A MASTER OP STRATEGY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3162, 14 August 1917, Page 7

A MASTER OP STRATEGY

WHAT'PETAIN WOULD HAVE DONE ' . IN 191 - According to the French papers Petain differs from most other generals m that he is a master of strategy while they rely on tactics only. Petain never, concealed, his opinion that the Allies made a terrible blunder in the beginning ot the war when they failed to profit by Moltke's astounding mistake. Moltke did not occupy the const of Belgium, thus leavin°" hie flank unguarded before his drive into France. "Moltko will be.dismissed for this," said Petain at the time. The Allies won the battle afc Ypres as a result of this blunder of Moltke's, to which, according to Petain, may be traced the German failure. ,Then came the blunder of the Allies in not saving Antwerp, lloltke gave every opportunity to the Allies to keen Antwerp; Petain is said to hnve shed tears because they were too stupid to do so. French should havi hurled his whole force into .Belgium, but he did not do so because there was no head or tail to Allied generalship, and independence of commands and of commanders resulted in failure. It was about this time that, according to French, papers, Jbffre had something to say auent the conduct of military affairs by English generals. Brilliant and meaningless victories were won, but there was no strategy. And there, according to Petain, lay the root of much (Master and failure. Every serious mistake that was made might have been .avoided if Petain's views had obtained the hearing- they deserved.