The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-26
CHAPTER X.
.s,n ReglnnirE OF the End.

efof qNfiHIleu Will ibHAlhAAhh AAiN
,,ull support to the man he had
! nicEed out from the very first
pon,hs of the war, NJ. Clcmenceau
continues his effort to increase this
.sa,'s authority. on June 26 he
saclss that the right given at
1sEyais 10 the allied commanders
iDtbIef to appeal to their govern
-,on,s shall be abolished as far an
AZ Trcnch armies are concerned
IA that their commander-in-c chief
So purely and simply placed under
.be orders OF General Foch. on
Inne 40. complying with a desire
,reouentiy and forcefully expressed
nv the latter, he removes the chief
~ staff OF the French armies and
snpoints General Buat to this post
m August. NJ Clemenceau suggests
,o the cabinet the elevation OF the
comnander-in- chief to the dignity
a, marshal OF France. Thus, from
Inc first day to the last, a single
,hought had dominated the actions
IN the French government From
tho first day to the last, France
and her prime minister had willed
Az unity Of command realized in
the person Of the great soldier
whose unquestioned genius Insured
Us acceptance. History will tell
how great the part played In our
common victory by this decision TO
which all our allies adhered,
/ should he woefully remiss II !
ala not add one more word.
have spoken OF French genius. But
Franre Is also great of heart. This
/, was that made our brotherhood
OF arms. Forty-three per cent OF
all the men Of France were mobil-
lied. Thus our military command
ers governed half of our male popu-
latlon They governed them with
tender care. They were sparing or
their soldiers lives. They took full
advantage OF the increasing poten-
tialites Of modern engines OF war.
At Charleroi and the Marne we lost
6lI per cent of the forces engaged;
during the first six months Of 1915,
239 per cent; during the second six
months. 1.6S per cent; during the
first six months of 1916, 1.47 per
cent, and during the last six months
OF the same year. 1.2S per cent.
Our losses fell in 1917 to .46 per
cent Of the forces engaged and in
1918 in our final effort they did
not exceed rs per cent. a splendid
showing indeed. But this is not all.
France more than any other coun-
try, despite the demands OF her
war industry and thanks TO a firm
and lust policy, maintained a high
percentage of her fighting men In
the divisions in line--S6 per cent In
1914, and "a per cent In 1918.
France also had the secret or IN
spiring mutal affection between her
officers and men. France under
stood--and here again in justice |
must write the name OF Marshal
Petain--that q democracy In arms
fighting five-year war Is unde-
serving OF the rigid discipline that
can be imposed upon n professional
army fighting n flve-months' war
France understood the inestlmaole
value OF mutual sacrifice whereby
officers and men are welded to-
gether; OF that subtle bond which
makes OF discipline personal ana
living thing. consciously or In
stinctively accepted out OF gratitude
or admiration or love--a bond the
more binding because unforcod and
forged in the heart OF the soldiers.
The French army-thanks to the
3.rltual union of men and officers;
NDdNks also 10 ntT du hblt hNli
CONS, sprang from the ranks Of the
nation. the epic artisans of the vic
torious effort planned by their
leaders has no need like the Ger
man army of being picked over in
order to find shock troops. The
French army remained itself all
through tho war, adapting itself to
successive changes each OF which
was a fresh test of its endurance.
Just az in 1914, IL had been al
most the sole bulwark OF civilization
with its 90 army corps, its &c re-
serve divisions, it's 10 divisions OF
cavalry, against the onsiaughts OF
an empire of prey with man
power OF 100000 men, so to the
very end, by the side Of its great
allies, the French army did what II
had TO do. What praise could be
higher? Puisqu'll fallait y aller, on
trait, This saying of our French
peasant--whom I like y many
others had the honor Of leading into
action-magnificently sums up our
IDEAL OF war. with II / viii end
this brief sketch or what France in
ems contributed Of her own free
Pill 10 victory
y The armistice OF November II,
islS, was an unconditional surren-
Ger on the part Of Germany This