Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
By CoMMANDANT BUGNET.

written Exclusively for The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alhanceo
To the young officers at the Staff
College, Col Foch said: "A lesson OF
a higher character may be derived from
this survey. At the present time. when
it is thought possible to dispense with
ideals, to reject what are termed alb
stract notions, to depend on realism,
rationalism, positivisn, to reduce every
thing to questions of knowledge or expe-
diency, more or less ingenious applied
In a casual manner, only one resource
but a sound and fruitful one-can
be found by which to avoid mistakes
and disaster: one must hold fast to two
abstract moral ideas-duty and disci-
pline-which. to be truly effective, must
be supplemented by knowledge ana
ability to reason"
1t will be understood that. with in
tellectual prescriptions such AS these,
he was able for 90 years, overshadowed
as they were by defeat, to overcome dis
couragement and live through a period
in which skepticism and dilettantlsm
we're cultivated like fashionable mala-
dies. without himself being infected by
them.
Others Sought Favor.
Similarly. he held himself aloof from
politics, in compliance with the military
tradition long followed by all, but from
which. unfortunately, certain ofhcers
were at the time beginning to deviate.
st was told, Mark my words. you
will never get anywhere You will not
prevent me from being promoted and
from getting my rosette tof the Legion
of Honour) when I take my pension
yes. but you will never be a COM
mander (of the Legion).' What does
that matter? And have had my era
vate. my plaque and my grand Gordon!
What of these others? They certainly
made a good start. but that was as far
as they got! You know. one should not
have the idea that in order to succeed
intrigue is essential. And what then?
No. one must work and follow the
paths of honesty. The reward will come
1T always comes. That method pays
best in the long rum"
Dismissed from the Staff College in
1901 because he was accused Of being
a reactionary, unjustly sent in disgrace
to Loan, kept under suspicion, de-
prived of advancement for three years,
although on the list for promotion to
the rank of colonel. he bore up under
his trials, and urged his colleagues who
were fellow victims with him not TO
resign their commissions, for this would
be desertion.
Made Use of Theories.
At last, when appointed colonel Of
the 35th Regiment of Artillery at
Vannes, IN 1908, he made use of his
theories Of self@subordination in the in
struction Of his regiment. What was
his job2 To teach his men to fire their
guns. Range orders and all admins
trative regulations had to bow before
this necessity.
After his promotion to the rank of
brigadier general the question of his
appointment as commandant of the
staff College was discussed. But po-
litical passions had not subsidized and
Clemenceau, then prime minister, wished
first of all to see him.
I'VE had such a long and pleasant
talk that we kept the cabinet meeting
arranged for o'clock Il had arrived
at 845) waiting. At 9:25 I took my
departure. He said, I will give you a
command and asked me, to send him
copies of my books. That was July Is,
1908. After that attended the ma
neuvers and had no time to think Of
anything.
I'm September I was at the maneu-
vers With Picard, who was then war
minister. One day he said to me, so
you are going to the staff College?'
Oh?' said I. The President says no.
he replied. Eight days later nothing
had yet happened. M. Clemenceau was