Evening star., 1913-07-13

A.nuith now prime minister made Nc
Kenna president of the board of educa-
ton in succession to Augustn birrell,
with a seat in the cabinet. membership
in the privy council and the title OF right
honorable, and 1t is doubtful II in the
whole course of his career bigger mis-
take than this ever has been made by
the present premier. The famous educa-
tion bill prepared by the present secre-
tary of state for Ireland had been bril-
liant failure: the successor to IT, which
McKenna evolved. proved Verltaple
travesty of legislation, and Its speedy
and enforced withdrawal was q bad thing
for the governments face. Its author s
besettng weakness, the lack OF moral
courage which makes him trim his sails
to the strongest wind. no matter from
what quarter it blows, was responsible
for his initial failure. which he promptly
followed with a greater one in the shape
Of a second bill even worse than the first.
This would have ended the career of
most men. but the prime minister's faith
in his friend rose superior to experience.
Instead of reducing McKenna to some
purely ornamental post, he gave him one
of the biggest jobs in the empire by max
ing him ruler of the kings navee. In
other words. first lord of the admiralty,
with a salary of s22,5oo year. At the
time, a satirist suggested that Mckenna
was selected for the post because, as an
ex-oarsman, he was the only one OF the
cabinet that knew one end or boat
from the other but II this was the prime
minister's reason, he might better have
selected the veriest landlubber among his
official family.
McKenna's administration of his new
post was failure only less complete than
= Tt -k~-t ttovH ~ ha
home secretary. He Is always terribly
afraid of somebody. As president of the
education board. he tried to please all
parties, through fear Of them. and ended
by pleasing none. AS home secretary ne
has failed to enforce the law, first through
fear of the labor party, and latteriy
through fear OF the suffragettes. and as
first lord of the admiralty he failed
through fear Of the economists In his own
party.
Things In the world of education had
about reached crisis when McKenna
took hold; q naval crisis with Germany
likewise found this arch-muddler at the
helm. BY this time he was execrated
throughout the fleet, whose admirals
snubbed him when he came In the admir-
atty yacht Enchantress on worrying Off
cial visits Of inspection, and the mention
Of his name all but threw that doughty
seadog Sir Charles Beresford into convul-
sions.
The course OF cheeseparing economy
which McKenna insisted on, pursued at
the behest Of the little navy" party, was
mainly responsible for this aversion. like
wise for the notorious unpreparedness of
the feet for war when 1t was touch and
go between Germany and Britain last
summer. Ship after ship was found to be
manned in paper only. the vessels being
equipped with nucleus crews, and the
revelation Of this state of affairs spelled
the inevitable doom OF McKenna as first
lord. Meanwhile, controversies without
number had arisen in connection with ma
val policy, the titular ruler Of the king S
navee showing up worse in each one OF
them, while smashing blow to McKen-
mas fast crumbling reputation was given
by his quibbling in the famous Archer