Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-22
DEMAND BRITAIN
GUST WAR CHIEFS
Northcliffe Begins Bitter
Campaign Against
. His her Command
CAMBRAI IS CRUZ
Byng's Reverse Is Lever Used
in Attempt to Pry Out
Army Leaders
LONDON. Ian. -

LONDON, Jan. -.
The Daily Nails bitter attack ON
The War Office and the higher com.
mand Of the army has created a sen.
sstion throughout the country. Co.
incident with this comes the AN.
nouncemcnt Of the resignation Of
Colonel Repington. the military cor.
respondent Of the Times. Both news.
papers are under Lord Northcliffe's
direction, and the public couples the
two incidents.
Colonel Repington is considered the
foremost military critic in England.
He Is credited with exceptional inside
knowledge of the army and acquaint.
snce with the higher officers.
The Daily Mail publishes a two.col.
umn contributed article in connec.
ton with the finding of the staff, an
nounced i'm the House of Commons ON
Tuesday. that the British higher army
command had not been surprised bv
the German attack on the Cambrai
front on November 80. when the Brit.
ish lost part of the ground gained in
the offensive Il few days earlier.
The article says that the Govern.
ment. under the pressure of the gen
eral staff, is hushing up the incident.
while the Germans claim to have cap.
tured or destroyed 132 tanks and to
have taken 5000 men and 100 guns.
The writer adds
"A particular army clique has had
supreme military control FOR two years
and has repeatedly failed to fulfill its
own expectations and promises
The Mail editorially mdorses the
writer of this article blaming the
Earl of Derby, Secretary for War, and
Genera! Sir William Robertson. chief
of the general staff whose removal it
suggests is desirable. 1t declares the
public would like to see man of the
type of Sir Eric Geddes. First Lord Of
the Admiralty, at the War Office.
The article in the Daily Mail is signed
by Iovat Fraser
Fraser accused the star Of wasting
men in ill-tmed campaigns, failing tD
achieve results, demanding more met
continually, but wasting their efforts
The Mail cdtorially said it did u0
agree with Fraser on some points. bu
on the whole indorscd his article.
Last night, under a line across the to-
Of a tive-column page. intrigue against
the higher command" the star whiCl
Is reputed bitterly hostile to Premier
Lloyd George, prints an interview witt
Lieutenant Colonel Repington. which i
explains editorially as follows:
"Thc air is full Of signs and portents
Repington. military critic of the Times
has resigned Also there has beer
launched u violent press campaign
against Sir William Robertson, am,
his general staff against Haig and hi!
general staff. \ close student detects
in this campaign all the familiar Cvi
dences Of inspiration.
Behind the conspiracy is the Yer
sailes council and the French generals
simo intrigue. one bravo. indeed, zoe,
80 far as to quote the French hickman,
for Robertson. clubbing him Genera
Non Non because he says no, no tC
every wildcat scheme hatched in Paris
We advise every fair-minded man to col
late the inspired diatribes Of the North
ciffe press and then form his owl
judgment"
Lieutenant Colonel Repington in hi
interview printed in the Star says:
Il resigned the position as militar,
correspondent for the Times purely a
a matter of principle.
"The position of the country tOda!
IL, in my mind, so serious that there i
no other alternative open to me than T.
take the step I have taken.
III the present state of things
allowed TO exist, nothing but dlSaStC
can befall the country. The Govern
ment has lost the confidence not only G
labor. but Of the great majority Of tn
pub'ic, and il the existing method is a
lowed to continue it will succeed /
wrecking both the military and the navi
services.
The great crime of the Governmer
is that it will not tell the nation I'll
truth.
Labor has been splendid throughOl
the war, and | have every confidence
labor, but labor has lost all contldenc
IN the Prime Minister.
"The army Is tired and disgusted wit
these intrigues; the soldiers are not pol
tIcians, they want no faVOritism.
Repington pointed out that Field MAJ
shall II zig in his last dispatch referre
10 the handicap he was working undo
through the difficulty in obtaining adt
quate drafts a sufficient length Of tim
before the divisions are called upon
take their place in the battle.
Russia" proceeded Colonel Repinl
ton, disappears out of the war and h'
great masses OF troops are flung acrO'
from east to west. Neither the Cover
ment nor 1 know what the Germans pre-
nose TO attempt, but instead of placin
the cards boldly ON the table the Coz
ernment resorts to secrecy. Then follow
newspaper campaign against naval an
military men.