The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-20
LLOYD GEORGE
4 MASTER HAND
q SCORES AGAIN
FIareup Against British Cabi-
net Quickly Subsidies.
His Address to Commons Wins
Approval of Allies Council.
nfITIIMEc VERekIIlES PACT
OUTLINES VERSAILLES PACT
Agreement Comedies With
illogical American Policy"
Asquith, Leading Opposition,
Content With Explanation.

I.ondon. Feb 20.-A majority OF the
morning papers accept the statement
made in the house of commons yes
ferday ov Premier Lloyd George as
satisfactory explanation and entirely
approve of the Versailles agreement
and consider the whole incident
sf.airhtened out Hostile newspapers
continue to be unconvinced and rent
crate their sharp criticisms. but seem
resolved to accept the situation. Ihey
@xoress the opinion that no govern
,,,ent crisis is likely to arise at pres
All altho they believe the govern
rnent has been weakened oy recent
events. o,.
Nv enough the premier's statement
and commend it, nevertheless ehuorse
the regret expressed by former fre
rnier Asquith that the premier hao hOt
snoken with equal clearness week
ago. Several support the appeal OF
Austen Chamberlain that the govern
Tnent sever its connection with the
press
Calm After Weeks Turmoil.
London. Feb. 10 TUESDAY. Pre-
rnier Lloyd George and his govern
nnent have surmounted another cr1-
sis" and the parliamentary waters at
Westminster appear to run smoothly
once more after a weeks turmoil
stirred I'D by the retirement OF Cen
eral Robertson, chief of the imperial
general staff.
In the house of commons today the
premier explained and defended the
recent reorganiZa ton of the Versailles
Council with the added powers given
to it and his dealings with the famous
British chief of staff. There was no
proposal for a vote of want of con-
fidence but H. II. Asquith, the for
mer premier. expressed regret that
the explanations had not been given
a week ago, when the premier de-
clared he could not go into the sub
ject without giving information to the
enemy. Mr.. Asquith supported the
right of parliamentary criticism in
such matters. The occasion was not
such a stirring one as have been sew
eral other appearances of the Welsh
premier before the house when his
administration has been under attack
Describes Versailles Conference.
His speech was a detailed but
guarded recital of the proposals by
which the four powers at Versailles
had arrived at the principles of their
latest form of cooperation. There
were no oratoricai passages except a
few sentences at the close, when Pre-
mier Lloyd George appealed to the
country to get together in the face of
common danger. The plan finally
agreed upon by the council, he said,
was due largely to the strong logical
representations which the American
delegations had submitted in the form
of memorandum, and the premier
several times reverted to the inf1u-
ence which American policy had ex-
ercised upon the results of the con-
Ference. He paid warm tribute to
General Robertson and expressed the
regret of the government that it had
been unable to induce him to take a
i
be most useful. He declared that
their personal relations always had
been cordial
3 Mr.. Asquith asserted the country re-
garded with deep concern the recent
enforced retirement of the govern
ment's chief naval and military af-
'visers, Admiral Jellicoe and General
Robertson
Attack Press Campaign.
The public and their own profess
sions had the utmost confidence in the
men. Mr.. Asquith added that the
country had noted that both retire.
ments were preceded by hostile press
campaign The public questioned
whether these losses were compensate
ed by the retention of the Earl of
Derby in the war ministry, and the
appointment as director of foreign
press propaganda-referr to Wis
count Northcliffe, altho he did not
mention his name-one of whose
newspapers had conducted the press
campaign. 2
There was a little alteration be-
tween the two premiers over the cues
ton of General Robertson's failure to
approve the Versailles plan. Finally
ASquith said he did not quarrel in the
least with the decisions of the Yer
sailles council in respect to its func-
lions. He took the view that the
question at issue was domestic mat
ter and supported the view that the
TPnTRGanfa Of II
should be q representative of the chief
or the general staff. 1t was felt how
ever, that Lloyd George said in his
speech that the new executive BODY al
versailles must know not only about
their own armies and their own fronts
put also about all conditions on all
Fronts and in all armies and in all ma
lions Versailles had become the re-
apository of Information of all fronts
all armies, all nationalities all stars
and ali foreign offices and that infor-
nation was being co-ordinated by very
able staffs- 1t constituted information
s"Hich 40 single war office possessed
Puts Challenge Direct.
The premier declared he was anx-
1ous that the Versailles ARRANGEMENTS
be worked on whole heartedly by the
military authorities here and in
France. He had had a talk with
Field Marshal Haig, who said he was
prepared to work under them
In concluding the premier said:
II beg the house to turn down all
controversy and close our ranks If
this policy deliberately adopted by the
great allied representatives does not
commend itself to the house they
@Should turn. it down quickly and put
in a government willing to say: We
will not accept it,
But it must be another govern
srnent. Don't let us keep the contro-
,versy alive. The government is en-
titled to know and know tonight the
decision of parliament and the nation.