The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-25
No QUESTION HOW
WAR WILL END, BUT
WHEN, SAYS J0FFRt
French Hero Arrives in Virginia Wa
tcrs-Wcpt When He Heard of
Americas Entry i'm War.
STRAIN ON SOLDIERS SO
GREAT WEARS THEM OUT
English Commission Discusses Sitt-
aton--U-B Boat Menace VIII Cause
Food Shortage in Two Months With
Present Available Ships.

Somew here in tho United States,
April 24.-Frcnch soldiers are fight
ing In the trenches with American
flags pinned TO their breasts And
French mothers and children are
praying for America and their owr.
land.
There is no question about how.
the war will end. Put when ii will
end ~ another question:
This was the statement by General
joseph Joffrc. former commander-in-
chief Of the French armies who ar
rived al Hampton roads early today
with other noted Frenchmen who
VIII fOmpos" the committee that in
10 consult with the American officials
regarding the war. Escorted hy n
big French cruiser and half a dozen
~arshiDs. the steamer having on
hoard the party received a hearty but
silent welcome from American war
ships when it arrived. All the Amer
lean vessels ran up the French flag
beside the Stars and Stripes
The voyage from France was an
uneventful one, the party being IA
vored with good weather most of tho
way, only two days being recorded as
rough" by the crews on the two
shps.
The vessels had hardly dropped
aft tttt hff ore II doctor from the
steamer on which Joffre and tho party
made the voyage to America hurried
ashore for fresh supplies. He said
no one was seriously i'll on the ship.
hut they had run short of some drugs.
He was followed ashore by several
officers. They brought kilograms and
letters from General Joffre and party
to he forwarded to Washington. From
the French cruiser several junior off
GERS came ashore with mail and re-
turned with newspapers
Joffre REM lns Aboard
General Joffre did not come ashore.
remaining on board the steamer until
late this afternoon, when he was
transferred to the presidents yacht,
Mapflower, which will take the party
to Washington. General Joffre made
his statement in reply to notes sent
aboard his ship by newspaper men.
Officers from the steamer say the
noted French leader had wept when
first told of Americas entrance into
the war.
France and America" he said
will fight side by side once more"
He also expressed the opinion that
America would send an army to
France and that they would see some
active fighting in the trenches.
He expects to discuss with Ameri-
can officials the necessity OF Quick ac-
ton. He says the Germans right
now are being hit the hardest blow
of the war. The campaign. however.
has been a severe strain on the
French armies and new men are be-
ing sent into the fighting by the thou
sands every day. The casualties OF
the French side have been nothing
compared with those of the Germans.
but the strain has been so great that
men nnnjured. so far as wounds are
concerned. have been made unfit for
military duty by continuous marching
and little rest.
American Troops Would Relieve Stress.
Fresh American troops arriving In
France just now would greatly re-
lieve the situation, men in the French
commission declare. The Germans
have brought in about all their SOL
diers and have few fresh troops to
call
If they are made to fight without
a let-up for some time. the strain on
them will become even more severe,
and victory for the French would re-
suit A member of the French COM
mission said the French need money
armed with big volume of papers
which contain facts and figures to be
discussed at the forthcoming confer
ence with American officials in Wash
ington. A vice-admiral of the French
navy. also member OF the COM
mission. met several American naval
officers. He discussed informally the
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