Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-24
EDW ARD KING INDEED
He Takes Hand In Forming
 New Cabinet ...
LONG CONFERENCES AT HdLNORAL.
DeternainatiOn Not to Assent to Pre- micr's Appointments Until As- aured That They WiE Pc
 For Empires Good. ~N

micr's ,ApDointrnen ents Until As- aured That They wil7 Pc For Empires Good. ~ LONDON, Sept. 24.-The political cri- sis has taken. on phase which lends to the present situation a historical and constitutional importance of al- most unprecedented interest. The king has interfered, not unconstatutionally or beyond the powers vested in the crown, but in the exercise of his pre- negatives, to an extent never dreamed of in the Victorian era.
 Premier Balfourfs continued presence at BalmoraI has given rise to much surmise land comment, but it may be stated definitely that it is due to the kings determination not to assent to the formation of a new cabinet until thoroughly satisfied that it's personnel and combination is such as to insure the efficient carrying on of the affairs of the empire pending the resumption of parliament. @
 For years previous cabinets were formed or ministerial vacancies filled with the mere formal presentation to the sovereign of the names of the new ministers. King Edward has done away with this tradition. He has spent the last few days in constant discussion with Mr. Balfour as to the advisa bility from the point of view of the national welfare of the latter's Suggested ap- pointments. Ministers now holding of been summoned to Balmoral to join in these conferences, and all have been subjected to a degree of interrogation such as has surprised even those who knew King Edward intimately as Prince of Wales.
 To such an extent is King Edward holding his power of veto in reserve that now he is almost regarded by the inner circles as more the cabinet maker than MT. Balfour himself. Though, with his usual tact, the king has re- trained from expressing any political views or infringing the initiative be- longing to the ministers, this has not prevented him from expressing his gen uine desire, amounting almost to a command, that steps be taken to reme- dy the scandals in the army admfnis- tration revealed by the report of the South African war commission and in sisting that the new cabinet shall be one adapted to deal with that question.
 After the long converse tions he has had during the last few days at Bal moral with Lord Lansdowne, MT. Brod- rick, Lord Esher, who was president of the South African war commission; Lieutenant General Sir T. Kelly Ken ny and other military authorities the king is said to have expressed the opin- ion that Lord LansdoWne's record as war secretary was due more to the badness of the system then in vogue than to any defect in Lord Lans- downe's own judgment.
 King Edward has not shared the keen public indignation against Lord Lansdowne aroused by the report of the South African war commission, and after minute examination of the circumstances he is understood to have consented to his iordship continuing as foreign minister.
 This decision has not prevented his majesty from frankly telling the min isters that he wanted something done to improve the military muddle and that he hoped some man would be ap- pointed who, with the commission's re- port as basis, would be capable of changing the system which rendered inefdciency unavoidable
 The question of having some general, notably Lord Kitchener as head of the war office has been kaenly discussed at Balnoral between the king and the ministers, but 1t is understood that the consensus of opinion was that such an appointment would be interpreted as a modified form of military dictator ship which the public would never sanction.
 Dealing with the surmise upon some of the foregoing points, the Morning Advertiser says: "The king has in this national emergency resolved to play the part of a ruler instead of being content with that of f1gurehead" Meantime every detail of the negotia- tions for filling up the vacancies in the cabinet are submitted to the king, who for. the time being has transformed Baimorai into the political center of the empire, from which, owing to the unusual influences at work, several surprises may emanate. Whatever the results may, be, they can safely be at tributed to large extent to the kings interest in the crisis.