The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-06-10
GEN. FOCH MAKES
FIRST STATEMENT
SPHINX OF FRENCH ARMY GIVES
REASONS FOR HIS METHODS
OF FIGHTING HUNS

At last the ''Sphinx" has spoken.
Gen. Foch, commander-in -in-chief of the
largest army ever assembled in the
world, containing men from IL differ
ent nations, the man of whom it has
been said: 'He won his way to fame
without press agent" has consented
to talk and tells the world why he is
conducting a defensive warfare at
this time General Foch is admittedly
the greatest military genius of the
present age, and his statement should
be cheering news to the American
people. The following statement from
the Associated Press is the first re-
port ever made to the world by Gen
eral Foch:
LONDON.-That battles can be
won in the end only by the army which
takes the offensive is the significant
declaration made by General Foch,
commander-in- chief of the allies, in
an important article contributed by
him to the weekly journal, The Field,
in which he discusses the problem of
the soldier and the way to victory.
Modern warfare to arrive at its
end and to impose its will on the en-
emy," says General Foch, recognizes
only one ns-destruction of the
enemy's organized forces.
"War undertakes and prepares this
destruction by battle which brings
about overthrow of the adversary, dis
organizes his command, destroys his
discipline and nullifies his units as
far as their fighting power is con-
cerned.
"Our first axiom must be that to
completely achieve its object battle
must not be purely defensive. A pure
ly defensive battle, even well conduct
ed, does not result in victor and a
vanquished. 1t is simply game that
must be begun over again.
"From this it is an obvious corol-
larry that an offensive, whether started
at the beginning of an action or
whether it follows the defensive, can
only give results and in consequence
must always be adopted at the finish
''To maintain our position is not
synonymous with being victorious and
even prepares for a defeat. If we re-
main where we are and do not pass to
the offensive to fix the direction IF
attack to guard against the plans of
the enemy and prevent him from car
rying out the same maneuvers we
must undertake to carry on and sus-
tain numerous combats, each with de-
termined aim.
"But since there remains no doubt
that decisive attack is the very key
stone of a battle, all other actions
which make up a battle must be en-
visaged, considered, organized, pro-
vided with forces in the measure in
which they will prepare, facilitate and
guarantee development of decisive
attack characterized by its mass, its
surprise, its speed and for which, in
it is essential that there
shall 0e the maximum reserve force
possible of troops of maneuver. The
reserve-that is to say the prepared !
organized and kept care
fully instructed to execute the single
act of battle from which results are
expected, namely, the decisive attack.
Reserves must be husbanded with
The most extreme parsimony so that
The bludgeon may be strong enough
% make the blow as violent as possi-
Die. Let loose at the finish, without
any lurking idea of saving them, with
a well thought out plan for winning
,he battle at point chosen and de-
,ermined, reserves are thrown in all
together in an action surprising in
violence and energy all other phases
If battle, an action with proper char
acteristics-su mass and speed.
All our forces really participate, eth
er by preparing it, or by carrying it
,ut.
SIN this, our supreme aim, we
must not be deceived by appearances.
Although theory fails when applied
~ feeble hands and when accessories
obscure the main principle, history
and reason show us that in battle
here is single argument which is
worth while, namely, in the active at
tack, which is alone capable of assur-
ing the desired result-the overthrow
Of the adversary"