THE D'ARTAGNAN OF THE WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11892, 29 December 1916, Page 7

THE D'ARTAGNAN OF THE WAR.

4, AMERICAN" PICTURE OF GENERAL FOCH. The " New York Tribune" publishes a pen picture of General Foch, written, by Fred P. Pitney, its Paris correspondeat. Mr Pitney begins by quoting a prominent, " personality " in Paris for the following appreciation of the great leader of the French armies on tho So mine:—

'' General Foch is tho great general tho war' has produced in France. He has intuition and tho power of divination. Ho is great in his instant grasp of a situation, his perception of the needs, his vision oi the next hour. General Joffre is his warmest admirer."

Describing tho general's personal appearance, Mr Pitney say.s:—"He is not tall, five feet six inches in height, but you do not see that till afterwards. What you see first is his eye. He has a large, well-shaped head, rather thin iron grey hair, and a broad, high forehead. His grey eyes, set wide apart, bore through you and burn you up and smile on you, all at the same time. His nose is large, his moutji; wide and straight, and his fiercely benevolent iron grey moustache first comes down over the corners of his mouth and then points straight! up at his eye. His chin is massive from any point of view. "In*a short survey of the war situation General Foch said:— 1 The battles in Artois and the Champagne have shown that we can cut the German lines, go through them and drive them back as we please when the time comes that our plans have fixed.' There was a matter-of-fact definiteness about this statement that put it outside the realm of discussion, and when I recall this meeting with General Foch the picture my mind most dwells upon is of him at that moment. He stood facing us in his most characteristic attitude, with his right foot a little in advance, his left hand in his pocket and his right hand dragging upward the point of his grey moustache, and there was in his expression a mixture of pleased recollection, happy anticipation and grim determination. " One must think of D'Artagnan when one thinks of General Foch ; but one thinks also of Grant in the Wilderness. There is something in him that is steadfast and something more that is relentless.

Mr Pitney concludes his sketch by quoting the Order of the Day m which the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour was conferred upon General Foch, and which said '• He has shown all circumstances, both in defensive and offensive operations, a strategic ability _ without parallel. Thanks to his indisputable authority and the adroitness of his counsels, he has contributed in a great part to the co-ordination of the efforts of tho Allied armies, andthus has rendered most eminent, service to the nation."