Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
GIVE MUCH PRAISE
TO LLOYD GEORGE
Lord French Credits Premier
With Accomplishments I'm
dreamed Of by Kitchener.
DESCRIBES STAND ON MARINE
Extraordinary Maneuver of Won
Kluck of Great Aid in Defend
ing Way to Paris.

LONDON, September 22.-The text OF
Lord French's Interview in the Paris
Journal on the anniversary Of the bat
tie OF the Marine. in which he aston
ishcd Britain by prafsing Lloyd George
as the man who accomplished in a few
months what Lord French says Kitch-
erer declared 1t would take eight years
to do. was received here to-day. The
frankness with which the former COM
ma nder- discusses the mistakes
of Great Britain in the early days of
the war produced a lively controversy.
The interview as received from
Paris. reads:
I'VE had only one idea-Joffre, my
self and all our ommanders-and that
was to save Paris and avoid also any
doubtful engagement which might have
turned into irrcparable failure. We
passed then through days OF uncer-
tainty and grave anxiety Nothing
seemed assured. The maneuvers on
which we counted were going wrong.
The positions we hoped to hold had
to be abandoned. We wondered when
we would be able TO stop.
"One day Joffre informed me he was
going to cease the retreating move
mcnt and defend Paris on the line of
the Marine. I spent the day personally
accommodating the positions in the
neighborhood OF Lagay, La Forte and
Sous-Jouarre.
"On the following day. changing his
opinion under the pressure of events,
Joffrc decided he should fall back still
further down the line to the Seine, and
there take the offensive. agreed.
Then. about September and 4, came
the extraordinary maneuver Of Won
kluck. who. instead CT descending upon
us directly. moved obliquely toward the
southeast He was actually engaged in
this maneuver when he learned Of the
presence of the British army which
was still standing firm, and Of the
existence of the Sixth French Army,
formed to protect the capital. He was
then menaced on the flank. and even
before the troops of General Mauaoury
crossed the Ourcq he had begun pre-
cipitate retreat
FULL HONOR FOR VICTORY
BELONGS TO GENERAL JoFFRE
Won Kluck saved his army, but It
was astonishing to us that he did not
continue straight forward in an at
tempt to force q passage OF the river
We were then able. by converging
movement. to contribute usefully to
the success of the great battle, the
full honor OF which belongs to Joffre"
Asked to what he attributed the rel
alive stagnation to which his army
was reduced for long after the vic
tory. Lord French replied:
Regarding the operation directed
It was attributable to an INSULT ciency
OF electives and material. France ex-
pccted from us at the most six divi-
sions. which were to have helped her
wait the moment when Russia was
absolutely ready. We paid there the
price for not having consented to con-
scription in peace times.
Later. when the Germans were prac-
t!cally beaten. I was forced. for want
OF some divisions sent elsewhere. to
relinquish the plan of advancing. as
| had right to hope. as far as Lille.
NOW the men are there, and more
material than l ever dreamt of having
During 1914 and 1915 I made continual
representations to obtain guns and
munitions. without which it was i'm
possible to gain victory. I remember
IN connection with this point that
kitchener. after having gone over with
experts my program. which certainly
was less ambitious than has since been
realized. declared 1t would take eirbt
years to manufacture what was asked
tor.
Fortunately. we found Lloyd George
VINO mas accomplished the work. which
wiz remain to his eternal honor.
nave not the slightest doubt that
we VIII emerge victorious from tho
coni'ict. and If we were tbreatenod
win the terrible catastrophe of n Ger
man victory. wouldn't 1t be better 70
die to the last man?" ~