THE TWO GENERALS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2438, 17 April 1915, Page 7

THE TWO GENERALS

JOFFRE AND FRENCH DAY BY DAY (Reo. April 16, 6 p.m.)' London, April IS. General Joffre's headquarters are at a famous' hotel, which is cool and calm. He arrives, at hia room at 6.30 a.m., and at 7 a.m. confers with six leading officials of the General Staff, when the reports and dispatches of the night are discussed and orders given for the day. Lunch is served at eleven, and consists of bread, eggs, and cutlets. At noon there is another conference, and at one o'clock General Joffre goes out until fopr. He walks or drives, generally in the adjaoant woods. At 8.30 p.m. there is a third conference, with the same people. At nine o'clock punctually he is in bed. He remains always at his Headquarters, Bave on his once-a-week visits to the front to inspect the lines and see his generals. Joffre's methods are illustrated by his procedure at the battle _of the Marne. All the orders were written by himself,, and drawn up on August 27; for action on September 5. He pondered over them and pieced _ the battle together like a delicate piece of mochanlsm, and when the time came the machinery ran like clockwork. He has a great head, iron chin, and kind, but rather sad eyes, quite the photographs of him, _ and speaks slowly, without gesture, in the rich accents of the Midi. ' Sir Jolin French is equally methodical in his daily life. His lines are at the country house of a, lawyer in a small French town. He lias an early breakfast, and his lunch consists of a packet of sandwiches, eaten in a motor-car near the trenches, then a simple dinner, and bed at ten o'clock. Like General Joffre, ho is the picture of health.