Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-08

VI such man anecdotes are necessarily
rare but one or two stories are told which
illustrate. to some extent. the reticencc of
the man and the comparative obsCurity
from which the war has drawn him.
After the war of 1870 he was intrusted
to organize the new defenses of Paris. and
1t was on his plans and under his direction
that the fortfiCatiOnS of Enghien were
erected. II was on the ramparts of one of
these forts that Marshal MacMahon, sur
rounded by his staff, called young lieu
tenant who had not spoken a word and
said to him, II congratulate you. captain :"
captain at twenty years That is good ="
To congratu ate young officer thus openly
and personally was not strict military eti-
quette. How could | help i?" said the
Marshal afterward My heart went out
% the young fellow"
Joffre was sent East to organize the de-
fensive work of Pontarlier 1T is all very
nice he said To a friend but know more
than making fortifications ! should wish
to be given the command of troops"
Doctor Pujade, ex-deputy of the Pyre-
nees-Orienta as, relates how he was at Dres-
den in 1911 at the time of the incident at
Agadir. THE parliamentary delegates of
which | was one" he said, had been Off
cially invited to a grand dinner by the
Mayor of the Saxon capital The gravity Of
the international position naturally checked
the flow of genial conversation, and during
the dinner conversation was strictly formal
Toward the close, however, the German
tongues were un oosed In the smoking
room the president of the Exhibition OF
Hygiene of Dresden who thought. no doubt.
that | might he more talkatve than my
colleagues said bluntly, What do you think
of the situation in France
'I> did not reply, and he repeated the
question, | still kept silent, The German
then became angry. Yes he said L know
well that French soldier is worth two
German soldiers. but you have neither disci-
pine nor generals We have no discipline.
! replied. You are right. We have not
your discip'' @. We have replaced Il by the
love of the officers for their soldiers and by
the love of the soldiers for their officers
thanks to which our officers would be able
to make their soldiers pass through the eye
Of needle. We have no generals? An
right. And you? who have you? And
what proofs have they given? As a matter
of fact of all our French generals | only
know one but know him we'll. That Is the
commander er-in-chief General Joffre ad-
wise YOU not to mcddle with him"
OF the Generals strictly methodical habits
the following story is told
During the retreat from Mons n staff Of
ficer arrived at headquarters with very
urgent dispatch after the comma nder- in
chief had retired for the night Joffrc had
given instructions that he was not to be dis
turbed before a. m and that directions
would be found for any emergency In GER
tain marked envelopes. THESE We're opened
and the solution found for the difficulty
that had arisen, which he had foreseen and
prepared for.
There was some discomfort in France at
General Joffre's order that no wives or
sweethearts were to be allowed to visit men
| on active service. Women have nothing to
do with the army" he said, II fear them as
much as | do Intoxicating liquor" But he
imposed the same stern sacrifice on himself.
During the first five months of the war
Nine. Joffre never saw her husband and
even now she only obtains a glimpse of him
on his rare and brief visits to Paris.
THE END