New-York tribune., 1920-10-03
Moral Element a Vital actor
Book Translated Into English by Hila;re Re,,oc
Brilliant ANALYSIS

kuCWl9QE2
'&'ned oy the study Of military his
] tory. A''
me theory Of trusting 60 indivtdua
ihitiative on the battlefield broke down
cecause, as Foch holds, "no .tudv !,
possible on the battlefield" This falls.
p''"ciple, he says, explains the weak.
uess' IN 1865, of the Austrians (whor
'ne war of 1859 ought to have msde
"iser) as against the Prussians. who
hao not fought since 1915. The Ars,
made war without understanding 1,
las' by the way, did the French in 1870
'hough they also had recently Ron. "a
war;. The second had understood wa,
without making it, by means Of care.
full study"
1t was not until 1898. Foch .s-
serts, that war was taught in France
on logical and practical basis !,
Why? Because 1870 woke US ont ~
mat sleep (the theory Of individual
mprovisation), for it gave us an .nu
emy formed by the teaching of his
tory--oy the study of concrete facts.
II was IN such fashion that Scharnhorst.
Nlliisen and Clausewitz had. from Tho
beginning of the nineteenth century
formed the command of the pruss;an
Army"
Scharnhorst and Clausewitz had IN
tact, learned war through the study Of
Napoieon's methods. Won Moltke ONLY
applied their principles. In order to
combat Prussia successfully French
generals also had to go back to Ma
poleon.
Foch taught that the art Of war has
its essential theory and principles
among them "the principle of economy
OF forces, the principles Of freedom of
acton. the principles of free disposal
o. torces, the principle of security. etc !"
All these his book illustrates from the
campaigns of the past. But he has
gone beyond all other military teach
ers IN stressing the moral element
the element of will and tenacity-as
the decisive factor in modern warfare
Here is his formula:
VIC NoiudlH OF moral force.
"Victory-Moral superiority in the
victors; moral depression in the van
Quished
"Battle-A struggle between two
wills"
Frederick the Great said: "To con-
quer is TO advance"
"But who advances7" added de
Nalstre. "The one whose conscience
and countenance compel the other to
withdraw"
In his lectures Foch told this anec-
dote:
"Von Brack, Frederick being already
dead, was passing by an old castle in
Sileaia. A coatof-arms stood on the
door, two stays fighting each other. and
the motto, THE more stubborn con-
quers'' Here is the true source Of
success said that man Of arms. Vic
terry means will"
In his speech welcoming Foch into
the French Academy ex-President Poin-
care said that the former never tired
Of repeating that anecdote during the
weary months of deadlock on the West
ern front in 1915 and 1916.
AS soldier and teacher Foch gives
its true value to professional train
ing, to firm grasp of the underlying
principles of war. But with him the
viii to conquer--to endure all things
in order to conquer-takes precedence.
This is what he writes about Field
Marshal Blucher:
LET US remember, besides, what
Scharnhorst so rightly said when
bldcher was appointed commander Of
the Army Of Silesia in 1918: is it not
the manner in which the chiefs fulfill
that task Commanding, imparting a re-
solve to other mems hoarts) which
makes them true warriors, much more
than all other abilities and faculties
theory may require from them?'
Facts were soon to vindicate the
soundness Of this appreciation of
Bldcher, whom courtiers were still call
ing an imbecile and sick old man, an
embodiment Of impotence; although
owing to his influence over the country
he was to his fellow citizens the very
embodiment Of patriotism and had taken
in hand all national claims; although
owing to his popularity within the
army--he had conquered the soldiers
love by constantly attending to the SOL
diers' interests and was able to request,
undertake, attain anything. Reposing
IN 60 considerable an influence, this man
who dared to face the French Caesar
a man of little mind, but Of WILL Of a
passion which would never tire and
never lay down arms-was to draw
whole nations into the war and lead his
armies to victory, just as he was to
carry TO Paris the sovcreigns Of Europe,
and this in spite OF themselves-at least
as regarded one of them, the Emperor
Of Europe, who did not desire to de-
throne his son-in-law and to make his
daughter q widow, and q widow without
crown. Was there not in all this
will, impulsion. commanding ability,
such as to Justify scharnhorst's appre-
ciation?"
To Foch the greatest military asset
is frmness Of character-a will to vic
tory fortified by patriotism, discipline,