The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-06
GREAT BRITAIN IN
 PECULIAR POSITION
Unprecedented Situation Has Arisen Over the Resignation of Premier Campbell Zimmerman Which Leaves the Country Without Minister Cabnet-Kng Edward Will Prob
 ably Appoint Herbert H Asquith Prime Minister

London. April 5.-Great Britain tonight is in a peculiar position, being without either premier or ministry. The long ex- pected resignation of Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman, the prime minister, was or- ficially announced. According to the court circular he resigned on the urgent recom- mendation of his medical advisors. As the constitution of the country provides no automatic successor it rests with the King to choose a new head of the government, and. as in accordance with custom and precedent, the whole cabinet resigns with the premier, no step to appoint ministry can be taken until Herbert H. Asquitn the chancellor of the exchequer. who has been summoned to Biarritz for the pur- pose. has seen the King.
 The position of the country is quite un- precedented, there being no previous ex- ample of a change occurring in the pre- miershlp while the sovereign was abroad. On this account the course of procedure to be followed is in some doubt
 Sir Henry's condition remains un- changed according to the physicians bull letin posted today The King, in tele- graphing his acceptance of the premier's resignation. conveyed an expression of his regret and esteem. with best wishes for Sir Henry's recovery.
 Chancellor Asquith who has been act ing premier for some time past, will leave for Biarritz probably tomorrow morning. At a cabinet meeting this morning. spe- cially called he submitted the premiers resignation and the situation was fully discussed.
 Although so long anticipated the actual announcement of the premier's resgna- tion had not been looked for some days yet, and comes somewhat as a surprise to the country.
 Dramatic Phase.
 The resignation of Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman, the first liberal prime minis ter of England since Lord Roseberry gave up office in 1895, has it's dramatic phase, for as he passes from the stage the mixed forces which he held together as party appear also to be approaching the end of political power. The Banner man government it has been stated, com bined too many factions and too many fads; all the elements to opposition to conservatism and of discontentt in making common cause against the old govern ment, and when joined together in Ell ad- niinistration a working team of home rulers, laborites, socialists, liberal im- perialists and little Englanders" was found nigh impossible. But it speaks much for Bannermans leadership that the disintegration of his party has gone on so much more swiftly since the attack of heart trouble which last fall removed him from the possibility of active leader ship.
 Sir Henry was not only the leader of the House of Commons, but also it's father, for he represented Stirling with out Interruption ever since he entered the house in 1868, at the age of g. Throughout his political life he has been a consistent and staunch advocate of radicalism and his political faith has never waVered.
 Varied Experience.
 His early years in Parliament were not eventful. He had a varied experi-