The Washington times., 1915-05-22
KITCHENER ASSA|LEO
AS WAR BLUNDERER
British Secretary for War Sud-
denly Becomes Storm Center
of Cabinet Crisis.

LoNDcN, May ZS- hc iotSSN
Of the ministerial crisis. when WIN
all the suddenness Of an Aprn sno"er
changed the whole complexion OF Brit
ish politics. Is the sudden Launching .,
severe newspaper attack on fleld
Marshal Earl Kitchener. the secretary
for war. 49,
Led by the Daily Mail and tne
Times, and others of the Northcnue
papers, which at the outset were the
mos, insistent on the calling OF hitcn-
ener 70 the war office thtss tSs the field
marshal has too big burden to carry,
but that in many vital details ne mas
made grave errors of judgment.
Champions of the war var e secretasy srrins.
ing to his defense, and as result there
Is threatening controversy Likely to
be more far-reaching than that between
Lord Fisher and Winston Churchill.
as to assert that in case a dictator is
necessary to put curb on the IRE,
sponsible press the people will demand
Lord Kitchener for the post. and. II
adds, the protests Of the press VIII
After speaking of the shortage Of
munitions, the Daily Mail has this to
say of Lord Kitchener: l.. l.,
"A Liberal newspaper, which Is IN
very close touch with the government,
spoke yesterday of the quarrel between
Lord Kitchener and Sir John French.
There should be no such Quarrel
has never been pretended that Lord
Kitchener is a soldier In the sense that
Sir John French Is a soldier. Kitchener
is q gatherer of men, and a very hnc
gatherer. too. but his record In the
South African war as a fghting gen
eral. apart from his excellent organiza-
brilliant
"Not Qualified For Europe
1T is an admitted fact that Lord
Kitchener ordered the wrong kind OF
shells-the same kind OF shell which
he used largely against the Beers In
1900. He persisted in sending shrapnel.
a u>eless weapon in trench warfare. he
was warned repeatedly that the Kind OF
shell required was violently explo-
sive bomb. which would dynamite Its
way through the German trenches and
men to advance In safety. The kind OF
shells our poor soldiers have had has
caused the death of thousands OF them.
Other newspapers in a less outspoken
manner seek to reduce Lord Kitcheners 8
value to that Of a good recruiting officer.
or they excuse him on the ground or
being too much occupied in producing
recruiting advertisements to attend 10
the supply Of proper ammunition. The
| Times says:
''Our armies In the field require re-em-
| forcements and shells Of the right kind.
Neither has been provided In adequate
quantities, for the simple reason that
Lord Kitchener's orders we're given too
late. Plain warnings were disresarded.
and the nation was lulled into false
| security by misleading official reports.
! with the result that thousands Of Brit
ish lives were sacrificed in an unequal
| contest.
The Times then forcibly urges that
| the business OF supplying army shells
| and other necessaries of war be given
into other hands.
Call Attack Wrong. Il
While some newspapers are thus al
most calling for Lord Kitchener's re-
tirement, other organs. like the Morn
ing Post and the Daily News. protest
| that a dead set" has been made
against him. The Morning Post says:
The new government will not likely
| be so foolish as to throw over the man
whose presence has held tho conf
dence OF the nation and OF our ight-
ing forces since the beginning of the
war. but will rather seek to support
and cooperate with Lord Kitchener
and take from his overburdened shoul-
| ders the secondary work OF reorganiz-
Ing the country's industrial resources
1uate supplies and munitions"
The Daily News protests in the
strongest language against what II
terms a press campaign against LORD
Kitchener organized by some Of tn.
newspapers which, at the beginning OF
~" war. forced him upon the coun.
try.
me Manchester Qua rdian pays q
tribute to Lord Kitchener's magnifccn,
| work on the new armies, but adds
He has not done equally good work
In the even more vital matter OF arm
ing and eauipping them" It proceeds
1.-The present position Of the country ir
the matter Of the supply Of arms and
above all. of explosives. after ter
months OF war. Is not merely unsatis
factory, but deplorabla."
Demands End To Mystery.
The Evening News has further griev'
ances. 1t demands an end to the mys
tery regarding the movcments Of troop!
in England. condemning the furtive wa!
in which they are moved when there I!
, no occasion for secrecy
Furthermore. under the caption. -
Scandalous Advertisement-Lord Kitch
ener Must Stop It" the Evening New
furiously attacks him for the autograph
letter advertisement issued Yesterday, Il
which he calls for another 800 900 men
nnTlVIMn nit