GRAVELY ILL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 13, 29 December 1930, Page 5

GRAVELY ILL

JOFFRE’S LAST DAYS SPECIALISTS' GRAVE REPORT. GANGRENE AFTER SERIOUS OPERATION. [United Press Association—By CableCopyright.) Paris, December 27. Marshal Joffre’s right Ipg has been amputated. France was shocked to learn that the condition of Joffre is desperate, with death only a matter of days. He forbade until now the disclosure that he was suffering from arteritis in the legs. The operation effected a temporary improvement. Five specialists state that gangrene supervened. Cesaire Joseph Jacques Joffre was born on January 12th, 1852, at Rivesaltes, E- Pyrenees, where his father had a small wine business. He entered th© Polytechnic School in 1869, fought as sub-lieutenant of engineers in the Franco-Prussian War, took part in the Bonnier expedition tp Timbuktu in 1894, and served under Gallieni in his Madagascar operations 1896-99. In 1911 Joffre was appointed generalissimo of the French armies in thp event of war, after the removal of Michel, who opposed the plan of a general offensive by the French armies and the system of deployment actually adopted in the war. He had previously been in charge of the, French communications, and was not known as a strategst. He was warned from many quarters in August, 1914, of the danger of a wide German flank movement through Belgium, but took no effective steps to meet it, and was responsible for the violent and disconnected attacks made by th© french armies o’ n the opening of th© war, and for the retreat which exposed the North of France to German occupation.

The credit of the first battle of the Marne (September, 1914) he shares with Gallieni, who commanded at Paris. In it he showed extraordinary coolness and generalship of a remarkable order, though his task was facilitated by rhe fact that the German wireless signals were read by him. This victory gave him singular prestige, hut in the trench war which followed his unsuccesful operations were accompanied by heavy losses. ' His offensive at Arras in the spring’of 1915 and in Champagne in the autumn failed. His “nibbling” at th© German front involved heavier losses to the Allies than to the Germans, and while his reputation with his troops did not suffer, the French Ministry became dissatisfied, though in December, 1915. he was given command of all the French armies, including the force then at Salonica. lie was accused of inertia, and there were complaints from the front that the defences at Verdun were in had order. He contradicted this, but the dissatisfaction increased when th© Gorman attack nearly succeeded in February-March, 1916. But in tho moment of extreme danger he showed all his calm and tenacity. He directed the measures which saved Verdun with consummate skill and unflinching determination. He declined to open a counteroffensive prematurely on the Somme, and retained complete control of himself through hours of terrible anxiety. With Sir Douglas Haig he maintained the closest relations, and the battle of the Somme was planned by them in common. Its limited results deepened the discontent of the French Government. In December, 1916, that Government decided that Nivelle should take over the command in the field, and that Joffre should retire and b© promoted Marshal of France. With that decision ended his period of active service, hut in 1917, with the French mission, he went to the United States of America when that country entered tho war.