The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-18
Gen. Robertson Says He Did
Not Resign, But Considers
He Was Dismissed
MORE GENERALS TO
QUIT THE SERVICE
London Times Predicts That Govern
ment Will Not Be Wrecked by the
Revolt of Military Hierarchy =
Clash in Parliament Expected.

LONDON, Fob. 1s-The weekly
newspaper, National News, says it has
been informed by Gen. Sir William
Robertson, whose resignation as chief
of the British imperial staff was Oil
cially announced Saturday night, that
he has not resigned.
Cen Robertson, interviewed by a
representative of the Sunday Times at
his residence, said:
Il have not resigned. The only
statement have to make is that it is
quite true that I will not accept either
position. - referring to the posts of
chief Of the imperial general staff and
British representative on the supreme
war council at Versailles.
The political correspondent Of the
Sunday Times says:
''Gen. Robertson considers he has
been dismissed. l hear that before the
position con the imperial general staff
WAS given to Gen. Sir Henry Wilson it
was offered to and declined by Gen.
Sir Herbert Plumer Commander of the
British forces III italy, and it is an
ticipated that other members of the
military hierarchy will follow Gen,
Robertson into retirement.
1.-The generals have in fact revolted
against the cabinet and the gravity of
their action can hardly be everest
mated. The weakn Of the soldiers
n
among themselves 1t il not 'antici-
patcd that the detection OF the gen
erals will wreck the government, as
apart from comparatively small see
ton Of militarists, there is no great
sympathy with the attitude Of the sol.
diers
The correspondent adds that the
| Earl Of Derby may resign rs secretary
Of state for war.
! - That the premier's audience with
the king was regarded as presaging
1 such action was intimated by one OF
| the evening papers in late edition
! which, after referring to the audience
concluded with the paragraph:
If condolences go for anything, il
was on Saturday morning that Lore
| Fisher (1irst sea lord) resigned -
Parliament will undoubtedly be &
i storm center fer the next few DAYS
! Whether the storm will begin today o.
not until tomorrow, when the military
! estimates Is the order Of business ant
when it is believed the premier vii
take advantage Of the occasion /,
make his promised statement remain
TO be seen
The view of several papers NOTABLY
the National News and the Sunda,
Times, which publish statements to tn
effect that Gen. Robertson did not re
sign further eonfuses the situation. In
dlcatlve of the feeling which the Incl
dent IS apt to cause, the Nationa
! News, in its leader yesterday, whicl
apparently was written before the an
nouncement of Gen. Robertson 5 resio
nation and is headed: "'Our chief o
staff, saws after referring to in
trigues, eabals and conspiracies whic
= IN some quarters are developing dan
gerous dimensions that thank Go
for it, the effort to drive out from tn
service of the state the chief of tn
! imperial general staff, Sir William Rot
ertson, has failed of its purpose. -
, The paper adds that any though
u H"ASIhS zen. ROBERTSON poSltlo
or curtailing his powers, should b
, put out of mind at once.
Ga the other hand, The Weekly Di
. patch under the caption, THE wa
E Situation Now, appearing on til
front page directly after the otfici;
| announcement Of Gen. Robertson s re
; lgnation, says that the most fatefl
| crisis Of the war has been reache,
: and adds: ''Whilc the pacifists an
, antl-Lloyd Georgeittes in parliamca
are talking the Germans are bringin
| uP division after division as fast
their rolling stock can bring tAem fro
t the east This military fact, and II,
e any personal issues arising out of IL
e unfortunate Versailles eontrove rsy-
: chapter which is ended by the resign;
ton Of Gen. Robertson and the a.
!. Polntment i'll his place of Gen. Wilsc
s is the thing that matters -. 1t
: OF the utmost Importance that in NEE
b ing this blow instant decisions sha
e De taken. The old, Intellectual way
referring for instruction to Paris Io
: don and Rome means deliberately hal
j .ncapping the allies counter strateg
' by the time the instructions are +
a eelyed the mischief may be done