Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-10-01
GIVEN A SURPRISE
KING EDWARD TAKES HAND IN
CABINET CRISIS.
Said to BE Using His Power of
Veto in Very Unexpected Man.
ner and will Refuse to Allow
Any Unfit Man to Serve--Arny
Scandals to Be Probed.


STA has taken on phase which lends to
the present situation a historical and
constitutional importance of almost nm
precedented interest. The king has in
terfered, not uncnnstitutionally nor be-
You'd the powers vested in the crown.
but in the exercise of his prerogative to
an extent never dreamed of in the Vic
torian era.
Premier Balfour's continued presence
at Balmoral has given rise to much sur
mise and comment, but the Associated
Press is able to state definitely that it
is the kings determination not to as
sent to the formation of a new cabinet
unless entirely satisfied that its person
nal and combination is such as to IN
sure the efficient carrying out of ma
tional affairs pending tle resumption
of parliament.
For years previous cabinets were APP
pointed or ministerial vacancies filled
by the mere presentation to the sover-
eign of the names of the new ministers.
King Edward has done away with this
tradition. He has spent the last few
days in constant conference with Mr..
Balfour as to the advisability, from the
point Of view of the welfare of the ma
ton, of the latter's suggested appoint
ments.
Questions the Ministers.
Ministers now holding office and
those nominated for office have been
summoned to Balmoral to join in these
conferences and all have been subject.
ed to degree OF interrogation such as
has surprised even those who knew
King Edward intimately as the Prince
of Wales. To such An extent is the
king holding lis power of veto in re-
serve that he is now almost regarded
by the inner circles as more the cabinet
maker than Mr.. Balfour himself.
Though with his usual tact the king
has RETAINED from expressing any po-
litical views or infringements on the
ministers prerogatives this has not
prevented him from expressing his de-
eiree, amounting to almost command,
that steps be taken to remedy the scan-
dals in the army revealed by the report
of the South African war commission,
and insisting that the new cabinet
shall be one adapted to deal with That
question.
After the long conversations he has
had within the last few days at Bal
moral with Lord Lansdowne and Mr..
Broderick, Lord Eeher, who was presi-
dent of the South African war commits
sion; Lieut.. Gen. kenney-Kelley and
other military authorities, the king is
said to have expressed the opinion that
Lord Lansdowne's record az war secre-
tary was due more to the badness of
the system then in vogue than to any
defect in Lord Lansdowne's own judy
mert
King Edward has not shared the keen
public indignation against Lord Lans.
downe aroused by the report of the
South African war comm ission, and af-
ter minute examination of the cir
cumstances he il understood to have
consented to his lordship continuing as
foreign minister. This decision has not
not prevented his majesty from telling
the ministers that he wanted some
thing done to improve the military
muddle and that he hoped some man
would be appointed who with the CON-
mission s report as basis would be ca
pable of changing the system which
rendered inefiiciency unavoidable.
Consider Gen. Kitchener.
The question: OF having some general,
notably Lord Kitchener, ga head of the
war office, has been discussed at Bal
moral. but the Associated Press under
stands that the concensus of opinion
was that such an appointment would be
interpreted as modified form of mill
tary dictatorship, which the public
would net sanction. Meantime every
detail of the negotiations for filling the
vacancies IN the cabinet is submitted to
the king, who for the time being has
transformed Balmoral into the political
center Of the empire, from which, ow-
ing to the unusual influences at work,
several surprises may emanate. What
ever the results may he they can be at
tributei to large extent to the king 9
IN, hn ricic