Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-20
LLOYD GEORGE
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changes. the decision Of the war council
was reached with unanimity.
Would Quit if Policy Repudiated
If the House OF Commons repudiated
the policy for which he was Responsible.
in which he believed the safety of inc
country depended, Mr.. Lloyd George Ge-
clared he would quit office.
The British commander, Field Marshal
IIaie, was present at the session of the
supreme war council, Mr.. Lloyd George
went on. Gen. Robertson was presen,
when the decision was reported to the
war council ard did not object.
Mr.. Lloyd George said the country was
faced with terrible realities. He beggea
the House to have done with all contro-
versy, adding that the government was
entitled to know tonight whether the
House and the country wished it to pro-
coed with the policy deliberately ar
rived at.
! The premier asserted that the conclu-
sions reached at Versailles were the re-
suit of very powerful representations by
the delegates of other governments, no,-
ably the American government.
The Premier announced that General
Sir Henry Seymour Rawlinson has
been appointed to represent Great Brit
ain on the Supreme War Council at
Versailles. Il hesitated for some time"
! said the Premier. in referring to the
American representations, whether l
should not read in the House of Com
mons the very coSent document sub
mitted by the American delegation
i which put the case for the present pro-
posal. 1t is some of the ablest docu-
ments ever submitted to a military con-
fgerence. The only reason why / do not
read it to the House is that it is mix
ed up with the plans of operations"
/ General Robertson. said the premier.
suggested modification of the proposal
by making the representative at Yer.
sailles a deputy of the chief of staff.
The government felt bound to reject
this suggestion, as it involved putting
n subordinate in a position of the first
magnitude which might impose upon
| him the necessity of making vital de-
cisions under instructions given him
before the full facts were known.
Asauith VIII Not Embarrass
Immediately after Mr.. Lloyd George
concluded his speech former Premier
Asquith arose and expressed the wish
that the Premiers address had been
made a week ago. Mr.. Asqulth sald
! there was a certain amount OF dis
quiet in the public mind through the
enforced withdrawal of Admiral Jel-
licoe and General Robertson and that
| the country would hardly feel compen-
stated by the fact that Secretary OF
War Lord Derby remained at White
| hall and that the conduct of the propa-
ganda has been entrusted to LORD
! Bcaverbrook.
He added that he would do nothing TO
embarrass the government. but he said
| he felt that in the best interest OF the
country and the cause of criticism in
Parliament should not be silenced.
Plenty of Argument for Change
Anyone who examines closely the events
of 1916 and 1911, said the premier, would
find plenty of argument for some change
in the machinery in order to effect
greater concentration than had hitherto
been achieved in the direction of the AL
lied resources. That was why, after the
Italian defeat, the Allied governments
had decided that it was necessary to set
strategy of the Allies. AT the last corr
ference at Versailles ii was decided to
extend the powers of that body.
The premier explained that he was
hampered in discussin~ the action taken
by a resolution passed at that confer
ence by the military representatives of
the governments that it was not desirable
to give any information regarding the
general plan arrived at.
Mr. Lloyd George thought, however,
that he could make clear where the con-
troversy had arisen and asked for the
Judgment of the House on the action of
the government.
The general principle laid down at Yer
sailes was agreed to fundamentally by
everybody, he said. There was no con-
6ict as regarded the policy, but only Is 20
the method of giving effect to it. There
was agreement as to the policy: there
was agreement that there must be CEN
trail authority to exercise supreme drec-
tion of that policy: there was agreement
that that authority must be inter-allied
authority. and there was complete agree
men that that authority should have ex-
ecutive power The only question that
arose was to how that central authority
should be constituted. That was the
only difference
The American Position
The Americans were in favor of a
proposal by which the Central body
should be a council of the chiefs of
stats. The case put forward for it was
that it was essential that each of the
representatives should be in most In
innate touch with his own war Office
and must know about man power, NOR
al and medical equipment, shipping and
| foreign office matters.
| 1t was also said that there were Sc
rious constitutional objections to an
inter-allied body coming to decision
affecting the British army. The coun-
Gil fully examined and discussed this
proposal and, he added, it must be re-
membered that all the various repre-
sentatives, civil and military, were
heard, with the exception Of the Ital- 1
ian commander in chief. On examina-