THE BEE: OMAHA. WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1921.
Marshal Joffre, Most Beloved French
General, Was Largely Responsible for
Speeding American Troops to France
By JO&EPHUS DANIELS
Farmtr SwrtUry of th Nry 1913 t 1921.
Copyright, 1)21. ky Jeh T. DIM. Cowtlht by National Nnmnr 8rvlc. Co(yrlht l Grt Brit
ln. Cintdi and thrtuthtut Franc. All rlliu rtunmd. Ineludlni traiitlitl Into toral
Itniutiet. Includlni th Sfni)ltvlt. Umuthorlud rrlntlni fw any uom IsrWdrfia. t
The early dispatch of American troops to France, and the selection of
General Pershing to command the American expeditionary force, were
both due in no small degree to the urging and advice of one man Marshal
Joffre, the hero of the Marne.
Americans hold in admiration the military leaders of the allied coun
tries. The name of Foch will be a source of inspiration for many years
to come? It is synonymous with victory.
But the name of Joffre will be loved as well as honored in America
as long as there are men and women left who saw him and lisjened to him
when he came to us in those stirring days of 1917.
I doubt if ever in history has there been a great military hero, a win
ner of mighty battles, a commander of conquering armies, whose person
ality was so charming, so winsome, so provocative of confidence and af
fection as that of this French general.
"Thought You Were Papa Joffre."
The story is told of a Freflch pri
vate soldier who had laid a friendly
hand upon the arm of a French of
ficer, only to be stingingly rebuked
for his undue familiarity.
"I beg your pardon, sir," said the
private, saluting. "I thought you
' were 'Papa Joffre."
The ruth of that story will not
be doubted by anyone who has seen
"Papa Joffre." There is only one
word which I can think of that is
adequately applicable to him. I do
not think I have ever used it before
, with reference to a man. The French
marshal is beautiful beautiful in the
expression of his eyes, in his com
plexion, in his simple and" dignified
bearing and, most of all, in the de
lightful spirit of his contact and con
versation with his fellows.
Now and then during the war
when I saw an officer rigid and
sUrn, over-impressed by his own su
periority to all ordinary mortals, I
wished all men in authority might
have learned manners from the man
who saved the world at the battle of
the Marne.
One of the reasons why Joffre
'will always hold a distinct place in
my memory, a peculiar place in my
affection, is because, of all those who
came seeking American co-operation,
he. more than any man, dis
played his faith in the American sol
dier, his desire to have American
manhood at the front.
Joffre Asks for Men.
Men of the allied missions were
t, Voughly convinced that we couM
be Nf immediate use in a very valu
able ,way by providing money, food,
munitions. It was on these things
most of. them were inclined to lay
. the early emphasis.
But Joffre from the first day asked
for men.
Money, food, munitions! Yes,
splendid, and thank you, but 'how
oon can we have men?
" is possible we would have been
several weeks or months longer in
getting to France with our fighting
forces if it had not been for the
quiet insistence of Joffre. .
1 Others talked of the long tram
ing that would be necessary to pre
pare men for fighting in Europe;.of
the necessity of retaining our regu-
. lars at home in order to train a, great
army that might begin to reach
France six or eight months later.
Joffre said: ' hope you can send
" troops this summer: Our sre need
is fresh .... soldiers sturdy, vigorous
Americans."
Joffre had seen those "sturdy, vig
orous Americans" on our streets, in
the throngs which had cheered him
wherever he had gone. He believed
in them. He believe' their ca
pacity to learn qu'.nly the art of
war. He believed in their spirit.
' Would Revive Tire" Armies.
And Joffre, with the memory of
his own war-worn soldiers and his
tired, sometimes discouraged fellow
countrymen, knew what a tonic there
would be for weariness and depres
sion in the presence of even a few
thousand American boys enough to
inarch through the streets with high,
set chins, and firm, resilient step:
enough to carry the flag, the flag of
the Stars and Stripes, and to be the
visible proof and promise of Ameri
can participation.
" While other men were thinking in
material terms. Joffre was thinking
in spiritual terms. He knew the
morale of France, of Great Britain,
of Italy would be stimulated the
minute the ne.;o was flashed that
American soldiers were on European
" soil. He knew the morale of the
enemy would be shaken the minute
Berlin learned that its confident pre
dictions concerning the impossibil
ity of American soldiers reaching
France had been disproved.
This was the "urden of his plea to
Secretary Baker, with whom he
' talked freely because the secretary
of, war was one of the few mcnin
Washington official life who undcr-
" stood French. It was the thing
which he stressed when he talked
to the president.
Joffre Impressed by Wilson.
Joffre later expressed to me his
surprise to find tint President Wil
son had such a perfect mastery of
the military situation. He had ex
pected to meet a scholar, a states
man, and an idealist; he had not
expected to meet a practical strate
gist, fully conversant with all the
, militaryamovemcnts. and using ac
curately and freely the lingo of field
and camp.
