THE FRENCH COMMAND.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 10

THE FRENCH COMMAND.

GENERAL NIVELLE SUPER-

SEDED.

APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL

PETAIN.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

Paris, May. 15.

A sensation has been caused by the' Council of Ministers appointing General Petain to be the new commander in Chief of the Northern and NorthEastern Armies, and General :Foch as Chief of Staff. General JSTlvelle will command an army group. General Petain was the Irero of the defence of Verdun, in which General "Nivelle was-his right-hand man. -When General Petain left Verdun to command the Central group of armies he was succeeded bjr Nivelle, who conducted the counter-offensive at Verdun. When General-JofTre retired from the i supremo command at the end of last year it was generally expected that his successor would be General Petain. Indeed, it was reported that that..arrangement had been decided upon. The teorganisat'ion of the_ high command by which the Generalissimo was made subservient to the "War Ministry, was not, however, to General Petain's liking and the appointment consequently fell to