UNITY OF COMMAND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 301, 22 November 1918, Page 3

UNITY OF COMMAND.

HOW IT CAME ABOUT. The Paris “Gaulois” recently related how unity of command was decided on on 24th March, the day when General von Hutier overwhelmed a British army before Ham It says: A conference was being held at St. Doullens between President Poincare. Lord Milner, M. Clemenceau, Field-Marshal Haig. Generals Foch and Petain. While they were discussing the urgent necessity of immediately sending French reserves to stop the breach, the question of unity of command was broached. Marshal Foch strongly supported the idea, and with, eloquent gestures, and in a voice vibrating with emotion he depicted the gravity of the situation. He pointed out the steps which ought to be taken immediately, and showed that one brain alone should conceive and command all the movements of a defensive battle, while awaiting the moment- when it would be able to direct the movements of a great offensive battle. M. Clemenceau made use of all Marshal Foch’s arguments in a striking summary, showing how the safety of the army and the safety of the sacred cause was at stake, compromised as it had been by the former method, which had woved useless. Lord Milner. Sir Douglas Haig, and General. Petain showed a most patriotic spirit of self-sacrifice. England agreed to leave us the dirction of her magnificent armies and Haig undertook to obey the ideas and carry out the orders of a French general, while General Petain, who had only been Comman-der-in-Chief a short time, agreed to collaborate with the general . who had previously served under him. It would be impossible to praise too highly’ all. three for having subordinated their personal interests to Up higher interests of the Allies. Then took place the historic walk of the persons referred to by President Poincare on the occasion when Foch was presented with a Marshal’s baton. At a certain moment Poch. Petain. and Haig stonned. Fnchtraced on a- table the line of the front, and exnlained how he would check the invader’s advance. “Yes.” he said, “we shall be victorious before Amiens, and if necessary behind Amiens. We shall he victorious before Soissons. and if necessary behind Rci'tnn'. We shall he victorious before Par’s, and if necessary behind Paris. We shah ho victorious before Bourges, and if necessary behind Bourges: hut what Tam absolutely sure of is that we shall be victorious.”