"In answer to my question as to
whether it would be feasible to send,
in advance of his army, the general
who ' was to command American
troops in France, the president said
at pnee that it could be arranged,"
said Joffre in substance.
"Then the president asked me,"
. continued Joffre, "what my judgment
was as to the type of military leader
. who should go over ahead of the
main body of American troops, and
whether he should not be chosen
rather because of fitness to train
troops for actual warfare than be
cause of his mastery of military
; ! strategy."
The marshal's answer to the presi-
, ocnt was that in order to meet the
situation fully the, general chosen to
send over first should combine the
v. qualities of a capable trainer of sol
diers and a genius for strategy. It
.was the marshal's urgent advice to
. this effect which led to the decision
to recall General Pershing from the
Mexican border and to send him to
France. Events justified the deci
sion. General Pershing measured up
to the standard Joffre had set.
When the president and the sec
retary of war had fallen in with the
desire of Joffre for the earliest pos
sible dispatch, of American troops
to France, the objection was heard
that it was useless to send troops
until we were in a position to mu
nition them amply.
Every munition plant in the United
States had been running at full speed
since 1915 turning out munitions for
France, Great Britain and Russia.
It was manifestly impossible that
they could immediately supply with
artillery and shells the additional mil
lions of men America was to put in
the field. New factories would have
to bt built, and in an incredibly
short space of time this was done.
"Meanwhile," said Joffre, "we can
equip your soldiers from the large
supplies we have." He was wise
enough, since we were now allies, to
propose that pooling of supplies
which in the end made the exercise
of the united . strength of the allies
so much more effective.
"For months otir troops had to
depend upon the French for shells,"
critics of the war administration have
said.
It is an absurd criticism at a time
when the allies were depending upon
us for troops, and we were turning
out vast quantities of munitions.
Each Gave What' It Had.
All of us gave them what we had
most of to give, and what we could
give most promptly and usefully.
That was the understanding reached
in those Washington conferences;
America began giving men at once,
and France gave shells. But Amer
ica was making shells for France,
and had been for two years, and it
began at once making shells and
every other needed munition for it
self. Our allies had no criticism to offer
for inability to continue to provide
them with all they had been taking in
munitions, and at the same time to'
provide everything necessary for a
new army of 4,000,000 men.
Joffre heard people say "Ships will
win the war," or "Coal will win the
war," or "Food will win the war."
He recognized the importance of all
the necessary agencies. But he was
too good a soldier to believe that
lything could win the war except
fighting men. ,
And he was wise enough, too, to
know what it took a long time to
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teach some military and civilian lead
ers, to-wit: That sending troops first
would insure sending food to keep
them alive and guns and ammunition
to fight with. He knew Americans,
who had sent their boys to France
with only a few weeks' supplies,
would make or find a .way to get to
them everything they might peed of
which their allies did not have a sur
plus in the field.
Rush Men to the Front.
Our War department rushed nuk
ing ready to send soldiers abroad,
rushed training of men here, and
took to heart Joffre's repeated sug
gestion that as quick as possible the
American flag floating over Ameri
can soldiers should be seen at the
front. The secretary of war and
his assistants lost no time in hurry
ing troops to the front after General
Pershing had arrived and was mak
ing wise disposition of them as
rapidly as they could be transported.
I think Marshal Joffre had the vis
ion then to see and hear what an old
French woman told about when our
soldiers actually did reach France
and did all the things which Joffre
foresaw they would do. It was
shortly after the American soldiers
were on the move, but before they
had got fully into action. V
"I had been ordered from my
1 house," she said, "tor the third time
during the war. The 'Germans weit
i coming and we must take our little
' belongings and hurry toward Pari.
All along the road were men and
women and children a pathetic
sight some with poor old horses
and many carry ing. their little house
hold necessities in packs. Hopeless
and desperate they were plodding
along out of the track of the in
vaders. Suddenly we heard a rum
bling in the distance like thunder. It
came nearer and nearer, louder and
louder was the sound. It was a
hundred, yes, monsieur, it was a
thousand. Oh! it seemed like a mil
lion trucks moving toward us.
Sang the American Classic.
"Clear the track. Get out of the
way! came the command in a tongue
strange to most of us. We huddled
together on the side of the road to
escape the trucks as they wheeled
by. They were filled with handsome,
ruddy cheeked, stalwart lads, witii
the glory of youth upon them. And
as these robust boys in khaki rode
along they were singing a song. Voj
could hear their loud and cheery
and heartening voice all down the
valley. Oh! monsieur, it was so
beautiful, it was so inspiring. 1
could not fully "understand it, but it
gave me confidence and courage. It
must have been an American classic.
I understand English- so poorly,
monsieur; but it sounded something
like this:
"'Hail, hail, the gang's all here,
What the hell do we 'care.',
"What those words, mean I do not
know, but one thing I know is that
after they'passed singing that song
we were told we could go back to
our homes, and we have lived in
peace and quiet ever since. Heaven's
blessings on those American boys
and upon - their national air, if it
ii their national air."
(Another article by former Secre
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