SIR HUBERT GOUGH
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Set,—How far Mr. Lloyd George in his recent letter was animated by generosity to Sir Hubert Gough, and how far by a wish to strengthen his case against 'Haig, must remain a moot point. Its general effect, as evidenced in your issue of the 13th inst., has been to create a demand for abundant reparation to the commander of the Fifth Army.
Haig must indeed bear the main responsibility for our greatest defeat both on account of his position and of certain errors of judgement. For similar reasons Mr. Lloyd George must also be held to some extent accountable.
But failures on the part of the Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief do not absolve an Army Commander from responsibility. Gough might have insisted that weight, in due relation to that responsibility, should be given to his views. He could hardly indeed interfere in the question of the General Reserve. But it certainly lay within his province both to refuse to weaken his force by 10 per cent. on the eve of battle and to use discretion in the extent he followed the G.H.Q. policy of distribution in depth.
Before, therefore, special recompense is granted to the defeated commander, a committee might be appointed to discover how far the prevailing sentiment in his favour is
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