MARSHAL LYAUTEY

Evening Star, Issue 21784, 28 July 1934, Page 13

MARSHAL LYAUTEY

DEATH ANNOUNCED GREAT COLONIAL ADMINISTRATOR Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, July 27. (Received July 28, at 10.30 a.m.) The death is announced of Marshal Lyautey. SOLDIER AND EMPIRE BUILDER Marshal Lyautey, who was born at Nancy in 1854, saw much service with the French army. He was made Resident Commissary-General in Morocco in 1912. In 1916 he returned to France and became Minister of War, but in 1917 he went back to Morocco as Com-missary-General. ACHIEVEMENTS HOT ALWAYS APPRECIATED Lyautey began his career -as a 1 soldier. In 1894 he was appointed to Touking, Indo-China. , He then " held the position of commandant. He found himself under Colonel Gallieni, to whom military success was, nothing “unless combined with a.simultaneous

work of organisation—roads,; telegraphs, markets, crops—so that with the pacification there flowed forward, like a pool of oil, a great belt of civilisation.” This idea suited Lyautey, ana it remained with .-him always. Gallieui knew, when to ignore the “ mandarins ” at home. “ You’ll learn your job bn the spot,” he said to the newcomer, “by handling men and matters.” This, too, suited Lyautey, who was bom with a passion, for power (wrote the London correspondent of the ‘New Zealand Magazine,’). After a few years Lyautey followed Gallieni to Madagascar. By this. time he had taken as his motto Shelley’s line, “The soul’s joy lies in doing,” and ho revelled in his work. After seven years abroad he wrote; an article on.' The Colonial Role of therAmiy,’ in which he declared: ‘‘Military, occupation consists not so much .of, military operations as of an organisation bn the march ” —an organisation to establish roads, trade, civilisation. In spite of his experience he was returned to France as a colonel of Hussars, untij a crisis in,Algeria and his friendship with the Governor-General of that country threw him into an important military command in North Africa. He chafed at obstacles set by Paris, and learned how to circumvent “ orders ” he had no intention of carrying out. His polonising methods were, in the words of Andre Maurois, “To investigate the internal politics of the country, to handle each tribe, according to its own temper, to depend upon the most intelligent of the chieftains, to win over territory from the tribes successively without fighting—the ‘ spreading stain of oil ’ —to acquaint the peoples with the blessings of peace.” Lyautey was very successful, but by 1910 he was again in France in command of an array corps. Then came a serious outbreak in Morocco, and Lyautey was appointed Resident-General there. Thus he began the greatest work of his life—the conquest and pacification of Morocco, the steady extension of French influence and control, and the building of harbours, roads, towns, and industries. During this time he was a demon of energy and his personal influence radiated everywhere throughout his domain. “ From. 1913 to 1925 Lyautey was to be as omnipotent in his African Empire as'any human being can he.” Daring the Great War the country was emptied of its native troops and held by a dummy force —“ the shell of-a lobster without the meat,” he described the situation. Lyautcy’s # achievements made a strong impressing on certain elements in France, but it is-evident from Maurois’s book on his life .that there was a lack of sympathy between the French and the job of Empire building. They are incurably parochial. When Lyautey finally left Morocco he was given a great send-off at_ Casabanea (the port of Morocco), his ship was escorted through the Strait of Gibraltar by British destroyers,, but, on landing at Marseilles no notice was taken of him. A belated honour was his appointment to the position of Com-missioner-General of- the great FrenchColonial. Exposition held in Paris last year. ■ ..