The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-05

of army officer until he became q major, but there was nothing spec tacular about his rise. No exploits on the red path of adventure took him to far corners of the world or caused him to be acclaimed at home as conquering hero; for, unlike Marshal Joffre, who had years in Indo-China and 8 brilliant victory over the Tuaregs in tbe marshes of Sudan, Major Foch was stationed at various posts in France. Thus twen- ty years passed and then we find him in Paris, as professor of military his tory, strategy, and applied tactics in the Superior School of War. From there he was sent to the field again, and this move was followed by other changes of rank as well as location, for he was steadily promoted. until in 1918 he became a general anu was as- sigrHd to the command of the TWen- tieth Corps and stationed at Nancy.
 Nancy! What memories that town must always hold for the blue eyed chief, for close by was Metz, the shrine of his school days. It was at Nancy that he passed his examina- tions for the Polytechnic, and there in August, 1914, he did his first desper- ate fighting in the great war that has immortalized him, for at Nancy the Prussians struck in their mighty er fort to break through to Paris, and at Nancy men who bore the tri-color de- fled 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 Marne, in which General F'och took such a magnif- cent part, where, because his skill as a commander was well known to his old school-friend, General Joffre, he was called to command the Ninth Army. And the Ninth Army, it will be rem embered, held the centre of the French line against Won Bulow and the invfncibIe-so believed until then -Prussian Guard.
 ''Wi1 the world ever forget the story of that momentous conflict, when the Germans came crashing against the Frenchmen. and the Grenchmen, worn out by fourteen days of retreating and fighting, and sick at heart over vast losses of ter ritory, faced them at the marshes of St Gond General F'och's forces were considerably smaller than Won Blu lows, and the latter came at him like maddened monsters. They pierced his front, and because 1t was believed that a break there would cause the entire French line to crack, began celebrating, thinking the victory won. But General FoCh was of a different opinion. When even his own off cers deemed him defeated, he te1e- graphed this message to General Jof-. ire.
 "My center Is pierced. My right gives way. I shall attack
 The men are exhausted,' one of his subordinate officers pleaded with him. and unable to attempt an of fensive move
 But the commander replied, So are the Germans. Attack!
 "How they did it, worn out as they were. will always be 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 Ger man advance upon Paris and crushed for ever the arrogant pride of the Prussian Guard.
 'In dozen other places he proved as he had proved in Lorraine ana at the Marne that he was the greatest strat e,ist in the world. So what was more natural than, when General J Joffre retired, that the Governments choice for his successor should have were dark days ahead, for they faced a mighty and remorseless foe, and as the weeks dragged on and a crushing German offensive came, 1t was de- c{ded by the allied chiefs that one roa ster-Tnind must direct the allied operations. and all thoughts turned to the slender, blue-eyed commander Ferdinand Foch.
 His own son was of that multllupe of gallant F'renchmen who died on the field of honor, and as one writer says, The laying down of arms meant to him not leisure to wear laurels, but the right of a heart-broken old father to sit again by his hearth, desolata now, thinking back upon happy days and forward to a reas- sembled group in the house not made with hands,"