WAR HISTORY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 64, 2 April 1937, Page 12

WAR HISTORY

CommoRwealth Volume Amended OFFENSIVE 0F 1918 The Commonwealth Official War Historian (Dr. O. E. W. Bean) has issued the two amended pages of volume hve of the official history of Australia in the war. Dr Bean explained recently that the alterations wer© neeessary beeause he had discovered after the volume had been printed and review copies issued* that an error had been made in discussing the relative number of reinforcements sent to the British and Australian forces in France in the winter of 1917-1918. In making the correction, Dr Bean iias also modified slightly a passage in which he critices the Lloyd George Government for the manner in which it prevtnted Haig from carrying out i his plans for continuing a British ofi'ensive in the spring of 1918. In the volume as originally issued, Dr Bean wrote : "But the course taken by the Government in preventing Haig's project, not by direct instrucrion but hy weakening the British Army in France, is unlikely to avoid the merited censure — or even, perhaps, the contempl— of posteruty." In the corrected page, the phrase, "or even, perhaps, the contempt," has been omitted. F&ar of Publfo Outory. In his amended pages Dr Bean includes new material in support of his contention that Lloyd George, rather than endanger his Ministry by giving an outright' direction to Haig, had adopted measures (the withholding of reinforceonents) which, in Haig's opinion, would endanger the British front. Farlier in fche volume Dr Bean mentioned the Cabinet's fear of public outcry against interference with the generals. Dr Bean, in his corrected pages, vvrites : "That these measures (the withholding of reinforcements) 1 'left Haig's army weaker than it might have been is undoubted. How many men could have been sent to France before March 21 is not known, but nearly 200,000 (including many under 19) were sent in the month following. Between November 1 and February 28 each British division in France received on an avei'age 3626 infantry; each Australian division, despite the shortage of Australian recruits, 5616. If in DCcember the British Government had (as Winston Churchill wished a.t the time) frankly prohibited Hajg from attacking, and thereafter strained every nerve to support his defensive measures, the result of March 21 might have been far aifferent. Both the Third and the Fifth armies wculd have been. stronge'r, and the Third, at least, might have stopped th© Germans at the battle zone, "It is true that the positive contribution of Lloyd George to the solution of the Allies' difiiculties in this crisis was very great. He fought for the Allied reserve and for unity of coinmand — both, as it proved, vital factors in the final victory. But his brilliant gffts were largely -vyasted through the obliquity of his methods."