Evening star., 1918-05-10
REMIER R0UTS FOE,
SUSTAINS CABINET
!; AND WINS CHEERS
.{continued from First Pass.l

HNO "usS
,(continued from First Pags:l
sArssshe.t tn. world in 1918, a. Gem: n
Hkred with 1917. But the increase IN
France was greater than the average
throughout the whole area.
IT do not know whether Gen. Maurice
nd that in mind when he talked ABOUT s,l
fihction between the combatant and the
1pn-combatant. Let me say az once
that l. do not accept that distinction
al to who are combatants and who are
y1Dn-combatants. (Cries OF on. on!
Are those men who stopped the ad-
vance Of the Germans at Amiens the
other day combatants7 They are NOT.
IL you begin to make distinctions.
"Are the men who are under fire every
dGy, making roads and tramways ana
railways. who suffer severe casua11ies: @
any ono mean to tell me that they are
not part Of the fighting strength OF the
aemya"
Gen. Maurice's Figures.
Reading from q document which he
e1id came from Gen. Maurice's depart
1aent nine days after the premiers
speech, the sentence: from the state
ment included it will be seen that the
EVnUdtdHI Cti Ch8t III ~ s"S ~AAssSAA - -AAs
was greater on the 1st Of January, 1918,
than on the LIST of January, 1916, the
premier continued:
Il have been charged with misleading
the public and leaving the pubic 70
believe that at the time OF the attack
the allied position on the western front
was that we had a slight superiority In
Snfantry, . superiority in cavalry and
superiority in artillery The whole OF
these figures were based on statements
made by Gen. Maurice"
Extension Of Front.
with reference to the extension Of
the British front, after declaring that
Gen. Maurice, although at Versailles,
was not in the council chamber, the
premier said:
"There was not a single yard taken
over as the result of the Versailles
council. Although Gen. Maurice did not
sly so, the real point was this: 1t was
asked in a question by Mr.. Lambert
whether this portion of the line had not
been taken over by the war cabinet
against the objection of Field Marshal
Haig and Gen. Robertson. There was
not a. word of truth in it. OF course.
Meld Marshal Haig was not anxious
cabinet The pressure from the French
government and the French army was
enormous. What was done was not
done in response to pressure from the
@~I am not suggesting for moment
Ahat our French allies were acting un-
69irly. There was considerable ferment
lie % length of Of the line held BY the
French army. The French losses had
&esn enormous. and they had sustained
the great strain of the fighting for
tAfee years.
Pressed to Extend Line.
There was a larger proportion Of
E9,ench manhood put into the line than
in any other be1ligerent country. They
held a front Of 326 miles; we held 120
miles. But the Germans were massed
much more densely against our line,
end our lines were much more vulner-
able. The French were pressing us to
extend our line in order that they might
withdraw men from the army for pur-
poses of agriculture. Their agricul-
tpral output had fallen enormously and
they found 1t essential that they should
Withdraw part of their men for the
purpose Of cultivating their soil.
Ths chief Of the French stan and
Cen. Robertson and the cabinet felt
that II was Inevitable that during the
winter months there should be some
extension. and they acknowledged that
something had to be done to meet the
T French demands.
= There was a meeting at Boulogne
Between Premier Lloyd George. Gen.
Robertson. NJ. Painleve and Gen. Foch,
which Ndu DScu summoned TO OlBCuSS
m important question concerning the
foreign Office. NJ. Painleve raised the
question of an extension of the front;
Mr.. Lloyd George was not in the
Gen. Robertson that 1t was a matter
He must deal with, and the whole mat
ter was dealt with by Gen. Robertson.
In consequence Of this subject having
been raised and discussed at this con-
3erenSs. Field Marshal Haig got the
jknpfsksion that bome decision had
been arrived at in the cabinet without
Ms consent.
Field Marshal Hais replied at once
Mat that threw new light on the
Roulogne decision.
Haig's Reply Never Mentioned.
The premier complained that, although
q had been repeatedly asserted that
Haig's reply. explaining the new light.
was never mentioned.
ON October "a. this question was first
formally discussed with the war cabi-
the French government. and Gen. Rob-
EftsoH gave his views concerning the
1ine the British ought to take. This con-
eausioA was recorded in the minutes of
AFTER hearing the chief Of stan, the
&ollowing conclusion was recorded:
Tho war cabinet approved the sugges-
tion of'the chief Of staff that he should
=
s4oWing sense: The war cabinet are Of
the opinion that, in deciding to what
1ktenf :the British troops can take over
the line from the French. regard must
n had to the necessity for giving them
4 reasonable opportunity for leave, for
rest >and training during the winter
montf1B and for the plan Of operations
for next year. and further that while
ne pEesent offensive continues it will
not be possible to commence taking
uyer more.
The general military policy for next
gear now is under consideration and
viii subsequently form the subject Of a
conference with the allied governments
In these circumstances. the war cabinet
1ear that until this policy is settled II
will be premature to decide finally
whether the British front can be ex-
tended by four divisions or to a greater
or q less extent than this That was
communicated to Field Marshal Haig
and never departed FROM"
Cambria and italian Crisis.
The premier continued: "Afterward
came the Cambria incident and the Ital-
fan disaster. which necessitated our
sending troops from France. That
made It difficult for the field marshal
{o carry out the promise he had made
TIan pefafn for n eapfafa AYtAn nainn