Evening Star Newspaper, March 21, 1929, Page 4

FOH ATZENTH S WAR TACTGAN Allied Commander Spent! Lifetime in Preparation for | Supreme Ordeal. Foch the man. In due course of time there un- @oubtedly will be many volumes in ref- erence to Ferdinand Foch: his life, his teachings, his great deeds—the letter will be studied in the minutest detail as long as that civilization endures which he did so much to preserve. Ferdinand Foch and his brother and sister were very piously reared, and at an early age learned to love the church and to seek it for exaltation and con- solation. Ferdinand was a hard stu- dent, serious beyond his yvears, but not conspicuous except for his earnestness and diligence. : When he was 12 years of age his fervor for Napoleon was pronounced. His professor of mathematics remarked of him that “he has the stuff of a poly- techniclan.” In 1869 he was sent to the College of St. Clement at Metz. In less than a year, by unanimous vote of his fellow students, he was awarded the grand prize for scholarly qualities. Just at that time the Franco-Prussian War began. Immediately Ferdinand Toch enlisted for the duration of the war—a young soldier of a lost cause. He did not distinguish himself in any way. Whatever blows he struck in 1870 were without weight in helping to_avert France's catastrophe. ‘Foch entered the Pol ‘hnic School at Paris November 1, 1871, just after he had completed his twentieth year. ‘Among his fellow students was another hard student who was also tremendous- 1y in earnest, Joffre. Foch graduated third in his class from the Artillery School at Fontainebleau, which he at- tended after leaving the Polytechnic. He asked to be sent to his native town of Tarbes in order to study cavalry tactics and pi‘“’“ “rough riding.” In each school h' attended, beginning with Metz, heehad close class. associations with men from many provinces. men of many types. This was valuable to him in preparing him to command under-officers in whom & rigorous uni- formity of training could not obliterate Bred-in-the-bone differences. ‘Went to Artillery. Toch next went, as a_captain, %o & yegiment of artillery at Rennes, where he stayed for seven years, and where he learned to know the Bretons. He ‘was called to Paris in 1885 and entered the Sul School of War. There he seemed to have impressed people, with mmmmmanmg“uw‘:s tremendous energy, applical hness. October 31, 1805, when entering on his forty-fifth year, was made associate professor of military history, strategy and applied tactics at The thoroug] the Superior School of War. hness of his training was beginning to make itself felt at mill- tary headquarte; sinother at this Superior School of War marshal, who chatted in a way he had not done for days. His doctors left him reassured, again. Foch, but shortly after noon she noticed that ‘he I from his loung near an open window to ween 1896 and 1901 were im) ety ltmmm?ethn g g H £ Eég g 1 38 2 P it et R R ik =3 s EiEivin Foch Had Greater Vision. “It was mot,” Napoleon wrote, “the 1 uvhl:r Ga j Arm; 'ih;lm Clt y & . Clemenceau, minister of war, put Foch in com- d of the School of War. After years came “the white plume” of of & division, and Foch, at 60, command of the 13th Division at 'l"l gfim lbovlc nr wurte‘: °§u the £ was placed at the heac {'of the 8th Army Corps at Bourges ildl <1912, m’#g%?}m‘m he took com- Tps at Nancy. i" Foch had not trained the Oeyrmm staff. It made war other than ‘taught it, and well he knew it. He knew what happened to the Ger- ns when their “blueprints” would not It unexpected conditions, He knew it they expected to take Nancy easily, hat they were looking for some effort defend it, but not for a French at- ick. They did not know his maxim: -“The best means of defense is to ate k.” He attacked. Those who lived through the tragic just before the battle of Lorraine Foch recall the chief questioning i1y Where (oo, difcrent units e, ly where the different units were, spufictusting his questions with: “You dot't know? Very well, then, go and find out!” And through all this stress .