The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20

that I would rather have fewer and nave
them sooner. He answered. You won
get any more until them 1t was toucn
and 20, and the Allies were within an
ace OF being crushed.
The next time, remember. the Ger
mans will make no mistake. They VIII
break through into Northern France.
They will seize the Channel ports as
base OF operations against England They
did not do II before because they did not
believe England would come In. when
they found she was coming In their
plans were being carried out and they
could not change them. The Germans
will have no arms for another attack,
YOU say? How do you know? BY the
time you found out they had them 1t
would be too late.
III you build a house In the country
went on the Marshal, you put double
lock on the door and a wall around
your garden. But there are no thieves
around here. says some one. You prefer
not to trust 10 that. But, there are
gendarmes. They may arrive too late.
Now. II YOU are wise you insist on hav-
ing your locks and your wall. and we
must have our armies on the Rhine.
Some people object. IL will take many
troops to hold the Rhine, but not 20
many as II would take to hold politi-
cal frontier, for the Rhine can be crossed
only at certain places. whereas new po-
litcal frontier for France can be broken
anywhere and would have to be held by
force along the entire length.
The stroke of genius that turns the
fate of battle" continued Marshal Foch,
~ do not believe in II. Battle Is COM
plicated operation. You prepare labori-
ously. If the enemy does this you say to
yourself. shall do that. IL such and
such happens these are the steps l
shall take to meet IT, You think out
every possible development and decide
on the way to deal with the situation
created. When one of these develop
ments occurs you put into operation your
prearranged plan. Every one says,
at the critical moment? whereas the
credit is really due to the labor and
preparation done before hand.
NO attack in the history OF the world
was better carried out than the one
made against the Hindenburg line near
st. Quentin and Cambria by the British
Fourth, Third and First armies on Sep
tember . The enemy positions were
most formidable. but nothing could stop
the British They swept right over them
1t was glorious day for British arms IT
versary and the German leaders,"
asked Marshal Foch.
"Oh 10 judge them 1t would be nee.
essary to know everything that went on
IN the house across the road" he an
swered.
Still" I ventured to suggest. 81 sup
pose that by constantly trying to divine
their intentions 1t is possible to form
an idea of their mentality"
THE Germans never produced in thi,
war the general capacity Of the frs
Moltke Of the war OF 1870"
There were three chiefs of staff whc
each had we'll defined methods" con
tinued the Marshal. Won Moltke. thu
younger. who was chief of staff in 1914
was devoted to the idea OF outfianking
1t was his stock msn~uvre. II led hin
to infringe on the neutrality OF Belgium
and so outfiank the French army from
the north. He tried II again at tn
Marine and then he started a race to TIL
sea. with battles in which his aim wa
constantly to turn our flank. but in al
of which he failed. So Won Motke dis
appeared and Falkenhayn succeeded
| him
"Falkenhayn's method was to crust
all the small allies first. Leaving on on,
side Russia, where his success was no
| Serbia. but. though he overrau tina
country. it led to nothing big. The al
| lied armies were still intact. Ruamni;
declared war. Falkenhayn decided I,
crush Rumania. He did so, but he wal
| no further advanced.
His Government at last replaced hin
with Ludendorff and Hindenburg. Lu
dendorff's scheme was to get rid OF Rus
sia and then throw himself with all hi
! strength upon the western Allies. Fl
chose as his means to destroy Russia b,
revolution. but. though you know wher
revolution starts you can never tel
! where 1t is going to end, and the revolu
| ton Ludendorff started to undermin
Russia ended in Germany and helpe
to her undoing. He used the extremes
measures recklessly and they turne
against him.
1T was through believing that ruth
lessness alone. without paying attention
to any other consideration whatsoever
was going to win them the war that tn
Germans lost. They were overreckles
and overconfident. they were great OF
ganizers In this war, they had no me
in sight nor any genius"
Marshal Foch is not of those who be
lieves wars have ceased upon the eartl
nor does he think new mechanical ir
mental nature of war.
THE rules and principles OF war ar
always, the same" he said. 1T matter
nothing whether your soldier is on HI
feet in the open or shut up inside a tanl
The principles by which he must flgt
are unalterable. The development of tn
art OF war is like that OF art and arch
4 lecture. The materials you use &c
your buildings may change. They ma
be wood. stone or steel. but the stat
principles upon which your house mus
be built are permanent"
American Ambassador Sharp, who
leaving Paris, was announced at tn
point. He had cone to pay his farewe
call. l asked the Marshal one questio
more. "Bolshevism, Monsieur lie Mar,
chal?"
| Marshal Foch answered CONFIDENT
without hesitation:
"Bolshevism is n disease" he sal
| (which attacks conquered countrie
Conquering nations like our own will n
| in free from n -