Seward daily gateway., 1925-05-22

organization of the mounted arm. At that time he was Colonel French, on the retired list at half pay and had been for two years, having been shelved at the age of fl to give younger men chance for promotion. His career apparently was ended. It happened that the inspector gen. eral of cavalry was Sir George Luck, under whom French had served in India, where lie performed brilliant ly in bringing cavalry commands up to a high point of efficiency Sir George had not forgotten that ser vice and brought Colonel French out of the retirement list to write the new cavalry book The result was characterized as "a masterpiece Of lucid explanation and terse precis- ion" Then the question arose as to who was to carry out the altera- tions called for in the book. Some answered "the one who suggested them French was made assistant adjutant general of cavalry and pro- ceeded to climb upward to the com mand of the first 100000 British sol diers who met the first terrific on slaughts of the Germans in the World war. In the meantime French had made extensive reforms and was given command of a cavalry brigade. In the maneuvers of 1898 he attracted the attention of the entire British army. In these, thru extraordinarily daring operation, he completely baf- fled his opponent a general using methods which had be regarded as efficient and necessary until French's genius made them antiquated. French became major general the next year.
 The Boer War was to French only another opportunity to show the abil- ity which the British military author ities had shelved seven years before. He was given the chief cavalry com mand and in numerous operations he proved himself both great strategist and a superior tactician. He was mentioned in many dispatch es and went back to England at the close of the war to be knighted and given the command of all the troops at Aldershot with the rank of lieut. enant general.
 In 1907 French was appointed in spector general of the forces and
 five years later he was made chief of the imperial general staff. He
 was made a field marshal in 1913
 and as such went, to France at the
 beginning of the World War as com
 mander in chief of the expeditionary
 forces. Here again he displayed his
 extraordinary ability as a military
 leader He was, in a way, responsi-
 ble for the change in the British
 cabinet resulting in the creation of
 the ministry of munitions, at the head
 of which former Premier Lloyd
 George succeeded in awakening the
 munitions manufacturers to the ne
 cessity of rallying to the aid of the Fsoldiers in the field.
 In the early engagements in
 France, French's army was outnum-
 bered by the enemy and short of
 high explosives to halt the German
 advance. To the latter was attribut-
 ed the necessity for the strategic re-
 treat from Mons, in which he han
 dled the sorely tried British army
 in masterly fashion. Later with l.
 100000 men under his command he
 scored his great victory at Ypres. Reporting on his operations the
 field marshal wrote: "The glorious
 troops under my command had gone
 valiantly to their death when few
 more guns and a few more shells
 would have many times saved their
 sacrifice. And still no sufficient sup
 plies came" Criticized at home for
 permitting the Germans almost im-
 pregnably to entrench themselves. French became involved in a con- 4 troversy with Lord Kitchener, his former South African commanded, then secretary of state for war.
 The late Lord Northcliffe made a
 visit to the British front and upon
 his return bluntly told the facts of
 the shell shortages. It was then
 that the change in the cabinet was
 made with the result that the factor I ies speeded up and turned out an inn [ malse amount of shells and other war implements.
 ! Aftel 16 months of intensive w'r- fare in France, French relinGElsned coI1a1d If the Bri.;sl forces to Field Mas hal Haig and re.n-.ad to EnglaDl. He was .reated v'e: unt and made commander in chief of the troops in the United Kingdom,