The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-18
FRANCE SAVED IN THIS
WAR BY UNIVERSAL
TRAINING---BARTLETT
Foremost British War Correspondent Tells How the Trained
Individual Soldier Saved France When Swivel Gen
erals and Bureaucrats Broke Downtown Miracle Was
WrouQht-Tribute to French Soldier.
. Ry - AsHMrAD-BARTLETT.


BY f. AsHdEAD-BARTLETT.
The Foremost British war Oofre-
spondcnt.
Universal service Ia being thor
oughly discussed In the United States
today. There are many who seem to
think measure on grand scale Is
unnecessary and would be merely a
waste Of time and OF money.
But It was universal service and
the military instinct engendered by II
that has saved France in the present
war Not that France was prepared
for war. Political intrigues and party
groups had sadly interfered with the
fuller d velopment of the program of
the military chiefs.
It. may be said that the average
individual Frenchman was far better
prepared for a struggle to the death
with his old enemy than the organ
ization of the country as whole. The
reserves in the early days fell short
of the proper figures because so many
absentions had, been given in the
years preceding the war; there was
no heavy artillery to accompany the
troops in the field; there was a short
age of ammunition; the hospital
equipment was lacking: trained
nurses were scarce; many generals
occupying responsible positions owed
their elevation not TO their abilities.
but 10 political favoritism.
Tho causes for this state OF af-
fairs are not hard to seek. Since
the war OF 1870 there has grown up
in France a new generation who
knew not Joseph" The bitterness OF
that struggle had largely been for
gotten and the mass of the population
regarded future war as the vision
airy dream of alarmists. French
general once said to me, How / have
longed for this day France will now
he saved. / was at Sedan. and ! have
never forgotten and forgiven. But
the younger generations knew not.
For years | have been laughed at be-
cause | never ceased to preach war.
knew II must come"
Universal Service Saved France.
the French general staff
never believed, until the last moment,
that the Germans would violate the
neutrality of Belgium. The frontier
defenses had heen neglected and the
pick of the French troops concen-
trated along the borders of Alsace
and Lorraine. II needed the events OF
August, 1871 4, to galvanize the French
nation into life, Bitterly they have
paid for their lack of preparation.
NobIy have they pulled themselves
toEether TO resist the storm.
But the soil was well prepared.
The average Frcnchman called TO
service-the defense of France---in
August. 1919. had already had three
years of active training and the older
reserves two years and. of course,
there was the annual refresher course
Of twenty eight days.
Without this sound training OF
the individual il would have been
impossible for JofTrc to have changed
front and to have fought and Won
the battle OF the Marine.
You cannot perform these great
military manoeuvres with raw ma
terial hastily brought together The
machine breaks down at once.
Five years ago in 1912 | followed
the French armies in their grand
manoeuvres In Poitu. Those armies
were led by the same men who have
commanded the armies in the present
war M TO a few weeks ago~-Joffre
aud Castienau. Five years Is not a
very long period but a century might
have past By the difference one sees
In the French army of today.
Then | saw the wonderful infantry
In red trousers and dark blue coats
marching as only French infantry
can march. and charging one another
at the point of the bayonet, ever
dashing and light-hearted without a
thought OF the grim realities OF the
future. Dashing cavalry was by far
the most spectacular feature OF the
war manoeuvre. Trenches were
merely dug for the defense of posi-
tions and were extremely shallow.
Aeropianes were then in their in
fancy and remained mostly at the
side Of the commanders in chief &C.
soAStonally carrying messages like
huge carrier pigeons, There WAS no
heavy artillery on the battlefield. The
entire armies remained visible above
ground The war OF human rabbits
was undreamt of only Ave years
ago
A Two Years Miracle.
Now look at the miracle Joffre and
Csstlenau and the splendid corps OF
officers under their command have
wrought in two years. You could not
believe that the armies of the Somme
and OF Nerdun have been recon
siructed from the armies which
,nanoeuvred in Poitu In 1912. Every
thing seems to have been changed by
some stroke of the enchanter's wand.
Gone are the famous red trousers dat
ins- from 1926. Light blue is now the
predominant color for all branches
OF the ,.rnly. The kept has been
nusted by the blue steel casque.
which has already saved so many
lives,
The cavalry have disappeared
Som the battlefield. because there
are no shock tactics now and no
tanks for them to ride round They
are waiting somewhere In the rear
for the "guerre des trenches" to
lease, ana then perhaps their day
will come again. They long to try
their sabres. The Seventy Elves"
are still with us. but they no longer
dash about the open. Like all else
q modern battlefield. they are
hidden and buried away. Now they
yield pride of place to enormous num-
bers OF heavy guns of all calibres
andreamt of four years ago.
In a modern attack you see moth
ing except the bursting OF the thou
sands OF shells, except on rare 90
casons when the infantry leave their
trenches and dash forward to the at
tack. Every man is underground.
Chased to shelter by the power and
ubiquity of modern artillery. You
never see q general on the battlefield;