The sun., 1918-05-08
BRITISH FED ON
WAR LIES,SAYS
GEN. MAURICE
Lloyd George and Bonar
Law, Accused of Misstate-
ments, Make Denials.
INQUIRY TO BE PUSHED
DepOsed General Asserts Of
ficials Demoralize the Army
and Navy.

LONDONs May S.-The Government
has decided to treat Mr.. Asquiths mo.
tion on the Gen. Maurice affair as vote
OF eensure and has issued . call to its
supporters to attend the House Of Com.
mons Thursday for . division. This is
taken TO imply that the proposed in.
quiry, whether by judges or n Parlia.
mentary committee, has been abandoned
and that the matter has been left en-.
tirely to the Judgment Of the House.
Special Cable Despatch to The Son.
Copyright, 1913; oil vtoAts reserred
LONDON, May 7.-General Sir Fred
erick Maurice threw a bomb at the
Government in a letter published this
morning in the Times. the Morning Post.
the Dolly Ncws. the Daily Chronicle and
the Manchester Guardian, in which he
impugns the veracity Of Premier Lloyd
George and other members Of the Gov
eminent. in their statements regarding
the strength of the British armies on
the western front prior to the begin
ming Of the present offensive.
He makes the same charge with re-
spect TO the extension Of the British
front in France. on the ST. Quentin La
Fere sector, where the disaster of March
2l took place. He left London last night
after adding that he had nothing further
TO add to his letter.
Chancellor Bonar Law. whose state
ment In regard to the extension of the
British front Gen. Maurice said was in
correct. announced this afternoon in the
House OF Commons that the Government
proposed to ask two high court judges
to sit as court Of honor and investigate
the Generals accusations. 1t was pro-
posed that the court be secret and report
as quickly as possible.
Army Council VIII Act.
In the meantime the Army Council
will deal In a disciplinary sense with
Gen. Maurice who. until a few weeks
ago was Director of Military Operations
on the General Staff. The matter
also will be dealt with by Parliament.
former Premier AsQuith having given
notice to-day Of a motion TO select a
committee to inquire into the Maurice
charges. which motion 10 expected 10
be debated thorougniy tomorrow.
II ts understood Gen. Maurice did not
send the letter TO the Daily MaH, the
Mirror. the Sketch. the Graphic and the
graph. but that newspaper did not pub.
l!sh II.
1t is no eSaggcration TO say that Gen
Maurice's letter and it's possible conse-
quences at this critical stage OF the war
present serious problem. The officer $
specific denial of the Governments state
ment regarding the extension Of the
front and the strength OF the white
troops in Palestine. Egypt and Mesopo-
iamia are of little Importance in COM
parison with his direct charge against
the Prime Minister as to misleading the
House Of Commons concerning the
strength OF Field Marshal Haig's army
and his declaration that Lloyd
Georges statement that il was consider
ably stronger In January. 1918. than in
January. 1917. implying that Haigs
strength on the eve OF the great battle
on March 81 had not been diminished Is
not correct.
Precedent IL = Grave One.
Gen. Maurice seems to he giving the
lie direct TO the Prime Minister and
creating a situation that demands Par
liamen'ary investigation. That Gen.
Maurice has created an extremely grave
precedent by his letter il undeniable.
II every DISTINGUISHED soldier who does
OF policy or fact Is to take upon him-
self the responsibility for acting as a
kind OF public prosecutor. lie strikes IA
fatal blow at the system OF Ministerial
responsibility as II exists IN Great
Britain.
The position Of IA Minister whose con-
duct In offiCe is made The subject Of u
parliamentary inquiry at the demand OF
his subordinates Is made an impossible
one. as the Government could not be
guaranteed against similar attacks in
future II Gen. Maurice should he held
justifable In his action. No Govern
inent could allow it's tru,hfulness to he
questioned by soldier in Maurice's po-
sition and accept in silence.
The statements challenged by Gen.
Maurice have an intimate bearing upon
the relations of the Government with the
army Gen. Maurice intinated that the
cumulative effect OF the Government
statements was to imply that the army
in undimnished numbers had suffered a
reverse for which the Government was
hlaineless and the army alone was re-
sponsible.
This impression, said Gen. Maurice. is
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