WAR SECRETS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1919, Page 5

WAR SECRETS.

CRITICISM OF LORD FRENCH. SOME GRAVE CHARGES. BATTLE OF LA CATEAU RECALLED. By Telegraph Press Assn.—Copyright Received Oct. 20, 11.55 p.m. London, October 24. Mr J. W. Forteseue, the official historian of the war, in reviewing Lord ■French's Sf>ok in the Quarterly Review, has created », sensation by making an attack upon Lord French. He says; "This is one of the most unfortunate books ever written. On August 20, IAI4, Lord French and his staff completely lost their heads, and in a vain endeavor to conceal this Lord French has taken leave o! all sense of accuracy, and has descended to misstatements and misrepresentations of the clumsiest kind in, order to injure tho reputation of a subordinate who is forbidden to defend himself. Coming from one in Lord French's position this brings shame and dishonor upon the whole army. ~.. . , He says that when General Grierson <Mert Lord French wanted General Plumer to succeed hitjl. but Lord Kitchener preferred to send General SmithDorrien. Thereby hanga a gorry tale. An unsavoury incident is the fact that in a despatch of September 7th Lord French save General Smitli-Dorrien full credit for his cool courage in accepting battle at T.n, Cateau. He now would have us believe that General SmithItomen was only opposed by cavalry. Lord 'French also says that fourteen thousand men and eishty guns were lost, whereas the real figures show the loss, of eight thousand men and thirtysix pun's. "There is ignorance as well as malice in this portion of the narrative," Mr Forteseue continues. "Lord French, long before the battle of Le Cateau, decided to hurrv baok to Novoji, leaving his Armv to look after it=elf for a day or two. Happily von Klnck marches' south-west across the rear of the second j corps, so that t'\e British continued to retreat unmolested." , ■mij! ULU-U-I