The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-10
Routs Ex-Premier Asquith'
Who Proposes Inquiry Into
Maurice Charges
OPPOSITION FORCED
TO TAKE DEFENSIVE
BEFORE FINAL VOTE
Disputed Statements Shown to
Have Come Directly From
Major General Whose Letter
Contradicts Them

London. May 9.--Dasid lloyd
George won smashing victory
ono OF the greatest triumpbs Of
his political career--in he house
of commons late today.
Striking straight from the
shoulder, the premier threw his
accuser. Major General Maurice.
completely on the defensive
Then he challenged the house to
decide--"herc and now'--to dem
onstrate by vote whether 1t
wanted him to continue in the
premiership or preferred to have
the opposition leader. cx-Prcmicr
Asquith. resume tho rCins of gov
eminent.
He stakcd the whole question
on tsquith's own motion for an
inquiry into Maurice's charges
The houses answer was
against the motion. 2e3.
For the motion, 106.
Majority against. 1877.
The Irish Nationaiists, nv unan-
imous consent. remained absent
from the session.
When. not long after the vote
taking. the premier left tho house.
"A IRENE ndous cheer went M.
Tho win-tbc-war premier passed
through tho long nisics as In a
triunphal march. His wrinkIcd
face was wrapped In a smile such
as had not hecn seen on II since
the little Wclshman toppled from
power the forces that tried hard
hut .ainiy to topic him today.
He beamed and nodded appre-
CiativeIy to his friends. Not nm
I'll the doors had closed behind
him did the ovation subsidc.
II wa snot eioqueucc alone. not
n purely emotional speech that
won his victory for him. Truth
uncomfortable facts flung
back at his aCcusers who had
charged hin, with want of ycrar-
ity, formed the boomerang that
administered the Knockout IN tho
pkot tn Dust him.
To sum M briefy;
General Maurice had charged IN
Bonar Iaw's--fiEurt
regarding tho strength and dispo.
ion Of the British army had bee
incorrect.
The premier declared that the'
1gures had been supplied him +
Matrices own department in the We
,rlce He proved it by reading II
iata that served him in the speec
IN question. Moreover. nc adde'
thesc figures were correct
Rut surprising they had been II
correct. he said. II was Maurice
business IN come and tell him SO !
il was the general acted unfairly
It was piece Of shipping of whic
he was sick and tired. and which +
i'm rlored the house to put stop TO.
General Matrices second chars
was that the premier had made
when he said the e
tension of the British front had nevc
been discussed a Versailles. He hir
self Maurice, bad been present whe
il was discussed, his letter had a.
serted.
The premier calmly pa ssed back II
lie. Maurice. he said. was not pre-
ent in the council chamber and ful
therrnore. the extension matter wi
never discussed at Versailles. hsvir
been previously agreed uron betwee
Field Marshal Haig and General p
tain
AS for the immediate reason for II
extension. the premier said II was III
dertaken not to the degree original
desired by the French, but in a maj
ner decided upon by n Conpromis
and then only owing 10 great pre-
sure from tho French.
The prime minister charged II
general with a fiagra,
breach of discipline,
The part played in the deba ~ I
ex-Premier Asquith manifestly was
even to his mo
sa nguine followers Three points wei
emphasized by the opposition lead'
throughout his speech:
l. He wanted il underst God th'
reither he nor his colleagues had il
spired the Maurice letter or were
any way connected with it,
.. He was extremely anxious
impress upon the house that his m
ton for an inquiry by a select parli
mentary committee was not mea
as censure of the government. I
asserted II he wished to do that
would do il directly not in this roun
about way
tee because. he pointed out, a trih
Sorv powers.
posal Unprecedented in history" al
seized upon ii to force the whole
sue to show down. The prin
minister's arraignment of Mauri
was crushing:
THE general said nothing to m
He never told me he had made
mistake until I saw 1t in the paper
His act is one Of fragrant breach
the army discipline. as Mr. Asqui
himself has admitted.
General Maurice was a friend
mine He was In the commons VIII,
made the statement Surely. b
fore an example of indiscipline
ought to have come to me and sal
ri think you should correct thi
HE didn't"
IT was at this juneture that all I
bitterness stored up In hts hes
through weeks and months Of "bac