New-York tribune., 1918-05-15
Crisis Always Present Until
Victory Is Won, He
Declares
Explains Blunder
In u. S. Army STORY
Statement Not War Office
View, He Asserts, and
Holds Press Blameless

A warning to the people of America
against false optimism in the war,
especially as regards the great battle
in Flanders, was sounded by Lord
Reading, British High Commissioner
to the United States, in addressing the
New York City Bar Association hare
last night.
THE crisis is not passed." he said,
"and it never will be passed until the
victory is Won"
Lord Reading spoke at some length
on the announcement sent from Lon
don to Ottawa Sunday night TO the ef-
fect that American troops would not
be used on the battlefields until the
United States had complete and pow
erful army in France.
II notice. he said, "that there has
been even during the last forty-eight
hours statement issued which amazed
me, with the knowledge that | have of
all the events at home and here, that
1T had been determined that your
forces should be kept there until there
was selfsupporting American army
to place in the field, and that they were
not to be used, as had been Originally
intended, with the British and the
French forces, but be trained and used
eHS'C 10 CiuctSclCy IeQulTCO.
when | saw the statement | was
convinced-i;,deed ! knew-that there
was some mistake in the announce
ment. did not hesitate to say so be-
fore | could communicate with my
government. | have heard from my
government to-day and it stands un-
| doubtedly as the fact that the commu-
nlcation which was supposed to have
emanated from a committee of the
British War Cabinet never originated
| in the British War Cabinet at all and
never was seen there. All the SEN
tlment that was there expressed if
utterly at variance with the views not
only of my government, but let me
add also of the French government,
and, may be permitted to add, of your
own administration.
Exonerates L. S. Press
81 confess that 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
ing that it was a document which did
originate from the Cabinet at home.
The whole explanation of it agree
not satisfactory ohe--is that there
was a blunder committed by somebody
at home who was charged with the duty
Of sending out the communication, an
IN the way it was issued by him it 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 it as they read
it.
THE fault is 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 that which was
stated to have taken place l trust
that it will also get rid of the optimis
tic feeling which was created by that
pronouncement Heaven knows. should
only be too glad, as you would, if we
could say that the statements there
were true, and that the emergencies
mad passed, and that consequently we
could afford to wait and did not require
the assistance of the American troops
at the moment, but would stand until
there was self-supporting army.
1T is not the fact, and it is better
and, indeed, it is right, that we should
look at the facts. 1t is known that it
is not the fact. l am not telling any
thing new. | am only striving to cor
rect mistaken impression which NAV
have been created by the announce
ment which came from Ottawa"