LORD FRENCH'S DISCLOSURES

Evening Star, Issue 17062, 5 June 1919, Page 7

LORD FRENCH'S DISCLOSURES

ALLIED GRAND STRATEGY. EAST VBRSui~\TEST FRONT CONTROVERSY. FRENCH WANTED~TURNING MOVE IN FLANDERS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May °S (delayed). Lord French, in a further article in the ' Daily Telegraph,' states:— " In September I formed tho opinion that it was extremely desirable to push coastwise and northwards and drive the Germans from the sea. Mr Churchill enthusiastically supported me, and promised absolutely devastating naval support. I anticipated that Marshal Jcffre and tho French Government would oppose the plan. Mr Churchill, on the Bth of December, wrote stating that Lord Kitchener fully agreed with the plan, and promising to send the 27th Division. The Cabinet next day strongly urged the plan upon tho French Government, who referred the question to Marshal Joffre, hut Joffre rejected it, as he had another plan elsewhere, which,_ however, proved a very feeble substitute. ""Mr Churchill continued to press the matter, urging Lord French again to put the Admiralty's views before Marshal Joffre. Lord Kitchener, in a memorandum of the 9th of January, 1915, showed that the War Council had abandoned the coastwise advance, on the grounds that it would be too costly and would extend the lino too far; that heavy reinforcements could not bo furnished without disorganising the general arrangements; and that g, sufficient supply of ammunition was not available to ensure carrying the project through to a conclusion, though every effort was being made in all parts of the world in order to obtain an unlimited supply. The War Council also anticipated a* strong German attack in the near future, which could better be resisted in the existing prepared positions."

Lord French disagrees with these objections seriatim, and mentions thatlarge trainloads of. ammunition traversed France a few months later bound for the 'Dardanelles. He considers that these reasons for reiectiue the plan for a coastal attack illogical. Probably the true explanation was to be found in the War Council's memorandum of the 9th. of January, in which the view was expressed that operations on the west front would probably develop into a stalemate, ajid it was necessary to find another theatre of war where decisive results were obtainable. Lord French's ooinion wns invited on the matter. He replied, discussing - all possible theories, including: the Gallipoli campaign. Ho said an attack on Turkey would be devoid of decisive results. The onlv decisive theatre was Germany itself. _ Lord French added: " It is quite feasible to break the German line a sufficiency of grins and high explosive shells. In anv case it would be unsafe to withdraw troops from the western front, which is vital, and where alone decisive results are obtainable." Marshal Joffre expressed his final opinion on the 19th of May, 1915. that it was necessary to be prepared for a German offensive in the near future. The front must be made absolutely secure, and the Allies must hj« ready to resume the offensive. Reserves were absolutely necessary, and all secondary operations—including the Flanders coast attack—must give way theYeto. Lord French concludes that he nlwavs disagreed with th"se views, a-'d remains convinced that his nlrtn should have been accepted and tried, whereas those actually emplov«_d onlv result.-cl in feeble, unsuccessful attempts to break the German line and absolute failure at the Dard-nelles.

MB. ASQUITH'S SPEECH. REFERS TO FRENCH'S RECALL. REASON NOT DISCLOSED. LONDON, June 3. Mr Asquith, speaking at a complimentary luncheon, replied to statements "in Lord French's articles. Mr Asquith complained that Lord French had boen given access to official and confidential documents to build up a case against men whose lips were closed—some by death, others byofficial restraint. It was a- flagrant breach of the best traditions of public service. None knew better than Lord French that his charge against the Liberal Government of callousness in failing to supply sufficient suns and shells was without foundation. Documents which would be published shortly would prove that Lord French's account of Lord Kitchener's visit to Paris in September, 1914, was a travesty on the real facts. Prior to the despatch of Lord Kitchener to Paris, Lord French's intended movements had filled the Cabinet with consternation. and the French Government feared that the French army was going to be left in the lurch. Mr Asquith flatly denied Lord French's assertion that lie advocated high explosives instead of shrapnel before ihe war. He quoted a document showing that Headquarters asked the Government in November, 1914, reduce the percentage of high explosives from 50 to 25 per cent. Mr Asquith quoted Lord Kitchener's letter, written on the eve of the famous Newcastle speech, in- which he said that Lord French had told him that, with the present supply of ammunition, he would have as much as the troops would he able to use for the nextattack. Mr Asquith accepted full responsibility for Lord French's recall, which had no more to do with shells than the eclipse of the moon. PRESS AGAINST FRENCH, EXCEPT NOBTHCLIFFE PAPEBS. LONDON. May 23 (delayed). The ' Westminster Gazette ' recalls Lord French's eulogy of Lord Kitchener in the House of Lords on the 20th of June, 191.6, and says: "Yet persecution has again lifted its ugly head." The ' Gazette ' asks whether Lord French did not intend to retire on his base and leave the French army in the lurch : whether the French Government did not protest earnestly, and whether the War Cabinet did not thereupon depute Lord Kitchener to personally convey to Lord French their decision that he should not retire as proposed. Juno 2. Apart from the anti-Jvitdienor Northelifio P«-ess, the newspapers generally consider that Mr Aso,uith has dissinated Lord French's accusations. They especially draw attention to Lord "French's eulogy of Mr Asquith three davs the Liberal Government's fall, whereas Lord French now states that he engineered the fall in order to save the country from ruin.