Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-24
LONDON NEWS.
King Edward Takes a Hand in
South African Affairs.
Lord Cromer tie Probable Successor
of Lord Salisbury.
General Baden .Po vel. Hs7J Of Ma'ehing Gets
the Cold Shoulder.


home from the continent the other day.
writes Ralph ID. Blumcniield to the
Pittsburs Dispatch, ana found the ship
of state tiou.G.ring about without a
pilot.
The primo minister had gone to the
south of France to rest ANA leCuper-
ate: the ministers Of state We're 1T their
various country seats or shooting
boxes: Lord Roberts. the commander
in-chicf, was busy opening bazaars and
distributing iunumcrabie w&r medals TO
returned volunteers. and the royal pest
bag was damned 10 Overlooking with
protests from His Majesty's personal
friends about the way things were be-
ing allowed to drift.
The poor king was il Il desperate
mood. The news from the seat of war
was dispiriting enough il every respect
and to this VAS added a report tEat
Lord Kitchener had decided to give up
his command if the government insist
cd upon interfering With his plans for
the winding up Of the campaign. Then
came one OF those privileged persons
who know how to speak their minds
even in the presence Of the sovereign,
and told him that he was largely to
blame for the present state of affairs:
that if he had taken a more serious in
terest in the conduct of the war the
present impasse would not have oC
Cured and that, in short. he would
have TO be his own prime minister or
else appoint one who would look after
the nations interests with intelligence
and energy.
KING HIS OWN PRIME MINISTER.
In sheer desperation the king sent
for Mr.. Brodrick, the war minister. and
asked for a complete statement of the
situation, and l am informed that, for
once. Mr.. Brodrick did noI find occasion
to hide his meaning in the ambiguous
terms which he is 50 fond of employ
ing. The kings attitude absolutely
forbade clubbing and il is certain that
The jaunty war minister did not en-
Joy his audience What viii be the re-
suit of the kings determination re-
mains to be seen. but l think ii is now
certain that Lord Kitchener will not
have reason 10 complain for the pres
ent, at least. OF home interference in
his plans. If it has done nothing else
fact that the king will in future, be his
own prime minister and that Lord sal
isbury will be allowed to decorate the
Office impassivcly until after the cor
onation After that | am at loss to
imagine who can be selected for the
place.
A SLEEPY MAN INTOLEKABLE
uraI and most logical successor TO the
aged statesman, who is now enjoying
the salubrious air of the Riviera. but
he, too, is aging fast ana will shortly
have reached his 1Jth birthday. an age,
which, a few years ago. was considered
tit and proper for prime minister. but
which even the British people have
discovered is better suited for the re-
tirement of Il country home and the
cultivation of philosophical studies
rather than the trying cXactiunS of a
diplomatic post. Socially, politically
and financially. the Duke of Devon
shire would be an ideal prime minister.
but doubt if he would prove equal to
the task at this stage. Whenever he
appears in public nowadays he looks
bored to the last extreme. At public.
dinners he generally manages TO 90 to
sleep between the soup and the fish and
again between the cntrce and the joint.
and certainly the state of the country
cannot stand Il somnolcnt prime min
lister just now.
Then there is MI Balfour. who is Il
scholarly Speakcr-and a good golf
player. He has tn" esteem and regard
g
Of Commons, and even the Irish mem
bcrs speak of him in a subdued and
softened tone. but if he were to be
made Prime minister the affairs of the
nation would be settled on the golf
links, and | am certain that there
would be 4 public outcry which could
not be resisted.
MOST POPJLAE MD MOST
HATED
AS for Mr.. Chamberlain YOU may
take it as an absolute certainty that he
VIII never succeed to Office. for the
simple but paradoXical reason that he
is perhanS the most hated and at the
same time the most popular man in
England today. The public adore him
because ne is the embodiment of the
lingo spirit. He stands for what they
are picaSed to term expansion and
progress and high spirits He is not
called PuShful Joe" for nothing but
MS misfortune is that he does not pos
sess me confidence of the political lead
erS. The bureaucracy is arrayei
against him to man and The. aristoc-
racy loithe and fear him Such a
man III power would mean destruction
~ an their pet ideals, and so il is a oer-
tdlftE that Mr.. Chamberlain will not
De called upon to grace the post which
mas oeeh held by so many great states
men FOR man, generations.
| do not think it necessary ia stat.
mat Lord CurZon of KedIestone will
not De asked to succeed Lord Sails
purN. He WAS sent to India because
mat was his raturd sphere of activity
ana because b. removing him the great
men OF the party managed to get rid
Of a particularly trying and energetic
young man those pletensions might
nave made him a dangerous rival even
70 the portfolio which is now 30 eagerly
sought