plans in his genius.

"What have we to do here?" he asked himself.

Then, "in the twinkling of an eye," says one military historian,
"General Foch found the solution to the defense problem wherewith he
was so suddenly confronted when his offensive failed of support."

XIII

THE BATTLE OF LORRAINE

What is known as the battle of Lorraine began at the declaration of war
and lasted till August 26--though the major part of it was fought in
the last six of those days.

I shall not go into details about it here, except to recall that it was
in this fighting that General Castelnau lost his oldest son, stricken
almost at the father's side.

A German military telegram intercepted on August 27 said:

"On no account make known to our armies of the west [that is to say,
the right wing, in Belgium] the checks sustained by our armies of the
east [the left wing, in Lorraine]."

So much depended on those plans which Castelnau and Dubail and
Foch--and very particularly Foch!--had frustrated.

Joffre realized what had been achieved. And on August 27 he issued the
following "order of the day":

"The First and Second armies are at this moment giving an example of
tenacity and of courage which the commander-in-chief is happy to bring
to the knowledge of the troops under his orders.

"These two armies undertook a general offensive and met with brilliant
success, until they hurled themselves at a barrier fortified and
defended by very superior forces.

"After a retreat in perfect order, the two armies resumed the offensive
and, combining their efforts, retook a great part of the territory they
had given up.

"The enemy bent before them and his recoil enabled us to establish
undeniably the very serious losses he had suffered.

"These armies have fought for fourteen days without a moment's respite,
and with an unshakable confidence in victory as the reward of their
tenacity.

"The general-in-chief knows that the other armies will be moved to
follow the example of the First and Second armies."

Now, where were those other armies? And what were they doing?

France had then eight armies in the field, and was soon to have a
ninth--commanded by General Foch.

There was the First army, under General Dubail; the Second, under
General Castelnau; the Third, under General Sarrail; the Fourth, under
General Langle de Cary; the Fifth, under General Franchet d'Esperey;
the Sixth, under General Manoury; the Seventh and Eighth