The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-12-08
C Fl A r A c T ERISTIC D F
FERDINAND FOCH

ana.)
Ferdinand Foch was hardly more
than a boy when the Franco-Prussiar
dent in the Jesuit college of Saint
Clement in Metz at the time. He
joined the colors and served, only to
see his country defeated. 81 dreamed
of revenge, after having seen the Ger
mans at Metz" he said, "and when a
man of ordinary capacity c%oncentrat-
es all of his faculties and all of his a.
bilities upon one end and works with
out diverting, he ought to be success
full" Old age almost cheated him of
his chance for revenge, for he was So
years old when the world war broke
out. He was with the French army
in northern France until after the
battle of the Aisne and was then
transferred to the left wing in Elan
ders. Retired from active service in
April 1917, at the age of Sc years, it
was thought his fighting days were
Over He then became one of the
most important advisors of the
French government and was the
French military member of the. su-
preme war council at Versailles
when made commander-in-chief of
the allied armies.
Won Smoking Pipe
A deeply religious man, a devout
member of the catholic church, Mar
chal Foch has sad that the inspira-
ton of a divine power enabled him
to lead the allies to victory. "When
in a historic moment" he said in
Paris a year or SO ago, ga vision is
given to a man and when in conse-
quence he finds that this vision has
determined movements of enormous
Importance in a formidable war, |
believe that this vision-and | think
| had it on the Marine and on the
Yser-come from a p%rovidential
power in the hand of which one is
the instrument, and | believe that
the victorious decision was sent from
on high by a will superior and divine.
"How, then, did | win the WARP"
he added. 81 did it by smoking my
pipe. | mean to say in not getting
excited, in reducing everything to
its essential, in avoiding useless emo
tons, in concentrationg all my
strength on the job"
A Lesson in Strategy
Marshal Foch has lived much alone
his army life left him little oppor-
tunity for social diversions. The din
ners he gave twice a year to his
staff in the years before the war,
were about his only social activity.
They were rather solemn affairs.
THE French officer" Foch might say {
when the soup came on, SHOULD re- :
solve to perish with glory. Find out
the weak point" he would perhaps
say when desert was reached, land $
your blow there" Suppose, t
general, an artery officer might ven l
5ure to ask, much to the horroPo of the
suppose the enemy has no
weak point?" "If the enemy has |
10 weak point" Foch would answer, q
make one,'' a retort that he would e
deliver in crushing classroom man
Ter, accompanied by a fash of the e
and a characteristic cock of the
hin.
From that one would judge that
Marshal Foch is a rather fearsome
person. Among journalists and wal I
correspondents he was regarded as a S
most difficult personto interview. His
usual greeting, it is said, consisted OF c
Good morning. 1t is a fine day. c
Goodbye" And to the German
Observation-Disclosures who came seeking t
an armistice on the historic morning
of November II, 1918, to the railway S
dining car of the marshals private e
train standing in a forest near Reth- G
onde. he was anything but an ami i
able person. i
No Terms to Offer II
After the cold greeting Erzberger i
eve have come to inquire t
into the terms of an armistice to be /
concluded on land, on sea and in the v
To which Foch replied: $ f
have no terms to submit to you" t
The piercing eyes, the gruff voice and
the curt manner of the allied COM
mander left no doubt of his feelings. 7
Count Oberndorf, the diplomatist in =
the party, rephrased Erzberger's re- =
mark, but it did not please the mar
shall. Once more he said colby.
81 have no terms. l will let you konw
the allies conditions when you have 0
asked for an armistice. Do you ask n
for an armistice?" ia, ja" ex- b
claimed Oberndorf and Erzberger to-
yether. The marshal desired a hum u
Die enemy, and a humble one ne G
lealt with. "One act" he said
alter, when the war was over, gives
satisfaction. 1t was the meeting a
It Rethondes. That was an act. Il
--1-1 IL I-c.+ &c [LAtr