The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-01
Col. Seely, Ex-War Secretary of Great Britain.

Lieut.-CoE Rt Hon. John Edward Bernard Seely, who recently resign ed the British cabinet portfolio of Secretary of State for War and was succeeded by Prime Minister Asquith, passed his forty-sixth milestone Sum day, having been born on May 31, 1868. The young man who figured in one of the most sensational incl dents in the history of British po1i- tics was the youngest son of Sir Chas. Seely. and was educated at Cam bridge. He was called to the bar in 1897. From his youth he was inter ested in military affairs. and became lieutenant : colonel commanding the Hampshire Carabineers. When the South African war broke out in 1900 he went to the front with the 1mpe- rial Yeomanry, and displayed such gaIlantry in action as to win the Dis tinguished Service Order and the Queens medal. five clasps. He en- tered the political arena in 1900, rep resenting first the Isle of Wight. la ter the Abercromby division of Liy- erpool, and since 1910 the Ikeston division of Derby in the House of Commons. In 1908 he was appoint ed Under Secretary for the Colonies, and after winning his cabinet spurs became War Secretary, being one of the youngest men who ever held that high post in the British government.
 CoL Seeleyas retirement from the government, and the assumption of the war portfolio by MT. Asquith, was a sentional incident of the Ulster op- position to Irish home rule. Col See1ey was the author Of the remark able documeQt by which Brig.-Gen. Cough was assured that the troops in Ireland would not be used to sup press the Ulster insurrection- With the publication of this letter the newspapers of his party turned a con- certed and furious fire on the War Secretary, and his position soon be- came untenables
 Col Seeley's Indiscr retion'' has been urged as an example of the dangers incurred by appointing rash and hpt-headed youths to such impor- however 1t is to be observed that yiscount Morley, who aided the young war minister in drafting the offending paragraphs Of the document, is a graybeard of seventy five years. Field Marshal Sir John French, head of the co-signer with Col Seeley of the U1s- ter assurance and who also resigned, is also we'll past the three-score mark.
 In a personal statement following his resignation Col Seely told the House that there was no difference between himself and his colleagues in the cabinet on any point of policy or principle. He explained that he pressed his resignation because there appeared. although such. was not his intention, to have been a bargain with the army officers regarding the ser vice they should render to the Crown The retiring War Secretary said he did not wonder that the House had resented the idea that there should have been a bargain with the Grown servants regarding what should be done, but reiterated that 1t had not bargain.
 One sentence Of CoL seeIy's swan song, which was interpreted as rec ommending a demonstration of the army. was greeted with ministerial cheers. stGrave issues have been rais- ed, which may. mean that the whole army system may have to be recast "
 Col. Seely has never had the undivided support of the Liberal prese and leaders, and it has several