New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-25
Jofre

=. was happy thought-to be expected
- tho French-.hat they should send to
rs the most distinguished soldier Of the
rrcsept war. After nearly three years
,ho victory Of the Marine remains the
greatest single event Of the struggle and
tho man who won it deserves both the DIS
tinc,jon due the greatest soldier and the
honor due the man who saved Europe from
Germany and civilization from barbarism'
The Battle Of the Marne will in the future
bs remembered as were Valmy in French
history and Marathon in ancient history
since valmy saved democracy in Europe
and Marathon saved civilization for all
mankind.
Even now the facts of that momentous
campaign which began in Alsace-LOrraine
and Belgium and ended along the Aisne
are little known and less understood. The
nrobIem Of JofTrc on the morning Of the
Great War was the greatest problem that
had ever fallen to a single general With
insufficient armies, i'll equipped; with a
northern frontier defcnceless and OPEN
with willing but weak British allies he
had to stem the flood Of German invasion
organized over forty years for the blow
that was to destroy france.
The measure Of the man Joffre is best
taken in the fact that he failed frequently
before he won completely. His initial Of
fensive in Lorraine broke down under
German heavy artillery. For the same
reason his attacks in the Ardennes and at
Cbarleroi failed. Mobile heavy artillery
On the German side triumphed over gal
liant infantry, unsupported save by field
artillery. and in the third week Of August
Jofre contemplated a situation which
might well have broken the spirit Of
smaller man. All French armies had been
defeated; all French armies we're in re-
treat, and a great and victorious German
machine was moving forward as it had
moved forty-four years before. Defeats
that seemed to forecast q new, colossal
Sedan were already a matter Of history,
and the collapse Of the French military
establishment was already accepted in
Germany.
Yet Jofre neither faltered nor permit
ted himself to recognize what seemed to
be inevitable. From a tragic offensive such
as wrecked MacMahon at Sedan he with
drew. He even broke of some engage
ments that promised well He took de-
feated armies from embraces that threat
ened destruction and coolly and calmly
drew his forces backward always keep
ing in mind a purpose % strike once more.
Perhaps the great decision Of the whole
war was taken in the last days Of August
when, with armies still unready, JofTre
faced the Germans along the line Of the
Somme. the Disc and the Meuse. Should
he risk dangerous battle there or surren-
der thousands Of square miles 70 the in
vader and continue a retreat TO position
Of relative security? lie never hesitated.
lie ordered the retreat which surrendered
Rheims, st. Quentin, Amiens, Chalons, all
Of Northern France. to the invader. But
looking beyond the m .lent, be saw that by
such a temporary sacrifice he might win.
The story Of how Joffre led the German
armies into the fatal strategic positions be-
tween Paris and Verdun, and, having led
them there-having led them beyond their
bases, ahead Of Ser supplies-sruck
them, exhausted with the strain Of long
marches, rolled them back, narrowly missed
destroying them, is the story Of the great
est feat in military history-the victory Of
a million men, i'll prepared and i'll organ
lied, who had already been frequently de-
feated, who had fallen back for one hun
bred miles before a victorious army Of
more than a million and half, nourished
in tho tradition Of invincibility and al
ready sustained by victories unequalled
even in Napoleonic history. The Battle Of
the Marine was the victory Of French
genius over German force. 1t was a VIC
tory of smaller numbers over larger. It
was a triumph comparable with Valmy
and with Marathon, the one a victory Of
the spirit, the other the triumph Of intel
ligence.
- Ia.