MORE WAR REVELATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 17227, 17 December 1919, Page 6

MORE WAR REVELATIONS

I *—— I | men NOT TEE FIRST | GENERALISSIMO. NIVELLE ALLIED"GENERALISSIMO IX 1917. Revelations in the French Chamber show that the first allied Generalissimo was General Nivelle. The E’rench Commander-in-Chief, as lie was in the early part of 1917, was given, for the duration of his ill-starred spring offensive only, authority over the British armies, two of which co-operated in the i attack. General Nivelle was endowed with this status “on the authority of the two Governments.” according to M. Briand (French ex-Premier). The French Government were unaware that the plan of the offensive had fallen into the hands of the Germans. M. Painleye (ox-War Minister) gave details of the recall of General Nivelle following on the failure of his offensive, and it was then, ho said, that the whole question of the command was brought up. Ho gave credit to M. Briand and Mr Llovd George for their efforts in instituting the unity of command. , DID HAIG “EVADE HIE INSTRUCTIONS ’’ ? In bis letter to Mr Lloyd George, quoted by the Paris ‘Eclair/ M. Briand pointed out the tendencies of Field-Marshal Haig “to evade his instructions and to call the whole offensive itself and the plan of operations into question, thus' rendering the co-operation of the British forces illusory and unity of command impossible.’’ M. Briand is stated to have .proposed, in the name of the French, that General Sir Henry Wilson should be selected to act as intermediary between General Nivelle and the British armies, so that General Nivelle should be informed as to the capacities of those armies, and be able to give them directions, thus ensuring unity of .command.