REPLYING TO CRITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1917, Page 2

REPLYING TO CRITICS.

IN THE COMMONS. Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 13th. In the House of Commons Hon. Bonar Law in replying to criticism said one of tlie most gratifying stories of tho , war was the recovery from the' initial mis takes made in Mesopotamia and tho brilliant operations which led to the capture of Jerusalem. v If an attack were made upon Salonika ho assured the House we had tho situation in hand. * > Tho report of a set-back at Cambrai were exaggerated, because exaggerated hopes were first entertained from our > advance. The German surprise was one of the inevitable accidents of war. Tho Government would make enquiries and act accordingly. Cabinet would not favour any officers retention if circumstance* showed he"should not he retained. ,He admitted that the police raids on Pacifist organisation had failed to produce direct evidence of Gorman influence or that money from wealthy peace cranks, had supplied them with money. Government was determined to deal with Pacifist leaflets which had adopted the German view of the origin of the war, and recklessly exaggerated the present position and casualties. GERMANY AND GREECE. Reuter’s Telegrams. . Received, tKs day at 8.45 a.m. LONDON December 13. In the Commons Hon. Bonar Law declared that but for our force at Salonika it was absolutely certain that tne Germans would have been in complete possession of Greece, and the whole of the Balkan peninsula. If the Germans attacked Salonika we had a United Greece on our side. Greek troop* were traininig to co-operate with our forces, and he ventured to prophesy that if an attack was made, the result would not be the return of Constantine in triumph to the throne of Greece. IN A CRITICAL MOOD. Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. LONDON December 13. Dillon in criticising the reverse at Cambrai declared that incompetent generals were being retained in command. He declared that a feeling was growing up that the people at top wer© not treated in the senme way as privates.

HON. BONAR. LAW’B BEI'ENGF,

(Received This Day at 10.15. a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 13.

Hon. A. Bonar Law continued:— The first thing Cabinet did on hearing, of the Camhrai set-back, was to instruct General Haig to sond a full report of what had happened, and the cause thereof. Ho did not wish the House to suppose that Government would prejudge the question. Government and the military authorities wendetermined to find the whole truth about it. Hon. Bonar Law doprefiaod the talk about the classing between soldiers and politicians. If anything went wrong, it was the Government, not those whom they appointed whom the world hold responsible. There must be good feeling on one side and commonsense on the other. >