RETIRED.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1916, Page 3

RETIRED.

GENERALS WHO FAIL. 6TERN TEST OF DEEDS. Perhaps it would be ungracious to enquire too closely into the reasons for the retirement of Sir John French Iroru the command of the British forces in France (says the San Francisco Argonaut). Certain there should be no heed to mere scandal, and so we may well (test content with the official statement that Sir John French has been at the helm since the beginning of the war and that he has well earned to comparative rest of a home command. The war has not been kind to military reputations. The most brilliant theorist may fail before the stern test of deeds, and the military colleges disclose nothing of the fatal deficiencies laid bare, by the inexorable demands of actual service.

All the armies have suffered in this way. and perhaps to an almost equal degree. General JoiTrc worked something almost like devolution among his subordinates in the early days of the I war. allowing neither rank, nor politics, nor personal friendships to save those whom he believed to be incompetent. While the war was in its early stage he removed Larenzac for failing to hold the banks of the Sambre and so causing the retreat from Mons, and later on lie displaced Rufi'ey for a similar offence on the Mouse. Larenzac was a brilliant strategist, but he failed to realise that strategy must be sustained by men and guns. There was some surprise that Castelnau was not removed for his failure in Alsace, but perhaps he did not actually fail, although he was defeated, seeing that his raid had a most disquieting effect on the German armies in Belgium. Russia has been unfortunate in many of her generals, although one suspects that sinister court influences may account for as many rccalfc as military incompetence. The disgrace of the Grand Duke has never been explained, but there is no need to look far for the causes that led to the downfall of Ronnenkampf and Sievers. Dmitrieff and BrusilofT have disappeared, and now we learn that Rusky has been recalled, although with many flowery compliments. The German high commanders have been hardly more fortunate. Von Moltke had a great reputation, but it did not save him. Auffenberg and Dnnkl, of the Austrian army, failed utterly and perhaps discreditably. Von Hansen lost his spurs at the battle of the Marne, and the Emperor is supposed to have said that he would do well to shoot himself. Von Deimling came to grief in Alsace, and von Kluck is said to be recovering slowly from a wound, although the wound may be his reputation, in which ease it is incurable. Von Kluck may be said to have personified the whole flcrman army, during the advance on Paris, and it is hard for the outsider to see wherein he failed in doing everything that could be done by military audacity and skill.

[Smith-Dorrien has since relinquished the Knst African command owing to illhealth.] The British Army is relatively so small that casualties of this kind are naturally less numerous. Smith-Dorrien won laurels for himself during the retreat from Mons, but he seems to have fallen into disfavor soon after and to have returned to England. He has now been appointed to East Africa on unimportant duties. Lan Hamilton was recalled from the Dardanelles possibly because he could not do impossible things, and now Sir John French goes home,

Xot very much is known of Sir DougIns Haig, who takes the place of sir John French. He lias been fightingsince the beginning of the war, and he has a reputation for energy and efficiency. Tt is probably true that great Ir.clical skill is not now so important us it. was at the beginning of the war. when armies were mobile and played the great game in the open field. 'Trench warfare means mainly munitions, and men enough to make good the losses, although at any moment the gladiators may struggle out into the light of dav from their warrens and fox-holes and determine the issues iu the more oldfashioned wavs.

The one man who remains indisputably great as a soldier is JolTre. if we exclude emperors, archdukes and princes, whose mistakes are shouldered by others and who are never recalled whatever happens.