Evening star., 1921-10-25
CHAPTER IN.
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French genius triumphed not only
Dn the field Of battle. but in the con-
ception and organization of war. 1t
was from France that went forth the
tirst and most pressing appeals for
that military and economic unity of
command which in 1918 turned the
long-wavering scales in favor of the
allies. From the end of 1916, the
French parliament had made insist
nee upon unity Of commond the es-
Sential article OF its program. On
october 3, 1917, NJ. Loucheur. minis
ter OF armament in the Painleve
ga abinet, had secured it's Endorsement
by the French war committee. Sew
eral weeks later, not without hesita-
tion on the part OF Great Britain, the
war council of Versailles was created.
IL was step forward. But that was
not enough. As soon as he assumed
the reins of government in Noyem-
per. 1917, NJ. Clemenceau set to work
TO obtain more and better. 1 had in
formed him that he could count on
President Wilson's aid. on the other
hand. opposition was till manifest in
.ondon. and when during a brief
stay in Paris at the end OF 1917 [ pub
licly declared that the American and
French governments Were agreed OH
the necessity of a unity of command.
several English newspapers protest.
ed. On the eve OF m! departure Tor
New York, on December 80. 1917, I
had a last talk with NJ. Clemenceau.
1 said to him:
They are going to talk to me again
over there about unity Of command
And. no doubt, they will ask me-
'Who?' What shall l say?"
British Flung Back ON Amiens.
n. Cemenceau replied: "Foch."
Three months after. in the last
week Of March, 1918. the British
was broken and flung back on
Amiens. On March IS the lombard
ment Of Paris by long range guns
began. The breaking of the Franco
British front brought US back to the
darkest days of 1914. From the very
first moment of the crisis NJ. Clemen-
ceau's mind was made up. From the
extremity of the danger he would
snatch the solution sought in vain
for so many months. To German
unity Of command he would oppose
allied unity of command.
have told above how. on March
26. Gen. Petain sent up twentykour
divisions to fill the gap created
between our allies and ourselves. At
o'clock the same day. after Il meet
ing held at Marshal Petain's head
quarters at Compiegne between NJ.
Poincare. Clemenceau and Loucheur.
who had motored from Paris with
Gen. F'och and Lord Miner. repre-
senting Great Britain. IL had been
decided, to. discuss the question at
another conference the next day.
Who would be present at the con-
ference NJ. Clemencear at once
designat ted Marshal F'och. 1t was
later decided that Gen. Petain would
come also. After the, meeting VI.
|C1emenceau took Lord Miner aside.
He begged him insistently to bring
to bear on Sin Douglas HaiG all the
pressure of his great authority in
support, of IN reorganization of the
allied command. The battle OF
Ansiens was at stake. Lord Miner
promised his, assistance.
F'och Outlines situation.
On March 26 everybody met at
DoullenS. While Gen. Haig was talk
ing with Gems. Ryng and Plumer.
AiM. Poincare, Clemenceau and
Loucheur Were in the Place du
NIarche with Gen. Foch. The latter.
in rapid and vigorous sentences. out
lined the situation and the reasons
for not giving way to despair. He
said:
I'VE will not withdraw. We. will
indicate a line Of retreat. OF every one
will take it. We must hang Olive
must hold fast. We must not give up
another meter of ground. Remember
october. 1914.
"C'est un bougrei"
Minutes fly-every one waits
around eating sandwiches taken from
Gen. Petain'S car. At noon Lord Mil
ner arrives. Again very briefly NJ.
Clemenceau talks to him-one feels
what he is saying-and Miner goes
talks ten minutes. At twenty min
Utes past ~ the general conference