FRENCH WAR SECRET

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 May 1935, Page 11

FRENCH WAR SECRET

GREAT MUTINY OF 1917.

PARIS, April 16. One of the desperately guarded secrets of the Great War ik out.

For eighteen years the French High Command have kept silent about the great mutiny which broke out in 1917, paralysing the French armies and imposing on British troops practically the whole burden of the war on the Western front. From time to time stories of the mutiny have been told; but hitherto nothing has emerged in the way of official declaration. To-day the extent of the French mutiny has leaked out as a result of a statement by Marshal Petain to the Academy Of Moral. and Political Sciences.

He demanded that the public should bo excluded from the meeting while he made it. Journalists hurried to the Academy, but they were not allowed to attend the meeting. From what has leaked out; however, it appears that 54 divisions at the front and behind the lines mutinied and began to march on Paris. Marshal Petain told his hearers of the causes which led to the mutinies. He related how the morale of brave men was sapped by the shortage o" food, due to mismanagement or misappropriation behind the lines, and of attacks which were manifestly hopeless but which had to be carried out because some “brass-hat” far iu the rear had ordered them. To recover a trench which had no tactical value a lieutenant and 100 men were ordered to go “over the top” in broad daylight against machine-guns. They were all killed. Another party of men were sent out, and they, too, were all killed. Attacks were staged without adequate artillery preparation, and consequently failed. After thus criticising the commanders who preceded him Marshal I'etain told of tho measures he took

when the Government appointed him to restore order. The men were properly ted and were made at last to I ilieve that their lives were regarded us having some value by the men who gave the outers.