FRENCH'S REVELATIONS.
fAUSTRALIAN i£ N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, May 13. , Lord French, in the “Daily Telegraph,” has further criticisms of Lord Kitchener in connection with French’s efforts to effect a speedy move north when the fall of Antwerp became evident. He says: “Lord Kitchener did not make things easy for me. He was ■■ keenly desirous to influence the course of operations. His telegrams quickly followed one another, • each containing \ decisions regard’ng the local situation, iof which he could know little. For instance he told me he was communicating with General Joffre and the French i Government. I was unaware of wliat 1 was passing between them. At the same time he was urging me to make what I knew to be impracticable suggestions to General Joffre. I must repudiate any responsibility for what happened in the North in the first ten days of October. Lord Kitchener explicitly told me that the British were | not under my command, wiring “Don’t i for the present, be considered part of your force.” I certainly would have . made different dispositions of these , troops and I regret that I must record !my deliberate opinion that the best which could have been done throughout the critical situation was not done, owi ing entirely to Lord Kitchener's en- ( deavour to unite in himself the distinct j roles of Cabinet Minister and Comrnan- : der in Chief.” | Lord French quotes a telegram, i wherein it was even demanded by Lord i Kitchener, whether General Rawlinson ' regarded himself as under his orders, j Lord French proceeds: “When Antwerp was threatened, Lord Kitchener, unknown to me, arranged for General Joffre to send one or two French terri- ■ torial divisions to act with the marines. It was perfectly clear that the operations for the relief of Antwerp should never have been directed from London. Actually they had no influence on the fate of Antwerp. We coulcTequally as well have protected the Belgian retreat from safer and more effective directions. We might have saved Lille by landing forces on the oth of October at Calais or Boulogne. By deploying six or seven days later the Valley of the Lys might also have been saved, and Ostend and even Zoebrugge.”
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Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1919, Page 2
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366FRENCH'S REVELATIONS. Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1919, Page 2
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