FRANCE AND ANZAC

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 85, 10 April 1916, Page 3

FRANCE AND ANZAC

! GENEROUS APPRECIATION

LANDING THOUGHT IM-

POSSIBLE.

| j'IUBG'TES FROM GEXEKALS

In tin; French generals you meet simple dignified men. of science, with

Uk> gift of expression characteristic of their race, writes Mr H. S. Gullett, ofiicial Australian coi'i-espon-dent at the French front. Their profession is their passion. They do not pose as great strategists and leaders, but aspire- to be masters of precise and detailed calculation. •'Tho .leaders in this war," on© of them toid me, "i.i the scivants of the machine." The machii^j is everything. The man cannot advance before the machine has prepared the way; if ho travels beyond its protection, and comes within range of the machine of the enemy, he is destroyed.1 "We have invented our masters, and they dictate aJI our. actions." Tiie successful general of to-day i.-" hod the old-time strategist who works surprises upon the enemy, but the man who, knowing tha.fc the enemy is in possession of all his plans, can still.by penetrating insight and infinite energy, make those plans so perfect thas their execution is irresistible. And so it is not difficult to understand why the French leaders, with their genius for lucid, exact thinking, have by common consent como to be regarded as the greatest generals engaged in any part of the war. To the French general a military career, even in time .of pnace, is not a mere pleasant occupation suitable for a gentleman, .'uxl giving plenty of oppoitunity for manly spirts and- social pleasures. It is the greatest, tho most serious anci the most hardworking of all the professions. They never cease- to be .si".lldeiits, nnd this is shown by tho fact that not only <.!kl they stop the German invasion, although h.uulicapped by not knowing where the enemy would strike and opposing him with :i force in miirfber of -at most 0,710 to two, but they have -oxoe'lled in\ the assimilation and application of the lessons of the

cuiiiijiaign

S.{GNI F [CANT BOLDNESS

To the, visitor they display a surprising degree of frankness about their position and. plans. Indeed, France is i\cvw jn a position &o cioinfortable in her conduct of the war that she is 'beginning to let even pcima.nv into her secrets. llecently a party of neutrais Avero shown along 'tho \ French lines, and before they started the.French Government wei'e advised tha,t the visitors included'two German agents. These men to nevertheless t-uken and shown, a great deal. The information was correct, for the two suspects went immediately to Germany, and despite their pledge wrcto a "number of articles were -not submitted to tho French censoiv They lictl meanly a.boui the treatment given to German prisoners, but otherwise; .their' articles contained jitile which was calculated to cheer Germany, while France had tiie satisfaction .;f knowing that much they told to the German authorities would not be lively to cheer ihy. Kaiser and his Ministers. The incident is of importance, because it supplied i -...XTer^an.y;,;v^tJx,.,^n^^^.ti9n l . she could not challenge", and whicri was volunteered by the French., without misgiving. • *

STORY KNOWN IN DETAIL

Despite the magnitude of • their task here in France, these generals lia-ve found time to. study olosely tho ■campaign in other fields. They know the Gallipoli story hi detail, find what they knew and what they said about our mon Mould have made glad the heart of any Australian. Our troops have had almost n, surfeit of praise from the people of .many countries, but perhaps a tribute from a nation of such military renown and chivalrous fighting as France is to be most 'highly praised of all. Our visit was pwid to the' fifth :u"my, and we met- General FrcncJiet O'Esperry, the commander, and four <.vther generals comniandin'g' corps a)id divisions. General d'Esperry is one of the heroes of the■>war' and piiayed a great part ?n th^ fighting befoi-© nnd during the baittle of the M'srnej and afterwards. AYe wore a jr-irty of six* made up of two Italian journalists, two Americans, cue Swede, and myself. The introduction to generals on those occasions is 'usually a somewhat formal affair—a smile find cordial handshake;, some compliments, perhaps, about tho activities of one's oount'.y in the \var, and an invitation to lunch or tea. But in i^very instance on this trip the v.,->ua'l procelure was broken by reference to Australia. As ; the officer introducing us mentioned the word, the general's face would lighi np, and he would - wring my hand with a spontifiieons burst of enthusia.sm, and break into a glowing tribute to the Australians... These distingiiished Frenchmen exhausted r.ho adjectives \vhich describe gre.it fightinjj: qualities. Geniiral Marjoulet doclireil /thera to be "very solid lighters.' denoral Casaing said that it was doubtful if any troops not possessing rln» peculiarly dashing nnd ilnconvojitional qualities of the .Australians cou'd have accomplished the l&ndiug at Anzac general do Fondclar said with fuu> courtesy, aftci" extolling their achievements, that "the glorious manner in which the Australians had come to the assistenco of France :n the war would pver bn. one of the? most precious memorios of his vhole lifo."' General Julicn introducKl a tversonnl note by wddng particularly after General Bridges.

. UNSTINTED ADMIRATION. It Avn.% p.o surprise that distin guished Fiennh officers should refer in complimentary terms 1o t.ho Australians, but it -.vas remarkable that these Fionch leaders should have l-eeii so intimately acquainted their worJi i)t Gallipoli, and that they .sJumlcl f-penk of it ni such boundless loj'ms o? praiso. Tho rofer-jneos from' th.'io to "cimo in Hi? Froueh pirps hn<\ cevtainly oc.mi jronpimis, hut npvor o:cco.ptnuv;..\ ;is \on might expect '.vlie-u .Fi<i,ne<> has millions; of ivpu cn^aired at ih» .stuno titv.o. Tlu> position was <-lenrocl up for mo l>v a ntaff officer. "It is no mnttor of .'iKtonishi...ent to mo," he said, "that nnr geiiovals should iako the opportunity of expressing thoir feelings about what to them las been duite o'ie of the most. vemnrl«iblo •lehievpnien'i:.-. in military aTinhls Our staffs eousideicd tho•. ■ GaJlipoli position ■closoly, and they .lid not believe' ■!» landing possible?. "When they learr.ed that it had bet-n nin<lp and -Hiat the., Austr,iliai!s and NfM\- Zealander.s batl done it -^o decisively by mk'Ti a. maiz-. nif"M?nt exhibition of <-.liopr hei'fism p."d rm,M*v<o imn fvlitin;-,. their udiiiirntioji was uastiiiicd.''