New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-01
Jofre's Message

All Washington dispatches agree that
in his talk with newspaper men on Sunday
Marshal Joffre stated his belief as a SOL
der that it was essential TO send American
troops to France to be trained either by
French or British officers under conditions
approximating actual war.
All Washington dispatches agree that
this portion of Marshal Joffre's comment
vas censored. We are told now that this
censoring was done by the French Mission
itself, and that the vital part omitted from
Joffre's original statement urged that
small units of the American army be sent
TO the front at once, there to be trained
within sound Of the guns. We are
told that this was omitted by the Mission
because it was felt to be "too definite
But why too definite? Is it that the
French Mission, finding itself faced with
rooted objection on the part Of the Ameri-
can General Staff to any transportation of
American troops promptly TO Europe, hest
tated to permit the declaration of Joffre
TO stand? 1t is possible to understand
hhe motive, but one must still regret the
decision.
The people Of the United States are
entitled TO know in what way they can
best prepare an army. They are entitled
10 have set before them the judgment OF
the men who are familiar with conditions
existing in the present war-the men who
have commanded armies of millions on the
battlefield, who have won victories and
endured attacks unparalleled hitherto in
the history of war.
Is it proposed that against the judgment
of these men should be placed the opinions
Of our General staff, opinions collected in
Athe libraries and from the fragmentary
reports sent from France and from Eng
land by military missions whose area of
activity was always circumscribed by the
failure of the diplomatic department of
our government to give them the slightest
aid or countenance in their pursuit Of use
full knowledge?
Let the General Staff make its own
statement to the people of the United
States, if it chooses; but the people of the
United States are in no mood to suffer the
General Staff, either directly or indirectly,
to suppress the facts which it is the neces-
sity of the country to know. 1t is a very
bad sign if already the American people
are to be deprived of the truth-to be de-
prived of the judgment and advice Of those
who know most about military affairs, out
Of Difference to preconceived theories of
he General Staff of our own army.
The people of the United States can be
trusted, just as the people of France and
Britain can be trusted, to face the truth.
In the end the people of this country will
have the truth, no matter what censor or
general intervenes. We shall dispose of
the men who are not efficient in our Gen
eral Staff. as have the French and the
British. We shall dispose Of the officers
in our service whose methods would repeat
the tragedy of Loos and the failure OF
Callipol. But it is Of prime Importance
that they should not be able, by taking
advantage of universal desire TO serve
and a general reluctance TO criticise, to
endanger precious American lives and
postoone by year effective American en-
trance into the war.
II may be taken as an absolute fact that
no matter how long our General Staff
trains American troops on this continent
from six 10 nine months training in Eu-
rope should follow, and that much of the
time spent here, if more than few
months is spent here, will be wasted. I'm
less we despatch troops to Europe before
next fall the campaign of 1918 will either
see no American troops fighting or will see
jmerican troops slaughtered because they
will have TO be put into the firing line be-
fore they have been trained in modern war.
We have offered to US instruction by
French and British officers who have
fought and who have trained French and
british armies. We have available that
instruction which win transform our army
,.,o q modern army in the briefest time
IL Is there any chance that the