WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 January 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ARRIVAL OF AUSTRIAN TROOPS

THE HAGUE, Jan 20,

The newspaper “Les Nouvelles” states that the Belgian province of Limburg is filled with Austrian troops wl|o arrived last week.

THE CAMBRAI INQUIRY.

DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED TO GENERAL SMUTS.

REPORT NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

January 21

In the House of Commons, Mr Bouar Law stated that all the documents connected with the Cambrai Enquiry had been submitted to the War Cabinet at whose request, General Smuts had examined them. General Smuts’ report was approved by the Cabinet. It was not subject to revision by Lord Derby or any army councillor. The decision not to publish the report was taken by the War Cabinet.

BRITISH CABINET CRITICISED,

SCATHING INDICTMENT BY COLONEL REPINGTON.

LONDON, January 21. The London “Star” publishes an interview with Col. Eepington, who said he had resigned his position as the London “Times” correspondent because it had hitherto been regarded as a great independent newspaper, with its columns open to criticism of the Government, the public servants, and the public institutions, as the country’s welfare demanded. It the present state of things was allowed to continue, only disaster could befall the country. The Government®- had lost

the confidence not only of Labour, but of the great majority. If the existing methods \eonjiiune, the military and naval services will be wrecked. If, instead of intriguing against its generals and admirals, the Government would inform the nation as to the seriousness of affairs, it might retrieve its position. The army was tired of and disgusted, with the inttrigucs, which sickened every decent-minded person. The army had seen one good man after another sacrificed to cover the politicians’ blunders and intrigues. Every time, an attempt was made to

shift the responsibility from the politician to the soldier. This campaign of slander and vilification was nauseating. Field-Marshal Haig’s despatch showed that the army’s handicap was due to the difficulty l experienced in securing drafts a sufficiently long time before the. divisions went into battle. Sir Douglas Haig had also made a report upon the Cambrai affair. The officers responsible were quite prepared to take any blame justly attributed to them, but the War Cabinet had again resorted to secrecy. Why not toll the public the truth?

MR. BONAR LAW HECKLED

LONDON, January 21

Mr. Bonar Law was heckled regarding the Cambrai affair. He said he was aware that there was a good deal of public dissatisfaction owing to the non-publication of a detailed account, but the War Cabinet had decided that it was not in the public interest to give more information.

Mr. J. M. Hogge asked if the soldiers from the front would prevented from telling the facts. Mr. Bonar Law replied: “If the rumours are the same as those'which have reached me, they are entirely unfounded.