In conclusion we may say that France fights for two reasons. The first
reason is because on the third of August at a quarter before seven
o'clock war was declared on her; she was forced to fight; her
territory was invaded, her cities burned to the ground; her fields
ravaged; her citizens massacred. The second reason is because she does
not want to have to fight in the future; she does not wish this horror
to be reproduced a second time; she wishes, in the immortal words of
Washington, "that plague of mankind, war, banished off the earth."
To accomplish this the engine that makes war must be destroyed. The
engine that makes war is "made in Germany." War is the national
industry of the Germans, it has been developed and made perfect in
Germany, it is dear to all German hearts. They are proud of it and
have faith in its power. The machine must not only be stopped; it must
be broken and destroyed, thrown out as scrap iron to prevent the
pieces from being reassembled, readjusted and put in running order
once again.
That is why France is fighting, why the whole world ought to fight to
the end, to death or until victory crowns its efforts.
II
HOW FRANCE IS FIGHTING
Two words, courage and tenacity, will serve the future historian in
his description of how France fought, when the time shall have come
for telling the entire story of the world war.
No one has ever doubted French courage throughout all the centuries of
her tormented history; but skeptical remarks have been made in times
past of the tenacity of the French people.
Ten epigrams do not describe this war; nor do three. But one alone
serves this purpose--know how to endure. No more thoughtful words have
ever been spoken than those of the Japanese, Marshall Nogi: "Victory
is won by the nation that can suffer a quarter of an hour longer than
its opponent."
During the four years of war, France has proven that she knew how to
suffer and was able to suffer a quarter of an hour longer than her
enemies.
They knew how to suffer, those soldiers of General Maunoury's army in
the Battle of the Marne. And they turned the tide of battle in favor
of French arms. They marched, fought and died for five days and five
nights, in the passing of which some battalions marched forty-two
kilometers and did not sleep for more than two hours at a time. The
mobility of the fighting units was such that the commissary department
was absolutely unable to supply them with rations. For three days many
of them had no bread, no meat, nothing at all! They subsisted on
crusts they had with them, or on the food they were able, by the
fortunes of battle, to pick up in the villages where they happened to
be. In spite of all this, whenever the order was given to charge, they
charged the enemy with a sort of inspired madness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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