New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-16
Petain, Foch and Painleve

esting-the political and the military. To
understand both it is necessary TO have an
idea of French conditions at the present
moment, and the political takes precedence
over the military, both in interest and in
Importance.
The entire change may be traced to one
man. the Minister of War, Paul Painleve.
Little known outside of France save as a
celebrated mathematician, Painleve has be-
come one Of the great forces IN French
political life. The present Cabinet, which
bears the name Of Ribot, would have been
Painleve's Cabinet had it not been that at
the last moment there was feeling that
it would be unwise to replace man as
widely known in the world as BRAND by
q man as little known outside of France
as Painleve. But in fact the present Cabi-
met is dominated by Painleve.
From the early weeks of the war Pain
leve has exercised profound influence
upon events. Some day, when the story is
known of how the decision to defend Paris
was forced upon the government by certain
Deputies in the face of the opposition of
the General Staff, it will be recognized
that Painleve played a prominent part
and it may become evident that Painleve
and Jules Guesde were the men who saved
Paris from evacuation by the French and
occupation by the Germans.
At the time of the great Verdun crisis
Painleve was again powerful factor IN
combating the decision of Joffre to evac-
uate the Meuse fortress, as he had decided
TO evacuate Paris. In both instances the
problem was viewed by the General Staff
solely from its military aspects. In both
instances Painleve and those associated
with him saw the moral effect and insisted
upon the defence Of the two cities.
Painleve retained a portfolio in the
BRAND Ministry for certain period Of
time, but he was never friendly TO BRAND
and he regarded with suspicion the real
power in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Philippe Berthelot, upon whom BRAND de-
pended fer all the material on which he
based his decisions. Berthelot was in
fact the power behind the throne in the
BRAND Ministry, as he had been in Nivi-
ants Ministry.
One of the most important objects Of
BRAND when he took office was TO retire
Jofre. All France felt that Joffre de
served well of his country; that his ser
vices had been beyond reward; but there
was also a feeling, subsequently, crystal
lized by the Nerdun episode, that the bur
den upon the French commander in chief
had become too great and that he had
performed his great task and should be
relieved. BRAND found himself unable to
reach decision in the Joffre matter for
many months. 1t was not until after YER
dun had passed into history and the Bat
tie of the Somme had practically come to
an end that BRAND finally terminated
Joffre's rule at Chantilly.
The selection of a successor to Joffre
presented a difficult problem. The politi-
clans were in no mood to permit another
man equally deaf TO their will and their
wishes to replace Joffre. There was one
man high above all others in achievement,
and this was General Petain, who had de-
Tended Verdun and now commanded the
group of armies of which that about YER
dun was one. But Petain was known to
have q clear and immutable determination
not 10 take the command unless it came
20 him in such fashion as to leave his
hands free.
There were other generals only less dis
tinguished than Petain. One was Castel-
nau. who had saved Nancy in 1914; who
had checked the attempted German ad-
vance upon Paris after the Battle of the
Aisne: who had gone to Verdun in Febru-
airy, 1916, taking Petain with him, and
nade the momentous decision which saved
this fortress 10 France. Castelnau was
now Joffre's second in command, but he
was older than Joffre and shared his
chiefs unpopularity with the politicians.
There was also Foch, the victor of La
Fere- Champenoise, whom Joffre had called
the greatest strategist in Europe; the
general who had won the Battle Of Artois
in May and June, 1915, and commanded
the French armies which cooperated with
the British in the Battle of the Somme.
But Foch also shared Joffre's disfavor
with the politicians, and there was feel
ing that Foch. like Castelnau and like
their great chief. had grown weary under
the excessive strain of the war.
There remained General Nivele. who