The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-07
NOT LAuRELs BUT R R

as an OFFICER whose Gays are IHSu VIII HNHOi ain bANy' $50
who in his advancing years is content to rest upon his welEearnea
lsurels.
But this is not the real Foch. lie is a real father. He returns
to his desolate hearth, a hcartbroken man, to mourn Ill only SON.
who died in battle.
Gen. Foch is a student of history. His grandfather fought
under Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought so valianty in the senin-
MIar wars in Spain that he was made a chevaher OF the empire
Nothing delighted the boy so much as his visits to his grand
father and to sit beside him listening to the tales OF the famous
campaigns that were better than reading the most fascinating
story book ever written.
A change came when &c was 10. His father, who was secre-
tary of state of the Sovince in which they lived, was appointed
to an office in the department OF the Aveyron. A little later there
was a second move, to St. Etenne, near Lyons; and several years
after that, when he was about Is, he went to Metz to become a
student at the college of ST. Clement, The war with Prussia
came and he was rushed away from college to join the army.
If anything thrilling happened during those days OF soldier
ing there is no record Of it, and as soon as the war was over he
went back to school. Metz was no longer French, but German,
and the PrusSan eagle scared where once the trtcolor had floated
Soon afterward he went to the Polytechnic OF Paris, where the
students were trained for service Of the state, He graduated with
honor. From that day his life was a series OF successes. Steadily
he advanced from the grade OF lieutenant through the various
ranks. Twenty years passed and he is found in Paris, a professor
OF military history, strategy and applied tactics in the Superior
School Of War. From there he went to the field again and he was
steadily promoted until in 1918 he became a general and was sta
toned at Nancy, in command Of the Twentieth corps.
Nancy says st. Nicholas. "What memories that town
must hdd for the blue-eyed chief, for close by was Metz, the
shrine of his school days. 1t was at Nancy that he passed his
examinations for the Polytechnic, and there in August, 1914, he
did his first desperate fighting in the great war that has inmor-
talized him, for at Nancy the Prussians struck in their mighty
effort to break through to Paris, and at Nancy men who bore
the tricolor defed them to death in the battle Of Lorraine.
THE story Of that fight has now become history; and history
too, is the triumph of the Marine, in which Gen. Foch took such
a magnificent part, where because his skill as a commander was
well known to his old school friend, Gen. Jofre, he was called to
command the Ninth army. And the Ninth army, 1t will be rernenn-
bered, held the center of the French line against Won Bulow and.
the invincibe $50 believed until them Prussan Guard,
will the world ever forget the story Of that momentous con-
thct, when the Germans came crashing against the Frenchmen,
and the F%renchnlen, worn out by Ia days OF retreating and fight
ing, and sick at heart over vast losses OF territory, faced them at
the marshes of St, Gond, Gen. Foch's forces were considerably
smaller than Won Bulow's, and the latter came at him like mad
dened monsters. They pierced his 'front.' and because it was
heIRv that n hTaak tkAr .unnIj aa... l.. a.E.# rAt-t -.
70 crack, began celebrating, thinking the victory won. But Gen.
foch was OF a different opinion, When even his own officers
deemed him defeated, he t~elegraphed this message to Gen. Tofhe
MY center is pierced. My right gives way. shall attack
The men are exhausted, one OF his subordinate officers
pleaded with him, and unable to attempt an offensive move
But the commander replied; so are the Germans. Attack
How they did it, worn out as they were, will always I'D a
marvel to the world. But somehow devotion to their chief and
mighty faith IN him-for even then France knew that he was the
greatest strategist OF his time-made the impossible possible. and
turned what seemed certain defeat into victory. They blocked
the German advance upon Paris and crushed forever abe arrogant
pride of the Prussiam Guard. ~
In a dozen other places he proysd, as he had proved in Lor-
raine and at the Marine, tAat he was the greatest strategist in the
w@d, so what was more natural than, when Gen. loire retired
that the governments choice for his successor should have been
ferdnand Foch1 But there were dark DAYS ahead, 6r thew faced
q mighty and remorseless foe, and as the weeks dragged on and q
crushing German offensive came, it was decided by the allie,
cmeis that one master mind must direct the allied operations
ana all thoughts turned to the slender, blue-eyed commander Fer
dinand Foch. "uN "
Ills own son was of that multitude of gallant Frencbn.,
VINO area on the held OF honor, and. as one writer saws, The Law
ing down OF arms meant to him not leisure to wear laurels h,
the right Of a heartbroken old father to sit again bv his hearth
desolate now, thinking back upon happy DAYS and forward "a
feassemoied group IN the house not made with hands,"
"A New York court has held (what ue have co,.o,lul -.