§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the Prime Minister whether it is proposed to create for naval operations an Allied Naval Council on similar lines to the Allied Council which has been formed for military operations?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI can add nothing to the replies which I gave to supplementary questions on this subject on Monday last.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWhy in regard to the Navy is a method followed different from that in regard to the Army? Has the War Cabinet taken into consideration the fact that the American and Japanese navies are thousands of miles away from the scene of conflict, except for a few destroyers?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Prime Minister is going to make a statement on this subject to-day. Perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will put his supplementary question to him.
§ 65. Major DAVID DAVIESasked the Prime Minister whether it is proposed that the Army commanders on the various Fronts will remain directly responsible to their various Governments, or whether they will act in future under the direction of the Military Inter-Allied War Council?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWA statement will be made by the Prime Minister at the end of Questions, on this subject.
§ Mr. ASQUITHI beg to ask the Prime Minister a question of which I have given him Private Notice—
Whether he will now state to the House what are the precise functions of the proposed Inter-Allied Council, and in particular of its Military Staff;
Whether it is proposed that the Council is, if so advised by its Staff, to have power to interfere with or override the opinion on matters of strategy of the General Staff at home, and of the Commanders-in-Chief in the field;
Whether the Military Staff of the Inter-Allied Council is to have Intelligence and Operations Departments, or either of them, of its own;
Whether the ultimate decision as to the distribution and movements of the various Armies in the field is to rest with the Council, or with the Governments represented upon it;
And whether an early opportunity will be given to the House for discussing the proposed arrangements and the statements made in connection therewith in the Prime Minister's Paris speech?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Lloyd George)The best way for me to answer this question is to read to the House the actual terms of the agreement between the French, Italian, and British Governments for the creation of a Supreme War Council for the Allies.
From the foregoing it will be clear that the Council will have no executive power, and that the final decisions in matters of strategy and as to the distribution anti movements of the various Armies in the field will rest with the several Governments of the Allies. There will be, therefore, no Operations Department attached to the Council. The permanent Military Representatives will derive from the existing Intelligence Departments of the Allies all the information necessary in order to enable them to submit advice to the Supreme Allied Council. The object of the Allies has been to set up a central body charged with the duty of continuously surveying the field of operations as a whole and, by the light of information derived from all fronts and from all Governments and Staffs, of co-ordinating the plans prepared by the different General Staffs, and, if necessary, of making proposals of their own for the better conduct of the War. Should the House desire an opportunity of discussing this important subject and my Paris speech, the Government would propose set aside Monday next for the purpose.
- 1. With a view to the better co-ordination of military action on the Western Front, a Supreme War Council is created, composed of the Prime Minister and a Member of the Government of each of the Great Powers whose Armies are fighting on that front. The extension of the scope of the Council to other fronts is reserved for discussion with the other Great Powers.
- 2. The Supreme War Council has for its mission to watch over the general conduct of the War. It prepares recommendations for the decision of the Governments, and keeps itself informed of their execution, and reports thereon to the respective Govenments.
- 3. The General Staffs and Military Commands of the Armies of each Power charged with the conduct of military operations remain responsible to their respective Governments.
390 - 4. The general War plans drawn up by the competent military authorities are submitted to the Supreme War Council, which, under the high authority of the Governments, ensures their concordance, and submits, if need be, any necessary changes.
- 5. Each Power delegates to the Supreme War Council one permanent Military Representative, whose exclusive function is to act as technical adviser to the Council.
- 6. The Military Representatives receive from the Government and the competent military authorities of their country all the proposals, information and documents relating to the conduct of the War.
- 7. The Military Representatives watch day by day the situation of the Forces, and the means of all kinds of which the Allied Armies and the Enemy Armies dispose.
- 8. The Supreme War Council meets normally at Versailles, where the permanent Military Representatives and their Staffs are established. They may meet at other places as may be agreed upon, according to the circumstances. The meetings of the Supreme War Council will take place at least once a month.