Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-10
LLOYD GEORGE
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ter although it approved of the dis
positions.
When the Premier left the House
he was loudly cheered.
The Premier discussing Gen. Maui
rice'S action, said he had ascertain
cd that Maurice had never made rep
RESERVATIONS to the chief of staff on
the subject.
Yet" the Premier continued sar-
; castically, this is so important that
& select committee must be set up
80 inquire into It: SO important as
to justify Gen. Maurice trampling on
the Kings regulations and setting
up an example Of indscipline to the
whole army.
Both he and Mr.. Bonar Law We're
anxious for an examination of their
statements by perfectly impartial
tribunal. There were mass Of con-
fldential documents involved and he
maintained that a select committee
was not the best tribunal to investi-
gate facts when passions were
aroused. The House of Commons
, long ago came to a similar decision
when such questions as disputed
elections We're involved. Mr.. AS
quith had deprecated a select COM
mittee to investigate Mesopotamia
! for reasons which the Premier con-
sidered right.
| With reference to the strength Of
the army the Premier said:
| There is absolutely no doubt that
there was a very considerable addi-
ton to the man power of the army
at the beginning Of 1918 as COM
pared with the man power at the be-
ginning Of 1917 in France. There was
a great increase in the man power Of
! the army throughout the world in
/ 1918 as compared with 1917. But the
] increase in France was greater than
the average throughout the whole
area.
Il do Mt know whether Gen. Maui
rice had that in mind, when he talked
about fighting strength. He must
draw q distinction between the COM
! Blatant and the -combatant. Let
me say at once that | do not accept
/ that distinction when he talks abont
! fighting strength as to who are com
batants and who are non-combat-
ants. (Cries Of Oh, OhD
Are those men who stopped the
advance of the Germans at Amiens
the other day combatants? They are
not if you begin 10 make distinctions.
Are the men who are under fire
4 tray
ways and railways, who suffer Sc
were casualties combatants or nom
combatants? Does anyone mean ID
tell me that they are not part of tie
fighting strength Of the army"
Reading from a document which he
said came from Gen. Maurices de-
partmcnt nine days after the pre-
mer's speech the sentence: From
the statement included it will he
seen that the combatants strength Of
the British army was greater on the
first of January. 1918. than on tie
first Of January, 1917" the premier
continued:
Il have been charged with mis-
leading the public and leaving the
public to believe that at the time of
the attack the allied position on the
western front was that we had n
slight superiority in infantry. SUI
periority in cavalry and a superior
ity in artillery. The whole of these
figures were based on statements
made by Gen. Maurice"
With reference to the extension CT
the British front after declaring tina:
Cen. Maurice. though at Versailles
was not IN the council chamber, the
premier said:
There was not single yard taken
over as the result of the Versailles
council. Although Gen. Maurice did
not say so. the real point was this
It was asked in a question by Mr..
Lambert whether this portion Of thu
line had not been taken over by the
war cabinet against the objection Of
Field Marshal Haig and Gen Robert
son. Ihere was not a word of truth
in it. OF course Field Marshal Haig
was not anxious to extend his lire,
nor was the war cabinet. The pres
sure from the French government
and the French army was enormous
What was done was not done in re-
Spouse to pressure from the war cab
met.
Il was not suggesting for a mo-
ment that our French allies were act
ing unfairly. There was considerable
ferment in France last year on the
subject Of the length of the line held
by the French army. The French
losses had been enormous and they
had sustained the great strain Of the
fighting for three years.
There was larger proportion Of
French manhood put into the line than
in any other belligerent country. They
held front OF s2s miles; we held 10
miles.
But the Germans were massed much
more densely against our lines and our
lines were much more vulnerable. The
French were PRESSING ~. .cr