Evening star., 1915-05-22
LABOR|TE RECEIVES
POSITION IN CABINET
Arthur Henderson Among First
to Be Chosen for New
British Ministry.
KITCHENER MAY LOSE
MANY OF HIS DUTIES
Attacks on Methods Continue-Ad-
miralty and War Office to
Witness Changes.

LONDON, May co-The first authori-
tative announcement as to an appoint
ment in the British national cabinet,
outside OF Premier Asquith and Sir Ed
ward Grey. the foreign secretary, IS
that of Arthur Henderson. labor
leader. who succeeds Herbert Louis
Samuel as president of the local gov
eminent board. The trade unionists
are highly pleased at the appointment,
II appears certain that there Will be
a new civil head of the admiralty and
war office. respectively. and possibly
changes in the professional heads as
we'll, or at any rate, read5ustment of
the responsibility.
Duties VIII Be Shifted.
Earl Kitchener the secretary for war.
II is generally agreed, has too much to
do in the direction of the war, raising
new armies and the organization OF
the output of munitions. and some of
these duties will be shifted to other
shoulders Chancellor LLOYD George
and Andrew Bonar Law, leader of the
opposition, are about equally, favored
for civil head of the war office. and A.
] Balfour is mentioned for similar
position in the admiralty.
The posts will be distributed among
the liberals. unionists and laborites ac-
cordjns to their strength in the house
of commons.
Kitchener Attacked.
One of the most remarkable features
of the ministerial crisis is the sudden
outbreak more or less severe, OF news
paper attacks upon Field Marshal Earl
Kitchener, the British secretary OF
war. who at the outbreak OF the war
was the nations military idol and was
loudly procla lined by the same news
papers as the only man in the country
for the position of war secretary.
The Daily Mail and other newspa-
pers under the same ownership have
been most violent in these attacks.
even going so far as to call into ques-
tion the military genius OF the field
marshal. The Daily Mail says:
Questions Qualifications.
Nothing in Kitcheners experience
suggests that he has the qualifications
required for conducting a European
campaign in the field. and we can only
hope that no such misfortune will be-
fall this nation as that he should be
permitted to interfere with the actual
strategy Of this gigantic war"
Proceeding to accuse Lord Kitchener
of having ordered the wrong kind of
she'll" the Daily Mail asserts that de
spite repeated warnings that a high
explosive shell was required, Lord
Kitchener persisted in sending shrap-
mel. such as he used against the Beers.
thus causing the deaths of thousands
Of British soldiers and. incidentally.
bringing about a cabinet crisis"
Reduce His Value.
Other newspapers in a less outspoken
manner seek TO reduce Lord Kitchen
er's value to that Of a good recruiting
officer, or they may excuse him on the
ground of being too much occupied in
producing recruiting advertisements to
attend to the supply of proper ammu-
milton.
While some newspapers are almost
calling for Lord Kitchener's retire.
ment, other organs like the Morning
Post and Daily News protest that a
dead set" has been made against him.
The Morning Post says:
The new government will not likely
he SO foolish as to throw over the man
whose presence has held the confidence
of the nation and of our fighting forces
since the beginning of the war. but VIII
rather seek TO support and cooperate
with Lord Kitchener and take from his
overburdened shoulders the secondary
worl. of reorganiZing the country's In
dustrial resources. so as to supply the
army with adequate supplies and mu-
nItions.
Support Earl Kitchener.
The stock exchange. which has not only
contributed large number of mem
hers to the army. but has supported
strongly every movement for the sue
cess of the nation IN the war, held a
meeting Yesterday in support Of Earl
Kitchener. resolution was adopted
unanimously expressing entire conf
dence in the war secretary and strong
Indignation at the venomous attacks
on him by part OF the press.
The members of tho exchange then
formed ring, piled a large number of
copies of the Daily Mail IN the center
and made a bonfire of them
Popular Indignation Excited.
Tho Pail Mall Gazette, discussing the
quite astounding Newspaper attacks
upon Kitchener" says that they have
created IAN overwhelming sentiment of
public indignation. and have made the
secretary for war. who seemed weaker
Wednesday. more powerful and popular
than ever today.
After referring TO the wide powers
possessed by the war secretary in time
of war, the Gazette says:
'It IS not possible fully TO explain
row many matters that seem In fair
way Of settlement are complicated OF
ieopa rdized by the attacks on Kitchen
er. We fear that result will be an In
crease in the stringency of regulations
imposed on newspapers. If the
working Of the constitutional machine
is made more difficult we shall he very
near such situation drives democ-
racy in war to dictatorship. If We
are 10 have a dictatorship Lord kitch-
1ner undoubtedly will be dictator The
country would demand it aud the press