The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-04-30
FIELD MARSHAL FRENCH
Continued from Page one.)

is il artually did. II rrlSsur'd me, how
ever Ia kurw that cur actual DISPOSE
tinns did not prrclud" III" possibility Of
Sirn,rning IN" frs; nuthur*l Of In" storm
so effectively a. &c ward ":r any imIni-
n"nt danger which might Threaten North
crn Franco ami IN" Channel ports.
To turn frnlf tn" rru"inr" Of strategy
10 Tho sphcr" Of tactics. a lifelong OK
poricncn If military study and Thought
had ianght m" that tho principle of the
tactical employment Of troops muat h''
instructive. I k.I.-w that in putting The
science NJ war into practice il was nee
cSsary that it's main t"nrtS should form.
SO TO speak. parr mf "u"';s Il"Sh and hlo'h.
In war thcrr is litll" time 10 think. and
the right thing IN do must come Ike
fash-it must present itself In thc mind
~ n"rfr"tly obvious.
No previous experience ~ conclusion
had h"rn ahl" ~ draw from campaigns
, in which had taken part. "r from
clos" study If the new conditions IN
which the war of today is wagrd. had led
me 10 anticipate y war Of r"Siii"ns: All
my Thoughts. all my I,r"*nrctivh plnm$.
all my I"NSsihlr alternatives Of action.
: wcr" concentrated upon q war Of move
mont AMI nanocuvr". ! knew perfectly
wcl that modern. ur-tn-dat" Inventions
would materially influence and modify
our previous conceptions MS 10 tho "m-
ployrn"nt Of thr ihr"" arms respectively,
but had MOI realized that this process
would w rli in - drastic q mruMrr rs IN
render all our prrrunr"IVcd IDEAS of The
method nf tactical field operations com
pnrativoly ineffective and useless. Judged
I by the course Of events in tho tirSt three
German generals were pr"ra RID for the
romplnt" transformation IL all military
IDEAS whirh the development Of tho co-
erations inevitably h"monsI rated tn bn
imperative for war.nS MAR in present
conditions.
II is easy tn be "w:Sr after tho event,
hut can't help wandering why non" ~
I US realized what tn" most modern riii"
the machine gun. motor lrarii"r. ihr arr
planr aud wireless biography would
bring about. 1t seems So simple whrn
Judged by actual results. LII" m"d"rn
rifle and machine E|n added tea f"id
IN lh> relative rnwrr nf d"fcn,'r ~
against Tho Htlark. This rr"ciIi"$ IN"
U.S., ut the ,ld methods 81 attarn. and
: has driven tn" aiiH"k I" Geek ""T"r' d
rntrnnchin'mr after "v"ry reward ru:n
Of nj moss II :rw Huu'ir'"l Yards.
II mas filil% ip''f'lIl' y t''f ~ hI'''1-
t!tln Ia pllrr rh, heaviest arr fiery IN pc
silion close h"hini thu infantry fighting
line. not only owing 10 III" mobility af
fortr,! by motor traction !,ul also no.
cauS" the old dread nr E"S'n;: tn" gun.
before, they could br go: away M longer
exists The. crucial necessity rrr The
effective employment ~ heavy artillery
is observation. and this ~ provided hr
tn" balloon and tn" a:rrlan". which. 10y
means Of wireless i"l"grnphi. an keep
, tn" batteries instantly Informed Of tn"
accuracy IF their fire.
I feel sure IN my nwu maud ;nat had
W. realized Tho irIr ELECT nt modern
appliances nf war ~ August. l?li th"r'
! would havr been no retreat from Mo,rl
and that il in September IN" Germans
had learnt their l"ssnn III" allies would
nnvrr have driven Them back To tn"
AiSn" 1t wa& IN Tho fighting an that
river thar the cycS of nj nf rs began IL
b" opened
N'w characteristics "r hff"nSiv" and
defensive war began ,aSucly to b. ap-
prrciatrd: hut il r"qur"d III" surrr$SiVr
atrmpts Of Mnunnury. CnStlcnaIi. Foch
and myself 10 iurn rho German flnnks III
tho north in tho old approved Style. AMI
the practical fitIur" nr thcs" attempts
10 bring horne Ia our minds tho tru" ma
turt ~ war as il is to-day.
About m" middl" Of November. lAlt
after three and n half months Of var.
We were fnirly settled down To tho war
Of Positions.
II WIS, therefore IN somewhat
troubled frame Of mind that hogan In
play my humhl" part iii t"is tremendous
episode in tho history nr III" world. The
new LESSONS had 70 he 'earn"d in n In I'd
school and through r bitter experience.
However for good or for OWL. I have
always hncn posSrss"n ~ a SanSIine
temperament. No ono. felt. had really
bcrn able 10 EnuE" tho respective fight
ing values Of the French and German
armies hoped for the best and rather
believed in ii: and in this confident
7 spirit. although anxious and w1'chfu!.
landed Mt Boulognc At five y. n. on
August II. 1914.
II will be q fitting close to this chap
, ter if add the Instructions which I r"~
ceivcd from His Majcsty's government
before leaving:
Owing to the Infringement Of the
neutrality Of Belgium BY Germany. and