The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-04-05
"GREATEST STRATEGLST IN EUROPE
JOFFRE SAYS OF GENERAL FOCH
his Brains Saved Paris Calais the Army-In
the Present Supreme Allied Commander Said the Way to
Lick En- Is to Find Out the Weak Point of the
Enemy and Deliver Your Blow There"

enemy, and denver your blow there"
said Foch, commander of the Twen-
tieth French army corps, at ban
ouet in Nancy in 1913 1t was his
idea of how to lick the enemy.
But suppose, general" interrupt
ed an artillery officer, that the en-
epy has no weak point"
Fochs eyes cleaned and his chin
tilted aggressively.
IF the enemy has no weak point
make one!"
Foch is fond OF quoting Joseph de
Maistre's remark:
"A battle lost is q battle which
one believes to have lost" and Focb
adds: "A battle won is a battle in
which one will not admit ones self
vanquished."
Discipline" Foch has written,
does not mean the mere execution
OF orders received. 1t means that
you have entirely grasped the ideas
OF the leader who has given the or
der and that you take every possi-
BILE means Of satisfying him"
How old is Foch? Where did he
come from?
Ferdinand Foch will be 67 on Oc-
tober 2, 1918. He was born in
Tarbes, a little town in southern
France, near the Spanish border.
When did he become a soldier?
Foch has been a soldier all his life
He fought the Germans when a boy
in the war of 1870. He served as a
subaltern, as did Joffre. After the
war he began to win notice. AT &c
he was an artillery captain. Later,
he became professor OF tactics in the
French West Point"-the Ecole de
Guerre. After FIVE years teaching he
returned to regimentaI work. He had
reached the rank OF brigadier gen
eral when Clemenceau made him di-
rector of the Ecole de Guerre. From
this post he went to command the
Thirtieth division, then the Eighth
corps at Brouges, and then the Twen-
tieth corps at Nancy. where he was
stationed when the war broke out.
Does he go in for society"
No. Has no taste for social func-
tions. Makes only formal calls re-
quired OF him.
How do you pronounce his name?
Fokh-with long CO."
IL,
sonally?
Modest, quiet, retiring; slim, ac-
tive and GRACEFUL looks and acts
now like man of 40; large gray
blue eyes; you'd notice his eyes par.
ticularly-so clear and keen; quick
OF speech, precise, logical; no use
for shirhers-used to make ii no,
for them at the academy: nervous
temperament; energetic: works al
most constantly; the dramatic in the
war appeals to him-secrecy and
suddenness, gigantic and bold
moves; much more dash than Joffre
interesting companion; uncanny fac.
ulty for inspiring men to do their
best.
What is his hobby?
Strategy-particularly the strate
gy OF the campaign OF Napoleon and
Caesar. French officers saw he js
possessed of almost an obsession on
the subject OF Napoleon.
What does Joffre think OF Genera,
Foch?
Joffre says: "Foch is the creates,
strategist in Europe and the hmm.
blest." Joffre and Foch have been
lifelong friends.
How does he stand with the moi
lus?
french writer's say Foch knows
the human element in the French
army better than any other man Hv.
ing. They idolize him.
What do the Germans think OF
him?
The Militar-Wochenblatt. organ OF
the German general staff. ranks him
as one OF the few frst-class strate-
gfsts among the allies.
How did he stand with the French
people before the war?
They hardly knew OF him. The
army knew him as one OF its great
est officers. Military men in other
countries knew him, principally
through his two widely studied
books, Principles of War" and
Conduct OF War" But the French
public knew no more about him
than the American nubiic doa. aho,,