Evening star., 1911-06-11

will induce the government to substitute
platitudes for armor plate. gush for guns
and dreams of universal peace for dread
noughts costing couple of million
pounds each. The Emperor William Is a
sincere friend of England, devoted to the
memory of Queen Victoria and warmly
attached to his English relatives Never
! theless, his majesty's visit to this coun-
try has furthered the designs of the Ger
man general staff by bringing once more
to the tapis the dangerous notion that
the downfall of England is not the SUI
preme and insistent aim of German pol
icy.
The Emperor Williams visit was nota-
BILE for the conversation in Lord Hal
danes house with Mr.. Ramsay Macdon-
ald the socialist leader. Mr.. Ramsay
Macdonald is in the running for the pre-
, , miership, and the cleverest politician In
the house of commons. Mr.. Winston
Churchill is we'll aware of the fact. When
Mr.. Asouith is successfully shunted him
self Mr. Winston Churchilrs succession
to the premiership is endangered more by
Mr.. Ramsey Macdonald than by any
other member of parliament outside the
charmed circle of those who have reacn-
ed cabinet rank.
Mr. Ramsay Macdonald's reception by
the German emperor is significant OF
much. but principally of the practical
assistance the honorable member may
render to the German general stan by
impressing upon the manual laborers or
! England the beauty of peace and the
cheapness of pacific language In compari-
son with "militarism" and superdread-
noughts. The German emperorS visit
was a splendid success for Germany. be-
cause the emotional and sentimental side
Of Londoners was successfully exploited
by the astute cosmopolitans who have
finally concluded to back Germany In the
coming struggle.
Interest in Kitchener.
So much is written upon the army and
to understand why it is that the Eng
lish public is prevented by the cult of
convention from learning the naked truth
about national defense 1t knows in
a dim way that Lord Kitchener Is one
OF the best orga nizers in the world; that
he has refused the Mediterranean COM
mand and inspector generalshlp OF the
army. but it does not know why Lord
Kitchener is left out in the cold while
petuating state of things which will
inevitably repeat the disasters Of the
South African war. but on q much larger
scale The real reason why Lord kitch-
ener cannot be employed seriously Is be-
cause the effect Of his accession to power
must not only be the retirement of Lord
Haldane from the war office. but the ad-
vertisement of his costly. humiliating and
absolute lue iuUuoy WdStcu Oii
the territorial system is a great political
asset for the radical ministry. because
Lord Haldane is enabled to pose as the
savior of the people from the horrors of
conscription and the evils Of "militarism.'
Real Obstacle to Reform.
Lord Haldane has failed, and knows
that he has failed. He expected to leave
the war Office before the failure became
apparent. and his acceptance of a las
lordship points the way to the e10.OoO a
year Of the woolsack and the pension for
life Of $500 a. year. Should the Mo-
rocco trouble create a European con-
Migration we shall all be ready to accept
Lord Kitchener.s appointment as COM
postpone the construction OF fire engine
until the fire is well alight. The real OBJ
stacie to the reform OF the army Is the
unwill.neness of all politicians To admit
failure. and the party loyalty OF Lord
Haldane's colleagues in the cabinet to
minister who has egregiousiy failed. but
who has talked TIE country into the nal
lucinat'cn that ha has succeeded.
One last word on things beneath the
surface. No influence il, pubic life is
stronger at the present moment than
that OF queen Mar. Her reputation
for sound judgment. resolution and
craftsmanship has already grown. She
has a will OF iron. aud the effect of her
counsel upon the king. who is the weaker
of the two, and on the more intimate of
his advisers, can only be described as
profound. J.. II. MOORE.