Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-28
BRITAIN NOW HEADED
TOWARD BIG DISASTER,
BERESFORD ASSERTS
Famous Admiral Says Nation
Faces Life or Death Crisis.
Attacks Present
Leaders
POLITICIANS DENOUNCED

LONDON, Oct. 2s.
Singing denunciation Of the Govern
ment's conduct of the war is made by
Lord Charles Beresford. retired admiral.
who says:
WAR requires quick decisions and
prompt actions. Both have been sing
ularly lacking since the war commenced.
The policy of wait and see Is fatal to
success in war.
owing to the indecision and vacilla-
tion of the Government on every inn
portant occasion. action has been too
late. Ministers having no initiative Of
their own wait for public opinion to
drive them. At the same time the min
listers withhold from the public informa-
tion without which they cannot form
Just opinion
sewe did not stand by our friend Serbia
until too late. We neither stand by our
friends nor stand up to our enemies.
We attempted to bribe Bulgaria by offer
ing her other peoples property, thereby
copying German methods. We attempted
to brtbe Greece by offering a portion of
our own property. Necessarily we are
Inundated when Greece refuses to ac-
cept IT,
IF we continue our present procedure
we shall head straight toward disaster
before the latent energy Of the nation is
awakened. Recriminations and deplor-
present moment. except in so far as to
prevent a occurrence Of Grass misman-
agement. That mismanagement Is partly
the result OF the executive. Thousands
OF our best men have been lost ashore
and afioat because politicians assume the
executive.
The war up to now has been controlled
by politicians. not men who have studied
and understand war The Dardanelies ex-
pedltion produced the present serious COM
piications in the East and the Balkans.
which Involve greater danger to our
selves. II opened up the whole Eastern
question when all that was required was
concentration in the West
IF we are to win the war certain mat
ters must be settled at once. IL Is not
q question OF days, but of hours. We are
Ia a crisis which means life or death 10 US.
'Why are not drastic measures taken
70 secure all the Germans In our midst.
naturalized or unnaturalized2 Why do
we not at once commander all German
land. money securities. etc, throughout
the empire7 ff t7r
swhy .slias, the defense of London been
neglected? II appears to be administered
on similar lines 20 the censorship. with
divided responsibility, nobody knowing
who Is really responsible.
"Why has not the Government taken up
the question Of the rise In prices OF food
and coal In order 10 prevent the exorbitant
AT this moment the Government has
no policy. no objective The late Attor-
ney General left the Cabinet because there
was no policy, no decision on any point
We began the war with two great as
sets, the Meet and our wealth. The sec
ond asset Is being squandered by mill
lions, without business supervision or ade-
uuate return. We soon shall be bankrupt
II this goes on.
I'VE blnndered before the war and have
been biundering ever since. What else
could happen when the war was being
managed by politicians. not by men who
pderstand and have studied war. We
ve 4 Cabinet OF q members. only one
Iwhon understands anything about
II We can only beat The Germans by
Hos Talking u useless.
Il here ought to be six or seven men
I'd understand war 10 control the war,
nolhlng else. on the same principle as
the German General star. three men who
shou they understand the gravity OF our
aosllicn The Minister for War. for Mu-
0IlIons and the late Attorney General
&noola u amon8 the number.