The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-20

Versailles had become the rcposi-
tory for information OF all armies,
all nations, all stafts and all foreign
officers, and that information was
being co-ordinatcd by very able
stafs. 1t constituted information
which no single war Office pos
scsscd.
The premier declared he was anx-
ious that the Versailles arrange
ments be worked on wholc-hcarted-
ly 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.
Military Adviser Placed.
The arrangements were that the
British permanent military adviser
at the Versailles council should be-
come a member Of the army council,
that he should be in constant com
municatiou with the chief of the i'm
perial general staff and that he
should be absolutely free and unfet-
tered in the advice he gives as a
member Of the board OF military
representatives at Versailles. He
was to have the powers necessary
to enable him to fulfill the duties i'm
posed upon him by recent Versailles
decisions.
The chief of the general staff was
to hold office under the same CON
dtions and with the same powers
as previous chiefs of staff and was
to remain the supreme military ad-
wiser to the government
we were under the impression"
the premier said, that all difficult
ties, constitutional and technical,
definitely had been overcome by this
document, which had been shown
to Field Marshal IIaig. General
Robertson, unfortunately, was away
at the time, otherwise he would have
been present at the conference. Be
ing under the impression that all
difficulties had been removed and
that Versailles had become more i'm
portant as the center, the govern
ment offered the position to Gen
eral Robertson. Only after this oc-
CURED, | became aware that Ger
eral Robertson was not willing to
acquiescc in the system and that
he took objection, not on techni-
cal and constitutional grounds, but
on military grounds, to the system
which the Versailles council had
decided unanimously to adopt"
Praise for Robertson.
The premier, in praiSing General
Robertson, said they had parted
without an unkind word The gov
ernment proposed to invite from the
highest military authorities sugges-
tions as to the best means OF re-
moving the anxiety, and that in the
scheme put forward in order to Sc
cure concerted and combined action
between the allies, it had not done
something to impair the efficiency |
OF the army. If a suggestion came /
for making a better arrangement .
from that point of view, the govern /
ment would seek to adopt it.
There also were difficulties, he |
said, arising from national feeling, |
historical tradition and suspicion
which might induce the belief that
one country was trying to seek adj
for itself. All these things
lampered every alliance. Trust and
among the allies was
he very soul Of victory and he never
,eased to plead for it. The premier
added
I'VE discussed and re-discussed
his plan with the single desire that
1ur whole concentrated strength
hould resist the most terrible foe
hat ever confronted civilization.
Ihe enemy had rejected the most
moderate terms ever advanced be-
.ause nc was convinced the Rus
ian collapse put it in his power to
.chieve victory and impose Prus-
ian dominance on Europe.
That being so, beg the house
o turn down all controversy and
lose our ranks. If this policy de-
iberately adopted by the great al
led representatives does not COM
mend itself to the house, they should
urn it down quickly and put in a
government willing to say: We will
Tot accept it,
Premier Issues Ultimatum.
But it must be another govern
nent, Don't let us keep the con-
royersy alive. The government is
entitled tc know and know tonight
he decision OF parliament and the
laton.
If the house repudiates the pol
cy for which | am responsible, and
Upon which | believe the safety OF
he country depends, l shall quit
office with but one regret-that
1ad not greater strength and greater
ability to place at the disposal of
my native land in the gravest hour
Of its history"