"Nothing More to Say "

Levin Daily Chronicle, 14 September 1918, Page 4

"Nothing More to Say "

AN INTERVIEW WITH FOCH. MAN OF FEW WORDS. The correspondents who occasionally meet General Foeh do not get much first-hand '' copy" out of him, though their interviews are usually made the subject of as much matter as can be written round them. An interesting and instructive example is afforded by the story of a French journalist, Gus-tave-Babin, who was received by the , Generalissimo one busy morning a few ' weeks ago. It was a rainy, gloomy morning, he writes. Showers had fallen since the night before, and we were awakened at dawn and given" the good news of an audience with the General. It "was the same day on which the conflict at tho front, aftec a lull of some days, was renewed. At half-past eight the attack began. It was a quarter past nine when we were shown in to the office of the general. The first impression will always remain with me, not only because of the gravity of the situation on the battle line but because of the surprise of finding conditions so different from those I had imagined. The door opens, and before us is an old style desk of mahogany and brass, over which a grey head is bending.- It was the General himself at work even to the last minute, the General alone in his room without an aide-de-camp, without an officer, without a secretary, He rose, and quickly we were presented. It was not the sumptuous surroundings of the Prefecture of the Marne at Chalons, with its Louis XVT. elegances, its fine bronzes with their deep reflections, but a lofty room, sombre almost' austere, with walls of light oak anh without ornaments. Behind the table, fastened to the wainscott was a map on a small scale, showing in light lines the movements at the front for the last few weeks._ General Foeh has not the imposing figure of Marshal Joffre and of General Petain. The first impression that he gives is that of polite kindness. Hi» voice is firm, precise, composed. In the same calm tone that he used but lately in the fight before Momdement, he speaks to us now. I pass over the kindly greetings, and then he said: ' ■ Gentlemen, you know the situation; our affairs are not in a bad way. The Boche (since one must call him by this name, and there, is in the use of this term the indescribable aversion of a man of good breeding for a coarse word—the Boche) is stopped and prevented from advancing. You see from this chart. ..." The General turned towards the map very small on the high wainscot. His slender index fingure followed from the north to the south line of the battle front since last night. "You see this," continued he, "the wave spends itself on the sandy shore. Without doubt it has met an obstacle. Now we are going to try to do more. There is nothing more to say. Con.tinue your task. One must take things as they come. You do your work with your pen; we will work with our arm." The General shook hands, and we saw him, so calm, so master of himself; reseat himself at his table—as neat as everything else about him — and begin to write. I do not know how to tell the impression of deep confidence and hope we carried away with us from this interview, short as a vision. His eyes with their fine light of intelligence, his integrity, his calm energy, the firm mouth, the tone of his voice, all are compelling in this man, and all contribute to anchor our faith in him. But did he'say a hundred words?. He said convincing decisive words: "The wave has spent itself. . Now we are going to try to do more"." and again: '' There is nothing more to say,'' which is. the conclusion of a man of action, and seems to be a favourite phrase of his, for at the anniversary of the Battle of the Marne he said: Mon- ' sieur President, that is all I have to sny. '