Editing H. H. Asquith (section)

===Maurice Debate===
{{main|Maurice Debate}}

On 7 May 1918 a letter from a serving officer, Major-General [[Frederick Maurice (British Army officer, born 1871)|Sir Frederick Maurice]], appeared in four London newspapers, accusing Lloyd George and Law of having [[Misleading of parliament|misled the House of Commons]] in debates the previous month as to the manpower strength of the army in France.{{sfn|Jenkins|p=467}} Asquith, who received a letter from Maurice on 6 May,{{sfn|Clifford|p=451}} and had also been in contact with the sacked Robertson,{{sfn|Woodward|pp=209–210}} with whom Maurice discussed the letter, called for a Select Committee of the House to investigate the charges.{{sfn|Clifford|p=453}}

In response to a private notice question, Law had offered a judicial inquiry, with Asquith free to choose the judges, but Asquith declined this offer on the evening of 7 May, thinking it contrary to the dignity of Parliament.{{sfn|Grigg 2002|p=493}} Prior to the debate, Asquith received a surprising communication (8 May) from [[H. A. Gwynne]], the editor of ''[[The Morning Post]]'', and previously a fervent opponent. "The effect of the Maurice letter, and your motion, must be the dissolution of the present government (and) your accession to power."{{sfn|Grigg 2002|p=494}} At this point "Asquith hated Lloyd George with a passion" but he did not want the premiership for himself.<ref>{{cite book|author=George H. Cassar|title=Lloyd George at War, 1916–1918|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEYE3jEf1lUC&pg=PA268|year=2009|publisher=Anthem|page=268|isbn=9781843317937|access-date=5 December 2018|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923023127/https://books.google.com/books?id=nEYE3jEf1lUC&pg=PA268|url-status=live}}</ref>

Asquith's opening speech on the Select Committee motion was lengthy and lacked punch. Bridgeman recorded, "He did not make much of a case, and did not even condemn Maurice's breach of the King's Regulations, for which he got a very heavy blow from L.G.".{{sfn|Bridgeman|p=132}} Lloyd George's one-and-a-quarter-hour-long reply was "a stunning solo display by the greatest rhetorician of his age"{{sfn|Adams|p=272}} in which he threatened the House with the inevitable political consequence of a vote for Asquith's motion. "... if this motion is carried, he [Asquith] will again be responsible for the conduct of the War. Make no mistake!"{{sfn|Grigg 2002|p=498}}

John Ramsden summed up the opinion in the House of Commons: "Lloyd George's lies were (preferred to) Asquith's half-measures."{{sfn|Ramsden|p=115}} The motion was defeated by 293 votes to 106, more an "utter rejection of Asquith, than (a) wholehearted endorsement of Lloyd George",{{sfn|Grigg 2002|p=499}} and the latter's position in Parliament was not seriously threatened for the remainder of the War.