GENERAL MAURICE AND THE GOVERNMENT.

SERIOUS CRISIS. QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE.

Another Parliamentary situation of an even more acute character than the last has suddenly arisen in connection with General Maurice’s grave charges against the Government of having made “misstatements giving a totally misleading impression of what occurred” recently on the Western front. The method in which the Government propose to deal with the .matter was explained to the Commons yesterday by the Leader of the House, but it did not satisfy Mr. Asquith, who, later in the day, gave notice of the following motion:

That a Select Committee of this House be appointed to inquire into the allegations of incorrectness in certain statements of Ministers of the Crown to this House, contained in a letter by Major-general Sir Frederick Maurice, late Director of Military Operations, and published in the Press on May 7.

This will come up for discussion to-morrow, and unless the Government agree to abide by the verdict of the House they will necessarily have to treat it as a direct Vote of Confidence.

Mr. Bonar Law assured the House that the Government had no desire to burke the question, but entirely agreed that the charges ought to be met at once. They proposed, therefore, that two judges should act as a Court of Honour and report as soon as possible. So anxious was Mr. Bonar Law that the House should be united on the subject that he offered to place the selection of the judges in the hands of Mr. Asquith. Mr. Asquith, however, was not to be moved from his purpose by compliments. His only answer was that the matter required to be discussed on a formal motion, and he asked for a day. His attitude was cautious and reserved. Evidently he wanted to explore the ground before committing himself, and his motion was the result of taking counsel with his friends.