Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-03

Of the Military Inventions Commission.
and to be promoted to colonel in 1897.
Served in Madagascar.
His next active service was in NADIA
Rascar, under Gen. Gallieni, and there,
In 1901, he was promoted to brigadier
general and placed in command OF the
| 18th Brigade at VtncenneS. At the
same time he was made a member
of the Comite Technique de Genie. In
1908 he was made director Of engineers
at the war once, and commander
of the Legion of Honor. He became
on March "a, 1905, and thereafter was
| successively-and most successfully
military Governor Of Lille, commander
of q division, permanent inspector Of
schools, commander Of the I'd Army
Corps at AmienS, and member OF
the Superior Council of War. In the
last-named place he was designated, in
case of war, to be the head Of the
administrative service, with special
Presently, however, q dispute arose be-
tween Gen. Michel, who had been
designated as generalissino in case Of
war, and the general staff concerning
the plan of campaign which should be
provided for the defense of France,
and Michel was set aside. Gen. Pau,
who lost an arm at Sedan, declined 70
succeed him, and Gen. Gallieni was
regarded as too old. So, to the gen.
eral surprise, Joffre was selected as the
generaliSsimo- designate. But as he was
known as colonial" IMMERSED in
European stan work-really a strange
nisconception OF hint was intended
to assign as his assistant Gen. Castel-
nau, q metropolitan" soldier. But
Castelnau was eventually set aside, per-
haps because Of his clerical Sympathies,
and Joffre's star was made up entirely
Of younger men, Berthelot being the
foremost Of them.
Had Predicted Long Struggle.
Such was the situation when the
World War broke. Joffre often had said
that the next war would be a long one,
waged along extensive fronts, and in 1t
patience would be worth mole than au-
dacity and calculation would count for
more than dash--an interesting opinion
Of the hero of that supremely auda-
correct, and he set himself TO fight the
campaign according to that principle.
He did not rush to the front proclaim
ing headquarters In the Saddlel' but
remained where he could scan the en-
tire field of operations and calculate
every move maze upon IL with Inc In"
sxorable accuracy of master Of nlathe-
mates and engineering working out an
intricate problem. Thus 1t was that
he said II bide my time" as he saw
the German advance, seemingly ire
sistible, becoming demoralized through
lack Of an energetic general command,
and saw, too, his own retreating armies
constantly augmenting their strength
and, under his masterful direction
hourly becoming more coherent. Thus
1t was when he was entirely ready. and
the invaders had reached the dead
line" that he had prepared for them, he
said: TT is time for this thing to stop!"
And it stopped.
It Is sentimentally interesting to re-
call that 1t was Joffre's former chief
In the Madagascar campaign, Gallieni,
who had the privilege Of beginning the
counter stroke at the Marine; rushing
achievements to Manoury on the
Ourcq. Others did miracles Of tact and
valor. But the Marine was Jottre's bat
tie, as those who knew 1t best from the
inside of affairs were most confident In
testifying. He knew to bide his time"
and he knew, too, as perhaps no other
knew so well, the supreme secret Of eff
fcctively commanding and directing the
operations Of an army OF 100000 citi-
zen soldiers, spread halfway across the
country, and to make all its parts act
% q harmonious whole. IN, the Autumn
Of 1914 Papa Joffre was the most dis !