~he had the personal anguish of being #/ungble to get word of his only som, Gefmain Foch. or of his son-in-law, “iCapt. Becourt, both of ¥hom had been #fghting on the Belgian front. They «were killed In action it transpired. #'Then was not the time, however, for 3 1 emotion. The father effaced e 1f before the soldier. There was go't/plnt to be thought of save the coun- “Thus was Ferdinand Foch on the eve “lof the first battle of the Marne. Elevated to High Command. Foch, at Chalons, received a telegram .fook i i FWORLD MOURNS PASSII THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C., FUNERAL OF FOCH SETFOR TUESDAY 1 Body to Lie in State Under| Arc de Triomphe 24 Hours Previously. (Continued From PFirst Page.) government, responding to general de- sire, immediately decided that he was to have the rare distinction of natlonal | obsequies. | This is an honor never before paid | to a soldier of the French republk.j In its history but five others have re- ceived it —the Presidents Carnot and Faure, the sclentist Pasteur, the states- man Gambetta, and the poet Vietor Hugo. It was proj that he pass the night before his interment lying in state deneath the Arc de Triomphe beside the Unknown Soldler's tomb—the eat name beside the great nameless. or to this, it was expected the body would be placed in the Invalides before the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and there was a feeling he would be lain to his final rest in one of the niches of the crypt where the body of the great Corsican lies. Left up to Cabinet. But these and other details were to be decided at & cabinet meeting. While the government desired to bury Marshal Foch in the Invalides, nothing could be arranged officially because the fam- ily, before consenting to any arran ment, wished to be sure there was nothing in the marshal's will and pa- pers to the contrary. Certain things he said in his last days have given rise to the belief in some quarters that he desired to be in- terred at Tarbes, in the Pyranees, the town of his birth. Members of the household told over and over again today the story of the marshal’s last hours. ing he had seemed better and showed some signs of his old cheery self. He smiled and talked to his doctors. “What beautiful sunshine!” they told him. “You'd like to go out, Monsieur le Marechal?” He answered, looking out the window. “Yes, indeed, it would give me very great rlulure"' As he e & wistful smile lighted his rugged features. “Well, we will let you very soon,” they answered. But they knew that eould never be, and that his grim enemy. death, could not be kept off for more than two weeks. Doctors Reassured. However, the idea seemed to cheer the ; not dreaming that they would never hear his soldierly voice the day he talked with Mme. She called Was growing pale. taken his nurses and the marshal was Those last minutes passed quickly. ) H 2 ] § E;E Gt of ] i 5 B g 2 2 5 L and was soon gone. Knew Death Inevitable. Dr. Charles Laubry, in discussing the death today, told why no surgical meas- ures were ever sttempted. “We knew death was inevitable. We knew it had to come and was only a matter of time” be said, “so I always refused to op- ite. All the doctors agreed with Mme. Foch let it be known fhis morn- ing that in accordance with the mar. shal's own wishes she hoped neither ‘wreaths nor flowers would be sent to e tod nch newspapers today appeared Sarsied Yong piographics 4nd appreciar ed long phies and ap) - tions of the dead leader with fervid ex- pressions of sorrow and conviction of national loss. One pointed out that although the marshal's only son. Rene Foch, was killed at the beginning of the war, his name would not_dle. marshal’s son-in-law. Col. Fournier, has already cbtained the authorization of the min- ister of justice for his four children to bear his name and that of ‘their grand- father in addition. ment from active duty was due, Foch was “retained without age limit” in the first section of the general staff of the French army. The appointment of Gen. Foch as head of the general staff was made May 15, 1017, Joffre having reached the age for retirement. An of- ficial announcement told all the world that the destinies of the allied armies by common consent, ed to the general of Ferdinand Foch. In August, 1918, he was elevated to the high rank of marshal of France. ‘To the layman it looked as if Foch was not merely @ great general, but one of the greatest generals of all recorded history, as great a general as Napoleon or Caesar or Hannibal or Alexander. Upper righ Tower 1ef Lower right: Upper left: A war-time picture of Marshal Foch on his favorite steed. Receiving the well-wishes of King George of England, on thelatter’s visit to France. The World War leader and Gen. Pershing during a visit to Suresnes : Recent photo of the marshal and hnis wife, taken ‘at the Longchamps race track. 2 | FADERS PAY CALL ATHONE O FOCH Pershing, Herrick and J. P. Morgan Among List of Visitors. By the Associsted Press. PARIS, March 21.