Evening star., 1936-09-05

his pedagogic nose glasses. yellow leg
gings. black-buttoned boots and
"walrus" mustache, looked to them
more like a caricature than an in
spired military strategist. Capt. Lid
dell Hart quotes one member Of Sir
John French's staff as saying that
mo British officer would be seen
speaking to such a blankety- blank
comedian"
But. regardless of the British staff's
idea of the sartorial equipment neces-
sary to make successful officer,
Joseph Simon Gallieni proved amply,
to ally and enemy alike, that he was
a very grim sort of comedian.
The upshot of it all was that. rather
grudgingly. decision finally was reach
ed to follow Gallienis bold but WELL
thought -out plan. Had it failed, CAL
lieni quickly would have been identified
with it. But, miracle of miracles
and the reader who was reading the
newspapers in 1914 may recall that it
was called "the Miracle of the Marine"
and seemed to be copyrighted by
Joffre-it did not fail.
Troops disheartened by weeks of
retreat fought like men possessed when
they found themselves on the offensive
in Napoleonic stroke.
And the drama was heightened
when, on September 7, Gallieni en-
gineered the episode of the Paris taxi
cabs. Hundreds Of them were COM
mandeered to rush detraining troops
to the front. None who saw that
sight will forget IT, The automobiles,
squawking as only Paris cabs can
squawk, and speeding as only Partisan
drivers can speed in careening flight,
streamed to the front, 40 miles away.
They made two trips, carrying about
5000 men each trip.
The ultimate result of the battle OF
the Marne was to force the military
conduct of the war into a gigantic
siege. a war of starvation. The stroke
definitely ended the Germans hope OF
a quick decision. Trench warfare
along a heavily fortified line became
the order of the day. With changes
which at this date seem relatively
minor, that is what the war in the
west remained until the end.
WHAT would have happened had
not Gallieni insisted with every
ounce of his Gallo impetuosity upon
the counter offensive against the 1st
Army has been, and remains today,
20 years after, fertile field for specu-
lation. No competent critic denies
that the entire issue of the war would
have been far different.
During his lifetime Gallieni's genius
was hidden beneath the all-enveloping
shadow of the Joffre legend. At home
and abroad his due was long with
held. Indeed, one is not assured that
even now those British staff officers
do not feel that Gallieni actually was
a comedian-because he wore yellow
leggings and did not carry swagger
stick However. Capt Liddell Hart
has done much to change this opinion
His outspoken admiration for Gallieni
and the unquestioned authoritativeness
of his views brought a new apprecia-
ton of the genius of the tough old
warrior from the Pyrenees.
The French government mindful Of
the injustice done to Gallieni. con.
ferred upon him, posthumously, the
baton of a marshal of France.
It would seem fitting that on this
twenty-second anniversary the public
should remember Joseph Simon Gal
lieni as the hero of the Marine. savior
of the allied cause in its most critical
hour.
And, by no means least, as man
who had nerve enough to tell tha
Paris taxi drivers to keep the throttlei
open all the way!