Tasker Howard Bliss to Henry P. McCain

CABLEGRAM NO. 3CO
Received at the War Department, Washington,February 18, 1918, 8:50 A.M.
From Trianon Versailles.

To The Adjutant General, Washington.

Number 30 February 17th
Confidential.
For Acting Chief of Staff.
The cause of the resignation of the British Chief of Staff, announced in the press this morning, is not well understood, but ostensibly is the following. The Supreme War Council unanimously agreed, with concurrence of all military authorities including Gen. Sir Douglas Haig and General Sir William Robertson, on the creation of an Interallied General Reserve. The American proposition to have one commander of the reserve was rejected by all military and political authorities of England, France and Italy. By final unanimous agreement it was decided to place control of the Inter Allied General Reserve in the hands of a committee consisting of the British, Italian and American representatives on the Supreme War Council with General Foch, French Chief of Staff as head of Committee. It was also decided that when the time should come for the Reserve to be placed at the disposition of any particular Commander in Chief, the orders to each National contingent in the Reserve to report to such Commander in Chief should be given by the corresponding National Representative on General Foch's Committee. The British orders in council dated January 27th 1916 make the British Chief of Staff responsible for the issuance of all orders from his government relating to military operations. He apparently holds that orders to the British contingent in the inter allied general reserve must be given by him which would result in much loss of time since he can not be present. It is possible that the difficulty would not have arisen had the French Chief of Staff not been made head of the Committee controlling the reserve. The Prime Ministers agreed among themselves to give this position to General Foch and no objection was made by any British Military Official. Real facts will probably come out in announcements by Mr. Lloyd George in House of Commons early this week. Had the American suggestions been accepted of having the Commanders in Chief agree on one commander for the Reserve, assisted by an inter allied General Staff, there would probably have been no trouble. Its acceptance was prevented by fear of the use which a single commander might make of the reserve.
Bliss.
Copy for Acting Chief of Staff.
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