—From all over the world, from high snd low, from kings and princes and humble soldiers, hom- age was brought today to the bier of Marshal Ferdinand Foch as France prepared to do her soldier son the greatest honors within her power. To the home where the generalissimo of the mighty allied hosts of 1918 died at sunset yesterday, an unending suc- cession of distl ed personages, messengers and messages began to ar- rive before dawn and continued throughout the day. The high and lowly of France min- led in the marshal's courtyard with of other races, whose kin served in the World War under the supreme command of the French warrior, who finished his last campaign last night. ‘The Belgian Ambassador was & caller. He was followed by former Premier Clemenceau, the “father of victory,” and a few minutes later came Marshal Joffre, aged and now thin. And then came Myron T. Herrick, the American Ambassador, who when Paris was threatened in the early days of the war offered to put his own country’s flag over the shrines of Prench glory to protect them from harm. Famous one-armed Gen. Goumaud, the defender of Paris, was there, t00, 5toop- ing over the body of the marshal to pin upon his breast the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, the greatest of his country’s decorations. Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force, and Marshal Petain, who commanded the French under Foch, walked with slow steps to the bed where the marshal Representing all of France in his sor- rowful mission, Gaston Doumergue, President of the republic, was one of the early callers. He was escorted to the bed where the marshal rested apd then expressed to the marshal's widow the grief of the whole nation to whose glory Foch so greatly added. While these honored few bowed at {he bier of the famous soldier, many men famed in other arts than that of war inscribed their names upon the register in the reception hall, and hun- dreds of folk, come from every creed and clime, walked into the court yard to add their names upon the black- bordered pages of the book. J. P. Morgan calied this afternoon to speak a few words of condolence to Mme. Foch. He signed the visitors’ ),n.um of history has passed awi class, | ind ister. y early afternoon nearly 3,000 per- *“Adored Like a October 4, 1014, that he was appointed first.in command under Joffre and in- _-astructing himto leave at once for the North, there to co-ordinate the French, English and -Belgian - forces that were ; opposing the German march to the sea. At 4 o'clock the next morning he was at : Breteuil, where Gen. Castelnau had his I";‘.::dq::emn. bos‘d‘m weeks be(f:o.r:mroch n subordinate to nau. command. 2+ Then they became equals in ‘ Now, Castelnau rose from his bed in . the ‘chill of a Fall morning not yet dawned to greet Foch, his superior offi- eet. September 30, 1918, just before ‘his <fifth birthday, on Which his retire- Foch the man! Mighty in spirit, strong in Yalth, supreme in strategy, immensely broad in understanding; a great man, but too great a man to be a “superman,” and withal, 8 tender, heart-broken old father to whom the laying down of arms meant not only the leisure to wear laurels, but the right to sit again by his hearth, now deso- late, and think back on happy days and forward to & reassembled group in the house not made with hands. —_— Arthur F. Scotten has been gradu- ated with a straight “A” grade in every unit of the 180 required for & at Stanford By the Associated Press. PARIS, March 21.—The modesty of Marshal Poch in the face of glory was described today by Stephanne Lauzanne, chief editorial writer of Le Matin. “‘As for his modesty,” the writer sald today, “it moves one by its immensity. Modest, he was m-{nmoenuy s0. And, above all, it was natural. “When in 1921 he went to the United States, he was received as neither Na- poleon nor Caesar would have been. He was adored like a god. Women E it o B ucl at as Toicn » saored Telie. oy Hoover, Praises Fine. Human . Qualities of Foch—Soldiers and Statesmen: Join in ‘Eulogies to His Merits. HE By the Assoclated Press. Tributes for Marshal Foch from all parts of the world have been gathered by the Assoclated Press: President Hoover—“It was my privi- lege to gain perhaps s special insight not only into his ability but also his fine human qualities of straightfor- wardness, kindness and modesty.” Charles G. Dawes—"One of the grea Gen. John J. Pershing—“As m: y |friend and comrade his death brings to me a profound sense of personal Raymond Poincare, French premier— “A great soldier and a great French- man is gone.” Ambassador Myron T. Herrick—"The human side of thé man was, I think, after all, his'greatest side. What his per- sonal charm was only those who came in personal contact with him knew.” Sir William G. Tyrrell, British Am- bassador, Paris—“In my country, which has not the honor to numl among its sons, he will be honored as a national he: Paul Painleve, French minister of war—“He will go.down in history to rank with Caesar, Alexander and