Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-07
PREPARING FOR WAR

Nothing is more foreign to his character
than presumption. He is eager for opin-
ions he listens to advice. and no decision
OF his is irrevocable. lie believes in the
ancient adage: "Errare humanum est
and he leaves to the Germans the doubtful
right of claiming the qualities of super
men.
H does not lack faith In himself, but
nelth does he suffer from overconfdence.
All his life has been spent In learning, and
he is still willing and eager to learn.
"a wel-balanced mind. well-balanced
soul" is the verdict pronounced upon .Toffre
by one Of Frances most eminent thinkeN
There Is but one characteristic which 80
perhaps excessively evident. 1t Is his taci-
turnity but even this Is due partly to
his capacity of immense concentration upon
his work and partly to his innate mciesty
and this modesty is also probably the cx-
PLANTATION and the cause of his apparent
coldness so little in accord with the spirit
of his native province.
But the poverty of spoken words does
not denote the absence Of thought, any more
than his equilibrium results from an in
sufiiciency or ardor in n conflict.
Tenacious of purpose daring when audac-
ity seems to be a necessity; defiant be-
cause certain Of himself and his men, and
withal almost tmid--ths is General Joffrc.
He has never suffered from jealousy, and so
he has never tried to diminish great quail
tiles in others. lie is surrounded by men
of great ability, and he has never been
e's vi an eHu'"No, " w. .,n
~''u ~ :, ,'e uV'0 "N'i"''uoH 80 -, Nv ,,,
''''' 1t Is ''''s o''"''e ''' II '''' s''''
"JOFFRE. THE TACITCRN"
Future military critics will discuss and
docido tho ouoa,io, u,hetber or no, France
was roa1v 70 mnet tho foe whom Berlin
tbra,, dau,n ,bo goun,lot inn tho worlds
arena fr,,,re invostigators viii place the
,ault unon tho shoulders of those who were
responsible for any lack of readiness; but
all will have to admit that. within the linn
tied powers of man, General Joffre per-
formed true miracles with the material he
had in hand
THE battle is before and everything else
a conflict of moral forces" was a dictum of
Napoleon and Joffre seems to have been
able to make out of this phrase living
emblem a source Of inspiration and endur-
ance, an indestructible armament for his
men
:. ,.o, ,t,oir sunorior moral forco that on
| .hiad Tho Eranch arn,iae to hold hack and
then hurl back. the much greater and
stronger armies of the Kaiser 1t was moral
| force that made the French soldier over
| come and laugh az insurmountable Difficult
| ties. 1t was moral force that welded the
French nation into one compound mass of
| energy and patriotism.
| rho ,or,, ox.or,or or o,o,orol 1orsre be-
| s,aai,s tho n,an 10 10 Of rather large
| a,n.,,no III, Ia, 'i,os, i surn,ountod h,.
| a ,arga baad Tho focn 10 broad aud tho
| Loa,',e o,,ohra,, sor,,a Co ,ccon,uoto tic
| character A strong law, beneath a heavy
| mustache. does not add to the mobility of
| the features Strength is the chief char
| acterstic of his face, and only the eyes,
blue, brilliant. clear with a penetrating
| gaze and an expression which is more soft
| than severe reflect the soul of purity and