INNER HISTORY OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 203, 22 May 1919, Page 5

INNER HISTORY OF THE WAR

LORD FRENCH'S REVELATIONS

MORE ABOUT KITCHENER

By Tclograph-Presß Association-CopyrleTit

(Kec. May 21, 5.5 p.m.)

London, May 13 (delayed). Lord French publishes in the "Daily Telegraph" further criticisms of Lord Kitchener in connection with his (I.ord French's) efforts to oll'cct'a speedy move north when the fall of Antwerp was imminent. Ho says: "Kitchener didn't make tilings easy for me. He was keenly desirous of influencing tho course of Ihe operations. His telegrams, quickly followed ono another, each containing directions regarding tho loc-ali situation, ot which ho could know little. For instance, he told me ho was communicating with Marshal Jofi're and the French Government. I was unaware what was passing between them. At the same time he was urging me to mako what I knew were inipracticablo suggestions to Marshal Jolfre. I must repudiate any responsibility for what happened in the north during the first ten days of October. Lord Kitchener explicitly told mo that the British there were not under my command. 'These will not. for the present, be considered as part of your force,' he said. T certainly would have made different dispositions with these troops, and regret that I must record my deliberate opinion that the best which could have been done throughout Ihe critical situation was not dono owing entirely to Lord Kitchener's endeavour to unite in himself the distinct rnlK= of Cabinet Minister and Commander-in-Chief."

Lord French quotes a telegram in which he even demanded .whether General Rawlinson regarded himself as under his orders, and proceeds: "When Antwerp was threatened, Lord Kitchener, unknown to me. arranged for Marshal '.TofFre to send one or two French Territorial divisions to net with the marines. It is perfectly clear that Uie operations for the relief of Antwerp should never have been directed from London. Actually. they had 110 influonco on the fn'e of Alitworp. and could equally as well have protected the Belgian retreat from safer and more effective direction". W" might liavc saved Lille bv landing, on October 5, at Calais or Boulogne, and deploying' six or seven dnys lat«r into the valley of the Lys. "We might also have saved Ostend. and even .Zeebrugg?." '—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.