Na- poleon, but as a liberator rather than & conqueror.” Stanley Baldwin, British prime min- ister—"In him there has passed away one of the great soldiers of all times, and, what is much more, one of the great souls.” ME:E gu“!» t?ldml“l ho:t the Iflm “He was the grea! man in greatest war the world has ever known, and his services were not only services to France, but to the whole world.” Sir Austin Chamberlain, British for- eign minister—“If bitterness remains it it not found today among those who were tl=e l:’:;u‘hét fighters.” avi eorge—"It is my great- est pride that I discerned his lugrreme ts in time and that, as prime min- ter of this country, I took a leading part in making him commander-in-chief ?! all the allied forces on the western ront.” Field Marshal Lord Allenby—*“Soldier and student expert in the history, art and practice of wat, Foch stood forth on the day of trial as the leading strat- sons had signed the register and ad- ditional pages were laid on separate tables in the courtyard so as to accom- modate all. The crowd grew ever larger, especially at the lunch hour, when workers streamed from nearby offices and workships.. Clerks, stenogra- phers and workmen rubbed elbows with diplomats and leaders of politics and lustry. Ki Albert of Belgium, himself lcel;;:es r:"lenld o: the l&‘l{ld .emnll::lmc: ssels at noon m‘b‘uu wh“tm llnlu mA {d Py eanwhile all Paris and all Fra; had gone into mourni ery &ubflc building flags at the warm Spring sunshing Foch's Modesty Described as Natural: God" in U. S. in 1921 “Men called him Alexander and Na- poleon and described him on triumphal arches as the greatest conqueror of his- tory. “But while all this incense rose to his nostrils, he remained te calm, his hands resting on his soldier's cane, and he ted the word that was ever on his lips, ‘Wait, wait.’ “Then there came rmml phrases like these, ‘I thank you or your lrprovlL It has for me only one meaning. . It is.intended to say that “{Bou are satisfled with my work.” That is well, but remember that it is not well enough to work well in war. One must work well also in peace.’ " t | of the entire world. egist and tactician of our time, possibly of all time.” i i Field Marshai Sir William Robertsen, chief of British im general staff, 1915-18—"Marshal Foeh was essentially & man of high principle, extreme mod- esty and with no thouhgt of self.” lemenceau, French C u, war- time anmler—"mz man who just died is entitled to the profoundest respect Former Crown Prince Rupprecht ef Bavaria Tthrough his secretary)— His royal highness regards Marshal as one of the most notable leaders and per- sonalities of the World War.” General the Earl of Cavan, who com- manded British 14th Corps in France— “He was the one commander under whom the allies were willing and ready to fight with confidence.” Secretary Kellogg—"Foch was revered in the United States as ‘an outstanding example of & true patriot.’ " Sec! Good—'Our Army mourns with its former comrades the loss of that gallant and illustrious son. of Prance.” Gen. Charles P. Summerall, chief of the Army staffl—"‘Veterans of our Armies will hold in gratitude and rev- erence the memory of that great soldier under whose illustrious leadership Amer- icans were privileged to assist in the restoration of peace to the world.” Admiral Charles F. Hughes, chief of naval operations— We all appreciate Maj. Gen. Frank Parker, Foch's aide when the marshal toured the United States—"He typified the moral and mental qualities which make France the great nation today.” Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord, retired, chief of staff, A. E. F—"It would be impossible to measure the significance to the world of the death of Marshal Foch had it occurred between the months of March and November, 1918.” Paul V. McNutt, national commander of the American Legion—"Marshal Foch was one of the world’s greatest men, & man_simple, honest and fearless. It is not necessary to have had an Account at this Bank to Borrow THE MORRIS PLAN BANK Uader Supervision U. 8 Treasury THURSDAY, MARCH 21 Cemetery, where American and French dead le. 1929. OF WAR| ,FUEHWAS|NI]UEIEI]1ARMISTIEE ENVOYS INTO" LEGION HERE.WERE TAKEN ABACK “Who Are These Gentlemen and What Do They Want?” Foch Asked. ‘ Unanimously Elected Member . of George Washington 1 Post in 1921. \ The American Legion, both national 'and local, mourn the loss of Ferdinand Foch, generalissimo of the allied armies in the World War, who died yesterday in Paris. | Marshal Foch was elected a member | of George Washington Post, No. 1, the ploneer post of the American Legion, here on October 5, 1921. At the request of national headquarters, Post Comdr. Howard S. Fisk retired from the chair | as presiding officer in the board room, | District Building, and placed before the | meeting Marshal Foch’s name. He was | elected unanimously and the next day | national headquarters was notified of | his election as & full-fledged ‘member of | the American Legion. It was the desire of the national or- ganization at Indianapolis that he be elected & member and inducted into the By the Associated Press. PARIS, March 21.