The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-11-15
Lloyd Georges Speech IN Paris
Causes a Sensation
NATION AND ARMY ALARMED
Blood VIII Run Cold" at Idea OF Joint
Military Couneil-Views OF Strategy
Considered unsound but Sincere
Real Misunderstanding Declared to
Have Been Created

London, Nov. 1.-THE speech made
10y Premier Lloyd George In Paris has
| made u stir In lie local press, where
| his references 10 the allies "incred-
ible plumbers" and other matters are
printed under sensational headlines
Comment on the speech is mingled
with criticism of The new allied war
council as announced here by Chan
cellor Law. Some of the newspapers
crlticiSe adversely the new military
plan and accuse the premier of wish
ing TO take over the strategic direc
ton OF the allied campaign
Newspaper rumors OF the impending
retirement OF Fled Marshal Haig and
Gen. Robertson. chief of the general
staff, caused some commentators 10
insinuate that the reports were set
uiioat Intentionally by semioilicai
hints
The Post connects the new plan
with the rumors and says that both
the nation and the army are alarmed
over IL. III duuS
"A political council advised by a
military committee Is to direct the
strategy of the allies army. The blood
Of the nation will run cold ut the
idea. No more fatal and no more dis
astrous arrangement can be conceived.
Premier George. from his speech In
Paris, appears 10 think that this com
plicated project will achieve strategic
unity, II seems to us that it will
achieve strategic paralysis"
The Times says that the premier
let himself 90 and thereby opened the
noodgates to a torrent of expert crit
icism. II continues
Views Called Unsound
"Hls views of strategy often are SUI
perfical, unsound and incompatible
with practical conditions, but they are
courageous and obviously sincere, and
it is far better that they be stated
frankly than to leak out through sub.
terranean channels.
"The upshot Of the speech is that
the premier is anxious for closer unity
in the control Of the allied armies. 1t
is an unimpeachable idea, but the
point is whether the machinery set UP
at Rappalo will achieve this purpose.
Lloyd Georges instinct is sound in
so far as he proposes to substitute a
systematic council Of ministers for
the past spasmOdic and Intellectual
conference. But he will come hope
lessly TO grief unless he defines with
greater precision than Bonar Law did
In the house Of commons the duties Of
the councils military committee.
Lloyd Georges strength lies in his
imagination and energy. His weak
ness Is his failure to think out his
plans TO logical conclusion. His
first business when he returns must
be TO clear up the very real misunder- I
standing about the relations of his
military advisers"
The Daily News, while thinking that
the new council ought to be an i'm ,
nortant gain, says that "the disquiet |
which has been expressed is due to
the well-grounded suspicion which has
prevailed long that there has been
trouble between the premier and the
heads Of the army"
The News, like the Post, suggests
that rumors like those relating to
Haig and Robertson We're propagat.
ed purposely. II says the nation de-
mands that these leaders, In whom It
has entire confidence, shall not be in.
trigued against or limited In authority
or compelled to retire by the estab-
lishment Of a war council
The Daily Mail says that George
will make statement explaining the
new council In the house of commons