The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1915. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S RETIREMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1915. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S RETIREMENT

The announcement that Sir John French has retired from _ his position as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in France and Flanders will no doubt afford ground for a good deal of speculation. It should, however, be borne in mind that Sir John is- now sixtytwo years of age, and it is not to be wondered at that he is beginning to feel the effects of the, unceasing stress and strain caused by sixteen months of strenuous work and heavy responsibility. The War Office authorities pay a well-deserved tribute to the manner in which he has led our troops, and express high appreciation of his conspicuous services. The King has made him a Viscount, and he has been appointed FieldMarshal commanding the troops in the United Kingdom. . This all goes to confirm tho official announcement that ho has relinquished the command at the front at his,own instance, and without any reflection on the manner in which he has carried through a terribly heavy task. It is, indeed, almost impossible to" over-estimate the value of tho workdone by Sir John French since the beginning of tho war. He has had to contend with enormous difficulties. During the early part of the campaign, when the forces at the disposal of the Allies on the "Western front were vastly outnumbered by the Germans, he more than maintained the high reputation which he won in South Africa. Ho won the confidence of his officers, and the rank and file felt that ho could do no wrong. His army became a band of brothers, which under his skilful leadership has fought heroioally and endured the greatest hardships with the most praiseworthy paticnce and cheerfulness. He directed the operations of tho British forces with great resourcefulness in those dark days when it was quite impossible to stop the first great onrush of the German hosts. Then came the turning point, when the enemy was defeated at the Battle of the Marne, and the German offensive was brought to a standstill. Since then many a. desperate battle bus vliaen fowtW. and Sis John French

and his men have added some glorious pages to the annals of the Brit'ish Army. Sir Douglas Haig, the new Com-mander-in-Chief, has worked under Sir John French ever since the beginning of the war. He is about ten years younger than his former chief. Sir John French, in his dispatches, has spoken in the highest terms of the military skill displayed by Sir Douglas. The dispatch dealing with the Battle of,the Aisne states that the action of the First -Corps, under the direction and command • of Sir Douglas Haig, was of so skil- . ful, bold, and decisive a character that it gained positions which alone enabled tho Commander-in-Ohiof to maintain his hold for more than three weeks of very severe fighting on the north bank of the river. The '• dispatch proceeds: I cannot speak too highly of the valuable ' services rendered bj Sir Douglas Haig and the Army Corps wider his command. Day after day and night after night the enemy's infantry has been hurled against him in violent counter-attack, which has never on any one occasion suoceeded, I. whilst the trenches all over his position have been under continuous heavy artillery firt). In the course of his description of the Battle of Neuvc Chapelle, Sir ' John French remarks that the energy and vigour with which Sir Douglas Haig handled his command show him to be a leadet of great ability and power. , Other competent observers ' have also expressed similarly favourable opinions as to •- the energy and capacity of the new s Commander-in-Chief. It is satis--6 factory to know that the leadership , of the British troops in Franoe and Flanders, is in sucn strong and exf perienced hands. Big things are a, certain to happen in this theatre of the war in the near • future, and 3 the whole Empire will be glad to know that the task which Sir John French has relinquished has been entrusted to a General who has been right through the campaign and has i. proved his fitness for the high and . responsible post to which lie has been appointed.