New-York tribune., 1917-11-08
Allies Working on Plans
For Unity Of Command
Now Realized as an Absolute Necessity-Brtish Giving
Attention to Frank H. Smondss Suggestion to the
Entente-One Great General Staff Is Favored

resembling one. Let US recognize that
in war military autocracy must always
be at a certain advantage and that
democracies cannot hope TO emulate
them without surrendering something
they cannot afford 20 part with
II is clear that "The Globe" has
missed the point and drawn an incor-
rect conclusion when il declares that
unity of command necessitates COM
mander in chief OF all the Allies. TO
be sure Of this point. ] interviewed
one Of the best authorities in the
country, who declared. emphatically
that the plan for unity of command
did not include "a single commander,
which was quite lmpracucaole, as
"The Globe" declared. He assured me
that such a unity OF command as Mr..
Simonds has advocated would shorty
be put into effect, embracing roughly
the idea that the military brains OF
each Of the leading Allied countries,
including America, would be gathered
where daily communication and dls-
cussion of the immediate military
problems of the entire war would be
possible.
One-Man Plan Not Considered
The suggestion that one man
should be placed in charge of all the
armies has never been considered.
Answering the charge that 1t has
taken an extreme case and drawn the
wrong conclusions from tho proposed
plan. "The Globe, says:
"No one who knows either Italy OF
France could advocate the denudatlon
of the italian front at the order OF a
French ceneralissimo, or the imper.
il,ing of Paris by the dispatch OF
Frnnch troops to the Carso on the
command Of the Italian commander.
What would be our feelings were Haig
under Cadorna and the latter COM
mended the uncovering Of the Chan
mel ports in order TO develop ms Oh
fensive against Trieste!
"Tf. however, we are told that unity
of command means something less
than this. we can only answer that TINS
IS the German system, which has been
odvocated because Of Germany's tenn
norarv success. II we took something
less. we should get something less:
Wo confess to seeing the danger OF
+hi, unnatural cry for unity OF com
msrd. which may have been exploited
Inv politiciauz 10 increase their control
Of The Allied campaign by creating
some newfangled body dominated by
themselves with the back set to our
soldiers, which would show the world
what amateur strategists could DO
emancipated from experts ~
The final paragraph shows The
Globes" old fear-that civilian brains
may be given a chance 20 solve the
military situation.
Great General Staff Needed
The single front idea has no lack OF
supporters, however, besides those men
toned Yesterday in these dispatches.
"The Express" says tc-hay
can no longer be any question about
the necessity for a great General star
for the Allied armies. Victory viii be
indefinitely postponed without unity "
command. The names Of the personnel
Of an Allied General Staff should be
published Immediately"
The single front idea was carried
even further to-day by "The Daily
News" which advocated similar idea
in a political sense: I'VE are now
fighting without any agreed principles
of settlement; without any collective
ly considered policy wherewith TO meet
the policy of the enemy-for we must
remember that the enemy has the
single front policy, not only in 4 Mill
tary but in a political sense, and that
also they have had single strategic
purpose governing their operations
throughout the war and definite po-
litical goal in view. The Allies never
have had either one or the other. Let
US hope the Allied conference will give
US that unity of policy"