"Memoire"

Good "Papa" Joffre, victor at the Marne, Marshal of France, sat down last week with twelve of the 39 other "Immortals" of the French Academy to give the advice of an old soldier upon what new words should be included in the French language and how the definitions of old ones might be clarified. Beside Joseph Jacques Joffre sat that other great Marshal and "Immortal" Ferdinand Foch. Men of the sword, they were silent while the scholarly academicians debated the rules of pencraft. . . .

At last the Secretary of the Academy, M. Robert Regnier, placed the definition of memoire before the assembly. Said M. Louis Barthou, Minister of Justice, famed historian (TIME, Dec. 27) : "Human beings alone keep the memory of passing events; thus the word memoire applies to the human race alone."

"Non!" boomed a deep voice, "Mille fois non!" Good "Papa" Joffre was on his feet, earnest, concerned over the definition of memoire. "It does not apply to human beings only," he cried. "I had an English dog called Bobby during the early days of the War. He was almost human. He died in the swamps of La Pompelle in 1917, of influenza. He always remembered and acted strangely several hours in advance of an attack when he had heard me give the order, perhaps days before. Is that memory or intelligence? Is that soul or instinct? Mes amis, you may rest assured that dogs at least remember!"

The old Marshal sat down amid a hush. Bobby is evidently still dear to him, for his head sank upon his breast and he did not look up at first when Marshal Foch rose smilingly to relate an anecdote:

"Just before the battle at Soissons and Chateau Thierry in July, 1918, one of my Captains insisted upon keeping a parrot in the vicinity of headquarters. On the day before the engagement it kept screaming, 'Demain, mort aux Boches! (To morrow, death to the Germans!) I asked my aide to muzzle his eloquent but indiscreet pet. But just as my order was given that bird exulted, 'Allaos! (There we go.) Perhaps he had a soul, but I am inclined to think he was just a mean, clever bird."

Earnest, the Secretary called for a vote: "Shall the word 'memoire apply equally to human beings and animals?"

Eight to five the 13 "Immortals" present decided in the affirmative.