The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-17
kitcheners eIunders.


campaign, as was seen after the de-
feat by Japan In England there is
really less danger because the safety
valve is kept open; the offense of the
only newspaper suspended was not
attacking the government but assert
| ing and reiterating that Lord Kitchen
err, at odds with his colleagues, had
resigned his post in the cabinet, when
the government had given its word
that this was not the case. If SO, the
Globes assertion was false, and even
the British doctrine of freedom of the
press hardly includes the right to cir
culate> false reports Injurious to the
country at a time of national peril.
How are we to explain the peculiar
ly venomous attacks on Lord Kit
chener? An Irish member of the
House of Commons, Arthur Lynch,
speaking Thursday in the House, bas-
ed his criticism on three points
failure to move to the defense of
Liege in the first days of the war. the
failure to provide adequate munitions
and the failure to defend Servia.
The blunder at the Dardanelles," he
said, "was at least the blunder of a
man who meant to do something"
These are, of course, the points
which have caused most animadver-
sion, hut it is too early to distribute
| the blame for any of them. AS for
Liege much must be allowed for the
nifitulty of cooperation between al
lies and the slowness Of the French,
mobilization. The course actually
taken Was compromise and not
Wholly Satisfactory! holder course,
might have been better or very much
worse. tits yet to be shown that
Lord Kitchener was in any way at.
fault for the disconfittire of the rel
treat from Mons. S''''1 re
IN regard to munitions there was
some slowness, certainly in realizing.
the enormous quantity of high explos-
i've shell that would be needed, but
Lord Kitchener was not alone in this
II the French were better off it was
largely because their artillery had in
late years made specially of high
explosive shell; so had the British
army until the experience of the
South African war gave the prefer
ence to shrapne How an army
clings to what has worked we'll is one
of the most familiar facts of military
history; ii is not very surprising that
the British war Office should have fail
ed to fotesee fhatfin a few hours
lighting more shell would be used
than in ghe threeiyeafs' Boer war;
lahd that the industrial and financial
resources Of the empire would he tax
ed tojthe limit to supply Ammunition,
7 But this need WAS felt earlier than
= the fact was published when the
( Haffiswofth' organs made their great
discovery steps we're already be-
ing taken! Tile Belated crusade did
little except I'd stir up ascension
The most .sdrions charge is failure
TO provide for the near East, and here
the maasure df Lord ItitcheneT's re-
sponsibiIity cannot be taken, because
the question is political as as
military, ard because it concerns not 4
only Brit.Iin but itsH allies WhatiI
hare Russia. France and Italy done /
for Sersiaeis Erom some attacks on
.the British government one would in
,ferntllat iitqwas responsible for, the
whole war, and Should have armies
ready to send anywhere al any time.
There is a general feeling now that
instead of attacking the Dardanelles
it would have been wise last spring
to send an army to Servia Perhaps
it would though Seryia was then a
poison bed Of typhus. since cleaned
up by American efforts in time for
the German advance. But there were
political difficulties the force of
which can perhaps even now be only |
partially understood, and it is not a |
foregone conclusion that such an at |
1 Fpeld have succeeded, daz2l
inf hs}iiS1hancefAmay seem now that
the sf,aftIahelles Campaign has failed |
1t is easy to be wise after the event, |
b,atlsthosai now criticixing Kitchener !
were not 'B6lntingaeut' a better course
siXismosbs ago. So otV osuov ST.
III outside ,pgbit d view kdt-
chener at the war office appears'atoI
have been the one conspicuous Brit |
islr success. None Oh tlidsgenerals jim
the field have inspired admiration. !
The reports Of Gen French have been /
one long whine: he seems to be a i
good man with job too big for him. /
Gen Ian Hamilton sent home some
written narratives from
the Dardaneles, but glorious stories
of heroism by raw troops were imbed-
ded in a melancholy record OF blum
dering and bad management. Per.
haps at the front Kitchener would
have done worse, but he has not been
at the front, and his particular job,
the creation of an army, has probab-
ly been done as well as the thing
could be done in the time allowed
Such poisonous campaign of de
against the man who has
best would be difficult to
but for two things-Lord
feud with the press, and
his answering support of the vohln
tary principle. His appointment was
,Iroed hNsFtha vary. nawsDannrc uhioR |