—Marshal Perdi- nand Foch's connection with the great war will be perpetuated only slightly more through his military achievements than by the historical scene in the clearing of the Compiegne forest, where, with his train drawn up opposite the special cars that brought the German armistice delegates, he awaited the plenipotentiaries in order to commwuni- cate terms to them. The marshal was short and suceinct with the German envoys—so much &0, in fact, that they compiained afterward that ke had humiliated them. When the Germans entered the marshal’s car they were ushered to one side of a table. ite them Foch stood with the other allied plenipoten- first in the American Legion, T to arrival at Kansas City, v&r:ge tiaries. The first words formed this the national convention was held Oc- |question from the marshal: ‘Who are these gentlemen and what do they want?" Leader Taken Aback. Mathias Erzberger, leader of the Ger- mans, was somewhat taken aback by the abruptnsss of this f‘ee . He hesitated & bit as if he had failed to understand the fiction by which Marshal Foch made it appear that he was unaware of the identity of the visitors, b;n:‘ he finally mastered himself and re- plied: “We are the German plenipotentiaries who have come to receive terms for an armistice between the Grman and allled armies.” ‘The marshal thereupon handed to Herr Ersberger the text of the condi- tions aiready agreed upon by the allies. He added this short sentence: ““They are to be accepted as & whole.” ‘There was no handshaking at this meeting. Neither was there any a eou- ple of days later, when, after submit- the conditions to the German gn- err Ervberger received word from Hinden- burg that they must be accepted, hard .| as they were. membership card mepsbmesi i fon Post, on the end of which he | The second mesting was mers so.ccon tersigned his name. At the re- and the egvoys did not auest of Comdr. Fisk he signed two | Ut in Germany ARG FAYER U IO additional membership cards, one of | XUOW W e eaveind by e mions | e ety e e i organ lor uc - A;‘eflun e and the rshal and the other d:;:n{.: ble with no more w. Legion other to be preserved by George Wash- ington Post. The latter hangs in a|, frame st the clubhouse of the post, 1441. Rhode Island avenue. The also has the fountain pen with which he affixed his signature to the card. PTG tober 31, November 1, 2 and 3. Met by Post Membership. On the occasion of his arrival at the Union Station here on the evening of October 28 he was met at the train by the entire membership of George Wash- ington Post and other posts of the De- partment of the District of Columbia with their colors. The Legionnaires then sscorted Marshal Foch through & mul- titude of spectators to the President’s room, where Comdr. Fisk pinned the American Leglon badge of membership on the left breast of his gray army uni- form, in the presence of the Ambassa- dors of the various foreign nations, high ranking officers of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps and his war-time col- league, Gen. John J. Pershing, also & ;::mr member of George Washington t. ‘Walter Bruce Howe, at that time com- mander of A P. Gardner Post, acted as interpreter, while French Am- bassador Jusserand stood slongside of Marshal Foch and participated in the informed The Germans signed document which spelled collapse &! greatest war machine that the world has ever known. Foch stood epect and imper- turbable until the Germans, with tears in their eyes, arose apd prepared to e Montieur marshal, & people of 65.- 000,000 souls suffers, but does not per- ish.” Aviators who climb 7 miles in course of & ht may experience changes from perhaps 71 zero to 76 degrees below a short time. —Wide World Photo. ind A. Photos. —;lide ‘World Photo. —Wide World Phote. 14th and G Streets N. W. for Easter Beloflgs-%’n Every Man’s Wardrobe BLUE is dark. Blue is rich. Blue is correct. Blue is flattering to every figure, tall or short; slim or portly. However, blue is such an unob- trusive color that it demands fine tailor work by Stein-Bloch to bring out its quiet smartness. We specialize in Blue Suits; in newest models; in complete sizes. They are correct for every in- formal occasion. BLUE SUITS Tailored by Stein-Bloch 35 I A Blue Suit