The Washington herald., 1918-02-18
FIGHT ON WAR
POLICY COMES
In PARLIAMENT
Lloyd George Will Soon
Learn Whether His Course
Will Be Indorsed.
By ARTHUR S. DRAPER.
Special Cable to The Washington
Herald and New York Tribune.


Herald and New York Tribune.
London, Feb. 1.-THE with
drawal of Gen. Sir William Rob
ertson as head of the imperial gen.
eral staff. the climax OF a long
struggle between the soldiers and
politicians. has thrown the country
into the biggest political crisis Of
the year.
1t comes at a most unfortunate
time, for there Is every indication
that the enemy will soon launch
his long-e4ected offensive in the
West and to meet it unity and
steadiness are needed on this side
of the line.
Lloyd George Fights.
When parliament meets tomorrow,
things will move rapidly. and before
the end of the week Lloyd George
viii have won the hardest fight inf
his long stormy career or he will
have given way to a national gov
ernment such as proposed by Lord
Hugh Cecil.
y promise will not settle the pres
ent differences. This will be a fight
to the finish between the prenS>Ts
supporters on the one side and As
Quith, Lansdowne, Henderson and
the soldiers advocates on the other.
II is really more complicated than
this for the opponents Of Lloyd
George include many who arc dis
satisficd with his diplomatic policy,
rs well as those who place the SOL
diers above the politicians.
Both AsqUith and Lansdowne are be-
ing mentioned as possibilities for tn.
Premiership and there are even To-.
who consider that Il labor government
will lie formed.
The press Supporters Of LLOYD
George have already raised the cry
OF pacifist whenever the names of A.
quieth or I.ansdownc are advanced.
Opposition In Open.
After years of political neutrality
there is good reason to expect thai
Asquith. Reginald Mckenna, Walter
I;unciman. Sir John Sumon, Herbert
samuel and Augustine BIrreu Will
emerge as Lloyd Georges opponents.
II the fight is carried to division on
the question of military and political
policy. and not complicated by the in
lection of p2cifist taint. the opposition
will also include Arthur Henderson
and his labor followers.
In the matter Of war policy. there
are likely to be considerable mOditica-
ti1ns. especially il he opposition
proves numerically large.
The downfall of Lloyd George would
have most far-reaching consequences
Should any of the opposition leaders
ceau and Orlando would undoubtedly
be subject to political attacks in their
respective countries.
Wednesday an important interallied
Labor-Socialist conference is scheduled
TO be held here and it's decisions will
carry considerable weight in political
circles. The political correspondent of
the Sunday Times. writes:
THE government will have to stand
the fire of interrogatories tomorrow
and undoubtedly the situation will be
very tangled. but it is not expected
that the defections of the generals
will wreck the government. There
was a great deal more than the am
biguity of the premier's statement on
the Versailles conferences in the ill
hunor of the House on Monday and
the impatience with which he was
heard.
Newspaper Opinion.
Says the National News editorialIy:
what seems to us the cardinal
error of our present war cabinet is
that 1t occupies itself too much with
strategy and too little with the dip
lomatic, economic and other often
stves which should proceed collater-
ally with our military operations"
Under the heading: The Old Mans
Knife Is Quite Sharp" the Weekly
Dispatch says: Now let Us suggest
a simple proposition to Asquith and
his cohorts of sycophants. II he
thinks he has gained any hold on the
house, let him move a vote of no
confidence and put the matter to
proof without further delay.
Says Reynolds'' Weekly: Not
withstanding the fact that Asquith
does not at present command a ma
jority in Parliament, he still stands
very high in the admiration. and
one might say in the affection, of
the members. 1t is recognized that
he has, since the resignation of his
government. played a thoroughly
manly and patriotic part and IA
ciIitated the work of the present
government in their task of carry
ing on the war"