The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-02-19


George today made in the house Of
commons his. eagerly awaited state.
ment regarding the recent army
changes. He said the government was
anxious to retain the services Of Gen.
Sir William Robertson as chief Of
staff, so long as il was compatible
with the policy decided upon in COM
mon with Great Britain's allies.
The premier said the policy of the
government was based upon the as
sumption that the allies had suffered
In the past through lack Of concerted
and eo-ordinated effort. 1t had been
decided to set up central authority
to coordinate the strategy of the al
lies. M
The American representatives at the
Versailles war council declared with
irresistible power and logic" for the
plan for expansion of the supreme
councils power, the premier said. 5
Mr.. Lloyd George said it was essen
tial that decisions should be taken IN
stantly at Versailles. Meeting sep
arately the delegates Of the respective
allies, he explained, considered their
own plan, which in each Scase was
Identical.
No Dissenting Vote.
This plan was passed without dis
senting vote and accepted by all the
military representatives, the premier
said. Being under the impression that
all the difficulties had been overcome,
continued the premier, the government
offered Gen. Robertson a position on
the Versailles council, but he was un-
willing to acquiesce in the system, OBJ
jecting to it on military grounds. Gen.
Robertson, added the premier. then re-
fused the post of chief of staff with
powers adapted to the position set up
at Versailles. W
II he should read the document sub
mitted by the Americans. said Mr..
Lloyd George there would be no need
to make a speech.
Has One Regret.
"The case is presented with irresist-
ible power and logic" he added.
What happened? We altered the
proposal here and there. There was
good deal of discussion which took
some hours. There was not single
dissentient voice, so far as the plan
was concerned"
Jf the house OF cnfninons repudiatpdl
the policy for which re was respoh-
sible, in which he believed the safety
OF the country depended, Mr.. Lloyd
George declared, be would quit Office.
His one regret would be that he had
not greater strength and ability to
place Mt the sdisposaf4of his country !
in Its gfavost hour.
The British commander, Field Mar
shal Haig, was present at the session |
of the supreme war council, Mr.. |
Lloyd George went on. !
Faced Big Realities.
He drew attention to two weak ,
points in the proposal which were
thereupon adjusted by the conference. |
Gen. Robertson was Sresent when the |
decision was reported to the war cabi-
net and did not object.
1t was agreed. said Mr.. Lloyd |
George. that the permanent military /
adviser at Versailles should be a |
member Of the army council. 1t was
part of this arrangement that the |
chief of the imperf4l staff was to re-
main the supreme military adviser to
the9 government.
z Mr.. Lloyd George said the country |
was faced with terrible realities. He !
begged the house to have done with |
all controversy, adding that the gov |
eminent was entitled to know to-
night whether the house and the coun-
try wished it to proceed with the
policy deliberately arrived at.
The United States was represented
at the last session Of the supreme war
council by Gen. Tasker H. Bliss. Ar
thur II. Frazier, secretary of the
American embassy at Paris, attended /
as. diplomatic officer to report the
Asquith Expresses Wish.
Immediately after Mr.. Lloyd
George CONCLUDED his speech for
nier Premier ssRith arose and
expressed the Wish that the pre-
mier's address had been made a
week ago.
The premier asserted that the
conclusions re9ched at Versailles
were the result of very powerful
representations by the delegates
OF other governments. notably the
American gorsrnnient.
GEN. RAWLiNsoN APPOINTED.
The premisr announced that Gen.
Sir Henry Seymour Rawlinson had
been appointed to represent Great
Britain on the supreme war council al.
Versailles.
~ hesitated for some time" said the
premier in Feferrinq to the American
whether I should not
read in the house Of commons the very
sogent documents submitted by the
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