Being anxious to avoid a break-up of the Government in
the national interest, Mr. Asquith met Mr. Lloyd George and dis- cussed the situation-to find out if an accommodation were possible. They differed not only as to the necessity of the Prime Minister sitting on the War Committee, but as to the composition of the Committee. A provisional arrangement was oome to by which Mr. Asquith would remain in supreme control Though he would not be a member of the War Committee, he would receive a daily report from it; could attend it if he wished; and would have an absolute veto. Such was the situation when he was surprised to read an article in the Times commenting on the suggestion that he should be excluded from the War Committee as though it were a matter of common knowledge. "There was," said Mr. Asquith, " a breach of confidence " ; but he fully aoquitted Mr. Lloyd George of being responsible for it. The next step was that he wrote to Mr. Lloyd George saying- that he could not adhere to the proposed plan if he were to be exposed to the misunderstanding that he was merely an " irresponsible spectator" of the war.
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