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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



an ideal is necessarily finer than one 

 founded on a person. The German goes 

 to battle with the Kaiser's sparkling fig- 

 ure in the back of his mind, while the 

 Frenchman fights for all that is connoted 

 in the one word — France. 



Frankly, the German honors, reveres, 



' sanctifies war ; the Frenchman hates, de- 

 spises, abhors war. I have seen the sol- 

 diers of both nations in battle. I have 

 studied them and talked with them after 

 battle. I have watched for some uncon- 

 scious expression that would give the 



'. clue to the real feelings of the French 

 and German soldier, and when some 

 phrase of the lips or flare of the eye 

 marked the true state of the inward soul, 

 I have noted it. 



In countless ways the German shows 

 it is the Kaiser he fights for ; that domi- 

 nant, disdainful figure symbolizes the 

 Teutonic system, inspiring the German 

 race to the ultimate sacrifice in the effort 

 to spread that system over the face of 

 the earth. 



Never has the French soldier given any 

 indication other than that he fights for 

 his country, his cities, his farms, his 

 homes. Never does he give way to the 

 lust of battle for battle's sake. He sees 

 in this war an evil, a scourge laying waste 

 his beloved country, and he conceives it 

 to be his duty to his forefathers, himself, 

 and his children to rid the earth of this 

 plague. The cultivated Frenchman will 

 take pains to explain to you how illogical, 

 unintelligent, uncivilized is war ; yet you 

 will see this same cultivated Frenchman 

 wearing the uniform of his motherland 

 racing like a fighting fury to the muzzles 

 of the machine-guns. 



THE TRUE HERO OF WAR 



"Will not the man who recognizes the 

 brutal side of war, still does not hesitate 

 to pay its penalty, merit more the title of 

 hero than he who fights to gratify am- 

 bition ? 



The paradox of the French way of 

 thinking about war and acting in war is 

 carried out in the organization of the 

 army. The wide, unbridgable chasm of 

 caste which exists between the officer and 

 the private in the German company is but 

 the step of necessity in French battalions. 



French soldiers recognize the need for 

 discipline, of the value of team-work, and 

 the urgency of obeying in battle, as the 

 very foundation of their worth as citizen 

 soldiers. They know also that they of 

 their own volition have created the au- 

 thority behind the officer, and for this 

 reason there can be nothing degrading in 

 the surrender of personal privilege in the 

 " crisis of war. 



Discipline is not maintained through 

 fear, but by public opinion. Each private 

 soldier recognizes that his individual 

 efficiency and effectiveness, and conse- 

 quently the efficiency and effectiveness of 

 the whole French army, is based on his 

 prompt and intelligent obedience of or- 

 ders delivered by military superiors. 



He knows that his officers are trained 

 specialists in war, and he puts himself 

 freely in their hands, so that the nation's 

 will in war may be accomplished. He 

 understands the successive limitations of 

 military authority — the private to the ser- 

 geant, the sergeant to the lieutenant, the 

 lieutenant to the captain, the captain to 

 the major, and so on through grade after 

 grade, up to General Nivelle, who in turn 

 is responsible to France. With this con- 

 ception of his duty, the most difficult part 

 of military instruction is readily instilled 

 into the French recruit. 



HIGH STANDARDS OP PERFORMANCE 



Thoroughly to appreciate the relations 

 of officer to soldier in the French army, 

 they must be seen together in the trenches. 

 The captain watches over his men like a 

 father, lie shows a sympathetic under- 

 standing of their difficulties, while de- 

 manding in the common cause a rigor- 

 ous adherence to their duties. The officer 

 sets the highest standard of performance 

 for himself and exacts the best each of 

 his men can do. 



But the soldier knows he can go to his 

 officer with his private troubles and re- 

 ceive helpful advice. He knows he will 

 never meet with intentional injustice. 

 And what gives him supreme confidence 

 is the knowledge that he will be led with 

 intelligence and skill. 



The French officer is constantly alert 

 to take advantage of the enemy and safe- 

 guard his own men. The greatest crime 



