Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-15
EARL AGAIN WARNS
. OF FALSE OPTIMISM
"Crisis Is Not Passed." British
High Commissioner Tells
Bar of New York.
VIEW OF OTTAWA STORY

NEW YORK, May 15.-Warning to
the people of America against false OPP
timism in the war. especially as regards
| the great battle in Flanders, was again
sounded by Earl Reading, British high
commissioner to the United States, in
addressing the New York City Bar AS
ISOLATION here last night.
The crisis is not passed. he said,
and it never will be passed until the
victory is won.''
Lord Reading spoke It some length
on the announcement sent from London
to Ottawa Sunday night to the effect
that American troops would not be
used on the battlefelds until the United
States had complete and powerful
Army in France.
Il notice. he said. that there has
been, even during the last forty-eight
hours, a statement issued which amazed
me, with the knowledge that l have of
all the events at home and here, that it
had been determined that your forces
should he kept until there was a self
supporting American Army to place in
the field, and that they were not to he
used. as had been originally intended,
with the British and the French forces,
but he trained and used there as emer-
gency required.
Convinced It Was Mistake.
when I saw the statement 1 was
convinced-indeed,I knew-that there
was some mistake in the announce
ment. I did not hesitate to say so be-
fore J. could communicate with my
government.
Il have heard from government to-
day. and 1t stands undoubtedly as the
fact that the communication which was
supposed to have emanated from
committee of the British war cabinet
never originated in the British war
cabinet at all and never was seen there.
All the sentiment that was there ex-
pressed is at variance. and utterly at
variance. with the views not only Of
my government, but. let me add. also
of the French government, and. may
l be permitted to add, of your own
admin iStration.
Il confess that I would like to say
just one word with regard to your
press upon it. Certainly there is no
blame attached to them. They are
quite right: they were quite right in
assuming that it was a document which
did originate from the cabinet at home
The whole explanation of it agree
not satisfactory one-is that there
was a blunder committed by somebody
at home, who was charged with the
duty of sending out the communication
and in some way it was issued by him;
1t was sent to Ottawa, and in Ottawa
they were quite justified in publishing
it as it arrived and equally your press
was justified in publishing 1t as they
read it.
No Error Committed Here.
The fault is a fault with us at home,
and | say that in case any one Should
think there had been any. error com
mitted here. For once it is clear as |
trust it has been made clear that there
was no foundation for the change
which was stated to have taken place.
II trust that will also get rid of the
optimistic feeling which was created
by that pronouncement. Heaven knows,
l should only be too glad as would you
if we could say that the statements
there were true and that the emergen-
cies had passed and that, consequently,
We could afford to wait and did not re-
quire the assistance of the American
troops at the moment. but would stand
untilthere was self-supporting Army
1T is not the fact and it is better and,
indeed 1t is right. that We should look
at the facts. 1t is known that it is not
the fact. l am not telling anything
new. l am only striving to correct a
mistaken impression which may have
been created by the announcement
which came from Ottawa