Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-06-14
NIVELLE FOLLOWS A PRECISE ROUTINE

ords dealing with proceedings In court
martial, recommendation for the
awarding OF decorations. special re-
ports on matters concerning the health
or the housing or the feeding or the
transportation OF troops-an endless
food OF paper. The general signs his
name until his wrist aches. but II IL
numb by the time the last OF the docu.
ments has been dealt with.
Telephones Are Kept Busy.
Throughout all this period Of sig
natures there are Intermittent spasms
OF telephonIng. General Nlvelle must
speak to General Petnln, General de
Castelnau. the chief OF the general
staff, and perhaps General Joffre.
Often NJ. BRAND or other officials are
DESTROYS OF word with the general
over the wire. Then there are numer-
GUS up-tO-the-mlnute reports phoned
In by subordinate officers. commanders
Of divisions and brlgades. which must
be heard by General Nlvelle himself.
Besides, there is always the unexpect-
ed 10 cope with. no matter how sys-
tematized warfare. may have become.
The five hours to noon passes rap
idly, and luncheon often finds the gen.
eral barely abreast OF his multitude
nous chores. Nevertheless, the meal Is
always served on time, for II Is sci.
dom that headquarters finds itself
without guests mt this hour. General
Nivclle Is fond Of meeting visitors TO
the front and invariably invites men,
bers Of the cabinet, parliamentary dig
nitaries, distinguished foreigners and
war correspondents TO luncheon with
him. The repast is simple one. but
well cooked. for the generals chef was
Gordon bleu In one Of the fashion
able Paris restaurants before moblli-
zation turned him into "cuistOt," or
army cook.
Immediately after lunch the gen.
eral, attended usually by single aid
de-camp. climbs into his big Limousine
and sets out for the firing line. He
stops ut Verdun and has a chat with
General Dubois. commandment of the
citadel, about the days developments.
Then he goes forward on foot to the
missionary. brigade and regimental
headquarters. and on into the trenches
II II seems necessary. On the way he
talks with ''poilus" he may chance 10
nd hfY,cnlf fhtte ~ HFCf
hand concerning that most important
rib in an army's anatomy-morale.
Little Time for Rest.
BY five o'clock General Nivelle is
back again at headquarters ready TO
listen to another series of reports,
dealing with activities since Z n. m,
and 10 receive the maps corrected by
hourly airplane reconnaissance and
photography. Just before dinner he
confers with n representative of each
Of the divisions. under his command.
and II 1t be Friday holds great
conference with all his subordinate
general officers. Dinner. served at half
past seven. is usually family af-
fair" only the higher functionaries of
the headquarters staff being present.
No sooner has the general finished
eating and partaken Of his demi-tasse
than he Is once more in his high
backed chair among his beloved maps.
The evening is most repOseful part
of the generals day. In the sense that
he can concentrate his thoughts on the
problems before him without fear Of
constant interruption. Orders are
given that he can be reached by tele-
phone only for extremely important
reasons, and callers are excluded I'M
less on matters of the greatest ur-
gency.
The general winds up his CORE
spondence. and with one or two chosen
cOunselOrs from among his aids-de-
camp studies the maps inch by inch,
notes every slightest change that has
occurred In "a hours, and plans how
best to "nlbble" the Germans, or II
battle is in contemplation or In
progress, to crush them.
On days during which an attack is
on or the fighting is specially brisk
the program is varied to the extent
that the general spends more time at
an observation post overlooking the
field Of OperatlOns-and also uses the
telephone more. But In any event, he
is almost certain to 60 to bed at mid
night, for he has learned, in common
with other directors of great enter
prises, that sleepless nights are sell
dom worth a clear hend in the morn
ing.
BLACK Bear Died of Indigestion.