East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-10-02
SAY HAIG
HAS GERMAN MIND
III WAR IN WEST WE'RE MATTER
or WITS IN MIGHT RESULT
IN DEADLOCK.
Soldier Who DiIctas British Armies In
France Is Modest and Rcticent Per-
sOnally but a Giant in Revolution
izing the British STAFF.
BY LOWELL MELLErr.

| Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
LONDON. Sept. 10.-(By MaiD-
If the war in the West is a war OF wits
and nothing, more there is ground for
the fear sorne people hold that it will
end in a deadlock. For 1t is then
simply one German brain against
another. General Haig, according to
men who know him best and admire
him most, has 1.-THE German mind.
Fortunately there is good reason to
believe it is not altogether matter
of wits. There is the ultimate superb
ority of the allied resources and the
difference in fighting quality between
free people and subservient people,
But if the fight were simply between
Hindenberg and Haig its outcome
i would be puzzle.
A great deal has been written about
Hinderburg and very little about
Haig. Little in fact, has been known
about the soldier directing the Brit
ish armies in France. Modest and re-
tieent personally, he has been dif-
ficult subject for the newspapers, but
the United Press in the past few days
has tapped a new fund of information
concerning him.
Staff Is RevolutioniZed.
Most important of this information
is the fact that he has completed the
| process of revolutionizing the British
staff, When one reads in Il German
communique the phase according to
! plan" one instinctively believes chat
the operation described actually had
been carried out in keeping with
carefully prepared plans, that chance
did not figure in the matter at any
nF 40 al g
ters which this phrase has been rer-
quired to cover in recent months,
however, have somewhat shaken this
confidence.)
But no person can now doubt that
the Haig armies are working accord
in to plan" Even the German high
command is beginning to realize this,
apparently, since It is ceasing to at
tribute purposes to the British armies
beyond ththose achieved, Instance
after instance wherein British units
have taken the ground that would fit
in with an exact plan and have re-
Trained from taking more. have fin
ally made it clear to the German gem
erals that the British are fighting
according to the rules the Germans
had thought We're their exclusive
property.
1t was Haig who initiated this
character of battle, SO far as the Brit
ish are concerned. His military cri-
tics now say he has the staff made; !;
that is to say he has the faculty OF
obtaining and utilizing the best stra-
tegical and tactical judgment of the
members of his staff. His power of
absorption is great but it is not eX-
ceeded by his ability to reach quick
decision and cary it through. Once
his decision is made he has few mis-
givings as to results. This perhaps
accounts for the serenity that marks
his countenance under all circun-
stances.
Lord Haldane Originator.
Lord Haldane, former secretary of
war, was first to ascribe to Haig the
possession of the "German mind.'O
The Officers and men under his at Al
dershot, where he was in command
from 1912 until the war began, put
the same thing in another way. They
called him, among themselves, Won
Haig." Haig has been long time
acquiring this mastery of German
methods, apparently. Field Marshal