000
miles in q motor car, do not seem to
have aged this veteran soldier a bit;
there is not the slightest betrayal Of
fatigue in his countenance, his step or
in his mind; he is quite as ready for
any development today as at any time
since the war began, and his decisions
are as prompt and clearly thought out
as on the historical Aug. rs, 1914,
when he issued to the French armies
the general instructions for the battle
of the Marine.
1t is in quiet villa surrounded by
pretty garden and in spacious
room on the ground floor with bill.
lard table covered with maps in the
center and maps on all the walls that
the geenral-in-ch begins to receive
reports from his staff officers between
and 6 o'clock in the morning.
General Joffre on sitting down at his
work table finds a single sheet OF pa
per on which are noted the latest news
Of the situation Of the French and
German armies received during the
night. There is no inkstand on the
table, for the general writes very lit,
tie, and no telephone, an instrument
that he detests, and never uses except
ing by proxy. There Is q complicated
set of colored crayons, however, with
which the general with his own hand
marks changes in the situation OF the
armies. upon the maps.
After a hasty glance at the mem
orandum, the general listens to reports
from the staff, which are rapidly COM
mented upon. while concise orders are
given covering questions of detail; aft
erward projected orders Of considera-
ble~ consequence are submitted to the
general by members Of his staff OF
submitted by him to the staff.
Listens With Detached Air.
General Joffre listens to his officers
with a rather detached ar; he even
has the appearance Of paying no at
tention to what Is being said; then
suddenly will surprise his staff by in
terrupting the reader Of the report or
letter and reaching out for it. When
ever phrase or word strikes him,
he insists upon reading for himself;
he also follows for himself, pencil in
hand, reports concerning military OPP
erations and movements of troops, and
seeks out for himself even the most
insignificant points named in the dis
patches. With the same care he reads
every telegram, every order, before
signing it.
The first session Of the day disposes
of questions of organization, troops
required at different points, movement
BY rail, sanitary service, arrangements
Tor reinforcements, all of which are
decided to the smallest detail.
The first part Of the session is de-
voted to what IL called the situation Of
the Northeast" which means the
north and east of France or the
Franco Belgian front; then follows a
discussion Of what is called the 1T. O.,
E" standing for "Theater Operations
Exterior" Esn,.
After ABOUT three COuSSCAdIOA
to reports and the necessary orders
TO provide for the eventualities Of the
day, Joffre rises from his desk and
puts or his cap. which Is the signal
for the departure from the general
headquarters to some one Of the armies
at the front. Ut is generally about half
past nine. Three powerful motor cars
are always Waiting at that hour In
. -,tl1 A.
passes out Of the door, an officer
pushes into his hand small paper
that he sticks into the pocket Of his
jacket. It is the time table and the
itinerary Of the days journey, ar
ranged and approved by him the even
ing before and from which no diver
gence Is permitted.
Car Known TO All.
The general -in-chief and an ord
nance officer get into the first car.
while second officer follows In what
is called the relief car" the third one
being reserved for two secretaries who
accompany Joffre on all his visits to
the armies. These same cars have
carried the general and his suite since
the beginning of the war over nearly
every mile of the ground from the sea
to the Vosges. The hours he spends
speeding over the country are hours OF
comparative rest for him. He improves
the occasion to read in more detail long
reports that have not required tmmediA
ate attention but which he wants to
know from beginning to end, but most
of the route Is spent in rest, the gen.
eraI being an adept in the art Of
catching snatches Of sleep en- route.
He is credited with the power Of Sleep
ing when he wants to and Of awaken
ing at will
The generals car Is known to every
one in the army by the tri-colored
fanion with gold fringed cravat that
it carries. He always arrives without
ceremony and proceeds Immediately
and simply to the business in hand,
whether it be discussion of import
ant projected operations with the COM
mander of an army, or whether 1t be
his simple lunch, which he often
takes seated on the ground at the side
Of road. and which he dispatches
with good appetite. Frequently, In
stead of leaving the car to visit the
headquarters of an army, he takes the
geners.r.n command into the car with
him and discusses matters en- route,
thus saving time and keeping to the
time table prepared for his round. The
discussion goes on while the general
in chief and the general in command
of an army are making their way to
the communicating trench thru which
they will proceed to the first line
trenches.
Nothing in the construction Of these
trenches escapes Joffre; if there is