Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-05-16
PETAIN DIRECTS
FRENCH ACTIONS
Hero Of vardun Won Honor By
7 His Good Work.
HELD GERMANS AT BAY

lies In co-ordinated Work.
| 1t Is to verdun that General Petain,
like General Niyelle, owes his great
reputation. writes Stephane Lausanne,
editor In chief OF the Paris Matin.
! When the great German assault on
(, verdun was launched, in the closing
days Of February, 1915, General de
Castelnau, ut that time chief Of the
general staff Of the French army, hur-
ried to the spot He had been sent by
General Joffre, with full power to de-
| eide whether the town was to be aban-
doned or defended at all costs.
| General de Castelnau arrived, looked
over the terrible battlefield with his
calm and clear eye and decided that,
cost what it might, yerdun must be
| defended.
| For this defense an army and chief
were needed Orders were transmitted
by telephone to the army of General
| Petain, in reserve not far away, to
| come up and defend the stronghold A
| few hours later the first auto trucks.
| into which the soldiers Of Petain were
packed, doomed up on the horizon, and
General Petain himself appeared to
! take over the command. There was q
short talk between General de Castel-
nau and General Petain In the marie"
| Of little village on the outskirts Of
| Verdun. What happened at that con-
ference is not known, but we may be
permitted to guess. The dialogue was
doubtless short.
They Did Not Pass.
They must not pass" said General
de Castelnau.
''They shall not pass" answered Cen
eral Petain.
They did not pass. And they did not
pass because Of the energy, GOODNESS,
will power and ability Of General Pc
tain.
One Of his general orders. issued dur
ing the first fortnight Of the defense
Of verdun, will be famous forever. It
ended with these words:
Courage, comrades! Well get them"
That was more than words; 1t was a
promise And the promise was kept
they '.got" them.
General Petain's career has been re-
counted so often that 1t is scarcely
necessary to tell it again. At the time
Of the declaration of war he was
mere colonel. During the retreat from
Chartered, during the battle of the
Marine and the fighting on the User
he displayed such marvellous military
qualities that he was promoted sue
cessively to the rank of general of
| brigade and general of division. When
the great offensive of the spring Of
1915 was launched in Artos he was
commanding an army corps.
The post just conferred upon him Is
a new one which never existed before
in the war. On the first day Of mo-
bllization the chief of the general staff
went to the front with the command
er in chief At the ministry Of war
only n few officers and departments re-
manned to keep up the connection be-
tween the front and the rear. The en-
tire direction of army affairs, in short,
had been taken with General Joffre to
the front. Matters remained pretty
nearly in that condition until very re-
Gently, when it was felt that there
should be in Paris, close to the cOun-
ell of ministers and the council of war,
powerful organism capable Of Co
ordinating efforts at the front and at
the ear-English and French efforts,
French and Italian efforts. This new
organism has just been created, and
General Petain is TO be its head.
Though the decree appointing him is
silent as to his powers, 1t may be fore
seen Notwithstanding that these, In re-
lation to those of the commander in
chief. will be the following:
General Nivelle Is and remains the
commander in chief Of the troops fight
ing at the front-that is, he directs
and executes the operations of the war
ON the Somme and the Aisne. in Cham
payne. Lorraine and Alsaee. But his
authority does not extend to the ar
mics in preparation or being formed
in the interior 1t does not extend to
the English or Italian army. He is, in
a word, the great executive chief of
the war operations. He is not the
great directing chief of the war opera
tons.
The latter win be General Petain. 1t
Is he who will prepare great opera
tons, coordinate them with English,
Italian and even Russian operations.
He will see to 1t that the union be-
tween the front and the rear is main
tanned. In short, he will administer
all the military resources OF France,
not only on the line Of battle, but also
In the interior and even In the French
colonies.
The new chief of the general stan,
In short, will be the motive power
which, without hampering the freedom
Of movement of the immense machine,
win assure coordination in Its move
ments.
All who know General Petain. all
who have followed his admirable ca
reer are convinced that the new COM
mander win be more capable than any