tin Artistic City Advertisemen rox Cox Own Paris, June 16.
Paris has had a procession of new and special kind. It was} organized for the ostensible purpose of proving to the world that Paris) can do these things better than any other place—better than Nice ard especially better than the Shrove-Tuesday processions} Paris itself, which generally have too strong a flavour of the circus. This week's affair was planned and carried out by Gémier, the celebrated uctor-manager, and not by any mere local committee. In this way, no chances were taken, from the artistic point of view, and the result was highly] tuecessful. We do not, of course, know how it turned out from the financial point of view. "A good deal of the money was raised in subseriptions from the big business houses, Danks and tradesmen in the central Gistricts, who might be expected to Denefit by the extra number of people attracted to the city, and the balance will come out of some municipal] und, for the veal object in view was publicity, Cities and towns which depend to any extent on tourist traffic are compelled, in these days of Keen competition, to keep themselves before the public, and even Paris is no exception to the rule, Nobody who watched the process sion go by could have been disappoint ted, "It was rather late in starting] from the Porte Dauphine, but the thousands who lined the route along] the Avenue clu Bois de Boulogne, the Champs Elysees and the main boule-Yards to the Hotel de Ville were well Fepnid for their patience. As the money surplus, if any, was to be Mevoted to children's charities, it was a happy idea to give the first place in the procession to two of the I-known figures of children drawn by Poulbot—the small boy who plays at being a soldier an the little girl of whom thousands of examples can seen any day in the poorer "quarters of the city. They walked] under a banner on which were inscribed the keywords:-—"C'est pour] row", Then came a white knight on u richly-caparisoned steed, attended by his gentlemen, also mounted and gaily attired. He was. the Knight of Spring. Prom the days of chivalry the procession now passed into the eighteenth century, a beautiful coach, drawn by greys, With outriders, bearing Parisette, Queen of the City. Her guard of Honour was supplied by the Dragons! de Villars, who surely never looked to better advantage on the stage.
Mistory and Art Mending of history with artistic conceptions. continua, but, before we were brought within view fou own tines We say the eld stage, conch, filled with passengers Ju the costumes of the bostnning century. Ax the vehicle: passed the Porte Saint-Denis, one could not help alaricing at the remaining otd bull Jugs close by, remembering. that. was from sich coach Thackeray] revived his. frst impressions Next "came a. sort of fenne Dolly Vardon and her sweetheart, and a group of gviettes, zany of them wearing crinolines and Hiding' on donkeys; the "rst motor far"; the ald. Pantheon-Courceles Hotseatrawn omnibus (which used to standing joke, on account. {ts Temarkable slowness) with pose fengtrs in the garb of 89 years ago; ud then types of other early. motor. ars, leading gradually up to the present-day. "A luxurious ear, in which riodernity Was represented. by a eautifal" young woman smoking ehgarettes, completed the contrast time,. In this part of the parade, the Marne taxicab also was given a place, Among the decorated ears sym bolising presentalay life were some representing, well-known French sorts, On the Deauville ear. were three race houses at fall gallop, but curse there was no allusion to, the Staple industry of, Denvville, ba carat, for that would have been too pointed and quite wat of place in a Jrblicity' scheme. Lo Tougvet was itomised. by" designs. illustrate ind tennis, and Cannes. by ing-boat anda motor-boat. It would be difficult to say which of!
'A Defence of Joffre: Marshal]
Writing His Memoirs: Stage as Moral Instructor these cars was the most effective. but one could read the intelligent purpose of the artist in their composition and realize that M. Gemier fand his eolleague¥ had given Paris something better than any previous cavalcade, Other outstanding features were cars representing the-latros; a tri-colour scheme formed by men divided into three groups] jwenting, respectively, blue, "white fand red} and a group of Bas-
Jque boys and girls in their native Jollre's Critics Is Marshal Joffre entitled to all the credit for winning the Battle of the Marne, or did he simply take! advantage of the enemy's mistakes?) 'The question has been discussed by critics in' all countries and from many points of view. Mr. Winston Churchill, for one, with complete dis-j regard for his offcidl position, has} condemned Marihal Joffre for wast. ing his forces and for other alleged mistakes. The latest contribution to the debate has been made by Major Desmazes, who, as a former professor at St. Cyr and the Ecole] de Guerre, is no mean authority. In a lecture delivered at the Sorbonme, before an audience consisting principally of reserve officers, Major) Desmazes discussed the strategy of the first two months of the war on the western front and, basing his] opinion on already known facts and} on hitherto unpublished despatches, came to the conclusion that the vietory of the Marne was not a lucky improvisation but the result of a plan carried to its logical conclusion with flexible tenacity. In his instructions of August 25, Joffre foreshadowed a line of battle extending from Verdun to Amiens, with an army] held in reserve, neat Amiens, for the] Purpose of turning the right flank] of the advancing enemy. The same dea showed itself in his instructions] of September 1, nnd on the Sth the the French line between Verdun, Joffre cast off his apparent indecision and struck his.blow.
Major Desmazes Inid stress on the difference between the French and] been undertaken by Von Moltke, to whose incapacity the German defeat, in Major Desmazes' opinion, was entirely due, Joffre, on the contrary, kept constant control of his armies. He was thoroughly well informed about the troops and expecly their generals. He never hesitated to got rid of any commander} Who lacked energy or showed absent Tee of confidence the ultimate] result of the operations. He realized the enormous influence of personality in the leadership of troops.
Marshal Joffre himself always stumed from any discussion of his part in the war. When M. Andre Lefevre was War Minister, he asked Joffre if he really won the battle of, the Marne. The reply was:—<I don't know whether I won the battle, Dut I am quite certain that, if I had lost it, no one would have come forward to dispute my responsibility! for it" This remark is typical of] the man. "He has no use for more words. If, as is rumoured, he is} writing his memoirs, his motive is} Academ to which he!
doubt to do honour to the
belongs, and it is fairly safe to assume that his memoirs will not see the light of day until long after he has passed away and the events of 1914 have become something like! ancient history.
Activity in Theatre World Paris, June 23.
Another grande semaine has Jopened amid the usual animation and more than customary activity in the theatre world. The annual struggle at Longchamp between three-year-olds always coincides with the struggle at the Conservatoire between the dramatic and musical cracks, is year, the dramatic-musical tion is intensified by-an International Festival organized by M. Firmin Gemier at the Champs Elysees triple theatre; a Theatrical Congress which, to judge from its
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.