The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-11-04
A Great Man and a Simple Soul.


Frenchman in America since Lafay-
cite came and Lafayette came so
years after the Declaration of indie
pendence.
Foch stands out as one of the
unique among the colossal figures of
modern times. He was the command
er-in-chief of the greatest army that
was ever drawn into action.
Tamorlane, Genghis Khan and
Xerxes commanded great hordes of
men, but they had their day in time
when the world was given to exag-
geration. None of them ever had
more than 100000 men under
arms.
When Napoleon struck at Russia,
his invading army, drawn from
France, Italy, Germany and part of
Austria, numbered around 100000.
England never had so many men in
line before as one of her half dozen
groups of armies in 1918.
There were more American SOL
diers in France on the day of the
armistice than there were Federals
and Confederates in ga.
The American army that invaded
Mexico was not as large as two
American divisions under Pershing.
Pershing had more men on the firing
line in November, 1918, than Napo-
Icon ever commanded, and Haig had
more men there than the combined
army of Germany which in 1870
overran France. More British were
killed than the strength of the Ger
man army in 1914. More French
men were dead in 1918 than there
were fighting living Frenchmen on
the line in Northern France.
So on Armistice Day more than
100000 fighting men in Western
Europe awaited commands of Foch.
No man ever before was master of
so much human power.
No other country than France
could have produced such a man. 1t
is doubtful if the British, close as
we are in ties of blood and speech,
would have consented to have fought
under an American generalissimo,
and it would have been exceedingly
difficult to have brought the Ameri-
cans under the command of the Brit
ish We are both stubborn and opin-
donated.
Only Frenchman could have COM
handed the combined armies, and
only a Frenchman of the character of
Foch at that.
Foch? A simple soul. He believes
in God, says his prayers and attri
butes victory to Divine Providence. !
He smokes a pipe and never drinks
strong liquor. He is not given to
Boosting. He is not arrogant. Sue
cess has not turned his head. He is
what he is because he is humble. He
is consumed by no personal ambi-
tions. He has not sought to impress
his opinions on other people. He was
content merely to impress his will to
win upon the Germans. He comes to
America giving us no lectures on the |
philosophy of life. He writes no es-
says on the road to success. He will |
not speak with authority on things |
he knows little about.
He has not the thought of some of
our money successful Americans, be-
cause, having amassed dollars, they |
are therefore certified to preach on
science, religion and the immortality
of the soul.
Truly great men are usually sim
pie in their lives and simple in their
thoughts. Much of their success is
due to clear thinking along direct
lines. They are content to solve prob
lens that are their own. They are
eager to do the work that their coun-
trymen have cut out for them.
Foch must be a strong character,
for it takes much strength for man
in his position to prevent success
from turning his head. In this Foch
is much like Pershing. Neither one
is man of blood and iron; each is
a knightly Christian gentleman. One
is a model American, the other a
model Frenchman.
Both are modest men and the more
worthy of the honors that have come
to them because they bear them mod
estly.
Both are worthy of the emulation
of other men.-Memphis Commercial
Appeal.
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