"SCURRILOUS ATTACK”

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 89, 9 January 1935, Page 7

"SCURRILOUS ATTACK”

Lloyd George’s Criticism of Earl Haig GENERAL GODLEY’S VIEW By Telegraph—Press Association. Oamaru, January 8. Addressing returned soldiers at Oamaru this morning Sir Alexander Godley said he' hoped the people of the Dominion would give no credence to the attack made by Lloyd George on the late Earl Haig, which was scurrilous and wholly unwarranted. The Passchendaele attack had been forced upon the British command by circumstances. The French army had suffered so sorely at Verdun and elsewhere that it was unable for the time being to put up a substantial resistance. Somebody had to fight and the duty had devolved on the British.

Unfortunately, the weather during the first attack on Passchendaele had militated against its success,® but no headquarters could be held responsible for the weather. When the first effort failed the French Command besought Earl Haig to persevere in order to give the stricken French armies breathingspace for recovery. Haig could not but acquiesce. If the enemy had not been kept heavily engaged in the north they would have marched through to Paris and the war would have been over.

Referring to the losses suffered by the Fifth Army General Godiey said that owing to the weakness of the French troops. the "British were compelled to take over a greatly extended portion of the line. The Fifth Army was thus drawn so thin that it was unable to withstand the battering imposed by the much more numerous enemy forces. There had been no finer effort in the war than that of General Gough in holding up the advance on his front. Mr. Lloyd George was aware of the conditions, and his censure was therefore difficult to understand. In 1918 the whole of the Allied campaign was planned at British headquarters, and although Koch' was nominally in command the policy was that of Haig and his staff. When Haig’s complete memoirs came to be written and the full light was thrown on the history of the war 4he vindication of the (British Commarrtler-in-Chief would be complete and gratifying.