The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1918. THE CRISIS AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1918. THE CRISIS AT HOME.

It is to be hoped the resignation, or dismissal, of Sir Wra- "Robertson as Chief of Staff will bring to a head the trouble that has' been seething for some time in connection with the situation' created by the establishment of a united Allies' control of war operations at Versailles. There is a section of British politicians who are "up against" the control of the supreme War Council, and evidently this section has been backing Sir Wm. Robertson. The latter has done yeoman service in the past, and is entitled to-the gratitude of the nation, but if it is necessary in order to achieve speedy victory to have a united control, no one man, no matter how high up he may be, is justified in sticking out and saying "remove me at your peril." Such a course is unworthy of a man like Sir William Robertson, who, being a soldier, should set an example in loyal service to his country, and obedience. Of course he is entitled to his own opinions, and could resign by way of protest. But it should end there. Instead, it appears as if he point blank refused to accept the position of British military representative at Versailles or to continue to be Chief of the General Staff under the new covi 'Hions. General Robertson has set himself against the Prime Minister, who represents tKc nation, There can be no question as to who shall rule. That point was decided centuries ago. Divided control has been responsible for our failure, up till now, to achieve victory. We do not want any more detached action. We want collective action. Unless we get it absolutely and systematically, instead of winning the war we shall lose it. Unity of action is the very bedroqk of victory. It must be secured at any cost. It is for tfte Cabinets to order and for soldiers to obey. Up till now it is known that though the machinery of the Versailles War Cotincil has been in motion since it was established just after the Italian disaster—which exposed the fatuity and grave .danger of the Allies going their separate ways—certain officers high up in the British army had not given their sympathetic adherence to its decisions. They opposed the idea of interference, even from such a supreme institution as the Allies' War Council, and passive resistance of this kind is more difficult to deal with than open defiance. With loyal obedience strategical unity can be obtained through the Versailles Council. Tactical unity is on a different footing. In counsel three heads are better than .one; in battle one head Is better than three. Napoleon once said that "one bad general is worth two good ones" No three men can expect to see eye to eye on the battlefield. When a battle is in progress agreement or disagreement may make the difference between victory or defeat. For the past eighteen months or more we have had the numerical superiority on our side, 'but we have don<- nothing decisive. The reason is that there was little or no co-ordina-tion among the British, French, and Italian armies. For that statement we have Mr- Lloyd George's own authority. They were at sixes and sevens. We had the power and failed to use it, except in local fighting. We made a certain amount of progress on the British front, but did nothing to force a decision. Now from the North Sea to the Adriatic Sea there is one strategical front, and only one. It is as well, for the Germans see that the only chance remaining to them is to strike and cut our line. We have to be prepared not only to resist such a movement but to counter it, and how can that be done' unless there is complete unity at the head. ? Lord Sydenham stated the position fairly and concisely wlwa lie said that domestic reasons

would force Germany to make a great attack, which may cover lf>o miles of front, and instant decisions will be essential, and that either a generalissimo had to he appointed or executive power conferred on the Versailles Council. We cannot afford to go 011 as we have been doing. Time, we are told, is on the side of the Allies. But it has been our enemy in the case of Russia, and probably of Bou■mania. It almost robbed us of Italy, too. We want to finish the war at the earliest possible moment, for reasons that are obvious, and we cannot rest 011 our oars for a feingle week. A united control gives us a chance wc never possessed before. General Robertson has fallen from his former high pedestal in taking up an attitude that, from the news we have so far received, is as puerile as it is unpatriotic. The Empire's very life is at stake, the future of civilisation is in peril, and no one man's opinions or whims can he allowed to stand in the way of the overthrow of the enemy.