The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-27
Chief of Staff and Adju-
tant-General Both
Resign.
MAY BE INDUCED
TO RECONSIDER
Government Still Faces Situation
of Extreme Difficulty, and AS
quith Postpones Promised
Statement to Parliament.
Seely to Change Port
folios With Harcourt.

i'pillpl!. -bdEcu -p.--I nat luS gov
ernmcnt still Is facing q situation of
extreme difficulty is proved by the fact
that Tremicr Asquith was not In a po-
sition tonight TO make his promised
statement in Parliament. and 1t con-
sequently was postponed until to-
morrow.
The air is full of cxtravagant rumors.
port that Colonel Seely after all is to
Quit th" War Office by an exchange
OF portfolios with Lewis liarcourt, Sec
rctary for the Colonies.
The only new facts in the situation
to-day We're found in tho resignation
Of Field. Marshal Sir John French, chief
John Spencer Ewart. adjutant-gcneral.
from the army council. Rumors that
other members OF the army council
have resigned could not be confirmed
tween Buckingham Palace, the War
Office and Downing Street were carried
known that the strongest efforts were
being adopted to induce Field Marshal
French and General Ewart to recon-
slider. The Prime Minister called n hur-
residence after it was decided to post
pone the statement TO Parliament.
Later IL was announced with n show
Of authority that both French and
Ewart at last had consented to with
draw their designations.
II Ireland no change has occurred.
il is asserted that officers at the
Curra?h camp are determined to re-
sign because of the reputation OF
Colonel Seely's guarantee by the gov
ernment, no actual designations, so far
as is known. have occurred
hro,g strong pressure % evidently was
TO retain his post. He was summoned
10 an interview with Premier Asquith
after the rrime Minister had seen King
George. subsequently the field marshal
proceeded to buckingham Palace to
confer with the King.
! The field marshal, who ~as ono OF
/ me sigratorieS OF tho memorandum to
| I;rigadierG General hubert Cough, piv-
! ing guarantees 10 the army officers that
they would not be ordered to fight the
| lister tnionists. regarded the repud ie :
tlon or the document by the govern
mcnt aS slight on himself. For that
reason lie resigned.
The government formally withdra VS.
The guarantees given by Colonel Seely,
secretary Of War, and Field Marshal
Sir John French. many officials will
again resign their commissions. and. as
ono Of them said. This time in ear
nest"
There is also to he settled the uue.
ton OF what the army council will do.
BriGadier.G General Cough. command
to-day: III Premier Asquith withdraw 9
the guards. he will have to throw over
the army council, and the government
Will be faced practically with disrup-
tion OF the army"
Many, Liberals think Premier Asquith
should have accepted the rcsic nat tion OF
Action Not Taken.
! ~ midnight Field Marshal French
nation neither. had been accepted nor
withdrawn. Nothing is likely TO be
known officially until Premier AsGuith
makes his statement in the House OF
Commons tomorrow. when it proba biy
VIII be found that the removal of COL
ohcl Seciy from the War Office is the
fl,.l
designations of Generals French and
E;Wart, and that the arrangement OF
this was the reason for the postpone
inent of the Fremier's statement
according to the best Information, the
war Office conference to-day of ali the
principal commanding generals of The
French and Ewart TO explain that their
I resignation was personal matter.
arising solely from the fact that they
signed the Cough memorandum which
the government since had repIldiate
ami they urged that all the other Off :
GERS should remain at their posts. Then
followed Interviews with the ministers
and an audience with the King. with "A
view to Inducing. them To reconsider
their act. Hut both General French and
General Ewart remained firm in their
decision that it would he impossible
Colonel Sceiy remained Secretarv To-, for
War. They were willing. however. 10
withdraw their designations if Colonel
Must Abandon SecIy.
Faced by this ultmatum and the
knowledge that there was Il strong
feeling against Colonel Scely among
radicals, the Prime Minister seems TO
have arrived at the conclusion that
he must abandon Colonel Secly. There
mas been talk of appointing John Burns
president of the local government
board. as Secretary OF War, and a re-
port also has been current OF an eX-
change OF portfolios between Lewis
llsrcourt and Colonel Sccly. 1t is gen
orally believed. however. that il will
he found that Colonel Sccly again has
resigned. and that his resignation has
been accepted; that Lewis Harcourt
has been selected To replace him, and
that Lord Emmett. Under Secretary for
the Colonies. Will bc promoted Colonial
Secretary.
Another Cabinet council will he held
TOMORROW before Parliament as
seInbles:, so il is quite possible that
there VIII be other, perhaps uncxpect ed
developments In the Kaleidoscope situ-
ation. Much interest is shown In the
almost daily conferences between
Chancellor Lloyd George and James
Ramsay Macdonald. the Independent
Labor member. which in some quarters
are interpreted as meaning a new
coalition between the Labor party and
the extreme radicals. who place the
land question and social reform i'm the
forefront of the battle.