On March 21, 1918, when the Germans were making their final effort before being confronted by the American troops, the French Government was on the verge of quitting Paris, writes a "New York 'Times' correspondent, This revelation is made by Ra; mond Recoully in his book, "Foch's Battle," published last month. Re-coully, who as Colone) was attached to French General Headquarters, gives an interesting picture of. how grave the situation was on the' eve of the nomination of Foch as the Allied Generalissimo, "The day of Sunday, March 23, particularly difficult."
ites. "Would the troops of General Humbert, thrown into battle, succeed in holding the Germans? Nothing, alas! appeared less certain.
"Clemenceau, who with indefatigable zeal shuttled' between the battlefield and headquarters, returned at nightfall from Com-piégne very unfavourably impressed With the bad reports which all day long had reached him. He went to call on Poincaré. He told the President that the situation was extremely critical and that if it did not quickly get better the Government ought to prepare to quit the capital.
"Poincaré replied that he bad already left Paris once, in 1914, and that he refused to leave a second time.
"Think it over,' replied Clemencoan. You can leave next to the last, and as for myself, I will lea last—in an aeroplane, if necessary The President of the republic dined in the intimacy of the Elysee. At 11 o'clock Clemenceau teiephoned ""T ask you.' he said. to think ver what I told you and to pre-re for the decision which events y soon make necessary."
"Poincaré answered, 'I ask you to think over what I told you, mind is not changed.'
Recoully tells how next morning Poincaré and Clemenceau went to Compidgne, where, with Lord Milner, they planned the meeting next day of Doullens, at which was decided the unity of command under Foch.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.