It was officially announced last Saturday that the Government had
accepted with much regret Sir William Robertson's resignation of his post as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Sir William Robertson at once informed the Press that he had not resigned. The official statement said that the extension of the functions of the British military representative at Versailles necessitated a limitation of the special powers exercised by the Chief of the General Staff under the Order in Council of January 27th, 1916. Sir William Robertson had been offered his choice between the Versailles post and the Whitehall post under the new conditions, and had declined both. Sir Henry Wilson had been appointed his successor as Chief of the General Staff. It was announced on Monday that Sir William Robertson had been offered and had accepted the Eastern Command. On Tuesday it was stated that Sir Henry Rawlinson had been nominated as our military representative at Versailles, very largely on the recommendation of Sir Douglas Haig, under whom he has served for a long time.
