The Southland Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1939. The Allied Army Leaders

Southland Times, Issue 23922, 14 September 1939, Page 4

The Southland Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1939. The Allied Army Leaders

00 many military reputations were shattered in the last war that there has been a tendency among English experts to approach the problems of leadership with more than a hint of pessimism. The spring cleaning at the War Office carried out by Mr Hore-Belisha towards the end of 1937, however, did much to restore confidence. For nearly 20 years advancement to the higher Army posts had depended on seniority, so that younger men with excellent qualifications were denied their opportunities, and a noticeable rigidity of method crept into the direction of military affairs. Under the new system promotion is governed to a far greater extent by merit, and a fortunate beginning was made with the appointment of Viscount Gort, a soldier with a distinguished record, as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. On the outbreak of war it was reported that Viscount Gort would be Commander-in-Chief of the Field Forces, and that Sir Edmund Ironside would replace him as Chief of the General Staff. There can be little doubt that this arrangement was in conformity with Viscount Gort’s own preference for active service. He has already conferred many times with General Gamelin, the French commanding officer, and it is believed that the two leaders are in complete agreement on the questions of tactics for a campaign on the Western Front. Full Co-operation

In France it has not been necessary to carry out any recent reorganization of the higher military staff. General Gamelin, who is 66 years of age, became Chief of the General Staff as far back as 1931. He is now the first Chief of the General Staff of National Defence, a post which gives him the supervision of the forces on land, at sea and in the air, and entrusts him with a military authority greater than that of any other Frenchman since Napoleon. During the Great War he proved himself a master tactician, and in later years he has won the respect of politicians (no easy task in France) and the devotion of the Army. Another distinguished soldier, General Georges, is second in command, and may now be in charge of field operations while General Gamelin supervises the co-ordination of all the armed forces. It will not be forgotten, of course, that there were severe disappointments in ■ leadership during the last war. But the first great campaign of the machine age upset many of the theories of warfare and introduced difficulties and strains which caused bewilderment among staff officers and led to heavy losses and costly mistakes on both sides. That the lessons of 1914-18 have not been forgotten seems to have been made clear already in the somewhat meagre reports from the Western Front. There have been no expensive frontal attacks, but a steady and scientific approach, accompanied by complex operations that appear to have been carried out with great skill and comparatively few casualties. Unfortunately war of any kind requires the sacrifice of human lives, and if a major offensive develops the casualty lists will be longer. There is good reason to believe, however, that this time there will be a maximum cooperation between the British and French leaders and a minimum reliance on reckless experiment. It is possible to believe that the right men have been given the responsibilities of leadership.