New Britain herald., 1929-04-26
F0CH RECOGNIZED
 WORTH OF J0FFRE
Allied Generaissimo Gave Opinion Shortly Before Death
By NINOTT SAL NnERs t\rA Service Nrlter(

tNEA Service Writerl
 Paris. April 'Jotfre iii we had not had him in 1914 I do not know what would have become Of us"
 These are words ol Marshal Foch. spoken shortly before ne died. to Commandant Bu-net his orderly officer at the Inralides and who a,uon4 others close 10 1lle -rn2raHs- s,au has sine" hIs death been able to disclose intimate stlrNshts Of the great mans character and his prWat" thoughts.
 Eoch's judgment of Marshal Joffre k accrpte4 as rInChlng tho military T, putut}on or the "S3lor of France" and thu Hero ot 1h~ Battle Of the Marnt.' For len years q certain school Of historians has been work .ng tevarlshll to belitth the marshal, But the huge, genial "p3pa' Joffre remains sereuely above these attacks and IS content 10 let history judge hua for what he has loO~
 Eoch'S Opinion sought
 Often the question was asked What does Foyh think of Jofrre ?' They wanted his true opinion not q military courtesy to l man older than he and inc first French lead CT in the World War
 There were nh@sprrtngs Of jral- ous.es between th4 two. Az 1t" ilne oF the victory parade on July 4 Of 1ft3, when ple}led troops of the Allied armies marched through the Arr d. T~iompha in tho greatest military sps ctarie ever staged, an embarrassing discussion arose be- tween admirers of the two meli. The t'och faction thought that rha s~n- oralIssimo Of the Allied arml"s should lead tn" parade. and the other faction wanted Joffro because Of his seniority in years and service to his country during thos~ terrible early months O. the war The da}i- cate situation was solved by allowing the two marshals 10 ride side by sjd" al the head of the parade
 But all through the years no an swer came to the question o' what t'och thought of Jotfr~. Since his death, tongues hay" been looseU"d and diaries opened and there no longer is any doubt that l|ocb look ed upon Joffre as a great leader and the savior of France in lF1t.
 Tells of Chats With Fot.h
 In latter days ComIK Kanlonf Bug . net made f, a practice so walk hone with Marshal Foth from fnr h. HaIiaes at lunch time. and hc us~l i 10 chat with him about various aspects of the war
 "Ioffre Was extraordinary IFoch . remarked on one occasion. Buenet now reveals "Hc Vas a man of the | sounlest judgment but he never did i anything by himself, You had 10 propose something, prcpar" a plan | and then bo weighed it and decided ! He knew how 10 Get work ont ot his men ar hr was a rcal chlef,"
 Ace 10 Foeh. inc men i around J1fro called him the life i buoy" On those very black days Of i August. 1914. which even l7och ad- 1 mitted were "Anguishing, general i headquarters under tn" personality | of Jonre vas calm and orderly, i Joffre was making cool decisions while Gallieni foamed ali the telo- phone.
 Jonre'S Part Revealed
 "But did Joffre really win tt" | Battle of the Marne?" 3Genet now l reveals he one day asked FOch,
 "rerairly." Was the reply, ITO l inc sure he did. H. had prepared !. it and it's realization was carried through, And il really WAS very great victory. Jofro was the needed . man HIe could stand the hrunt. Ha could take punishment and fight on without losing his head.'
 And Gallieni2" asked Bugnet. /. t'och replied;
 'Gallieni pointed out that the time had arrived. Jotfre had want- ed to retreat to the Seine. but he 1 yielded to Gallien1s reasons. If he had been beaten no man would have tried to claim the d~feat, He won, !, and to him goes the glory of vic tory If wo had not had him in 1914 I don't know what would have become of us
 Foch's Judgment stand.
 The case is now judged. Fo"h has spoken posthumOusly. Joflrr. af v. lives in Paris with his wife, but his health has not been good re gently.