New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-01

. Prime Minister and his Attorney Cen
eral had been strained. Ii was report
ed that Mr.. Asquith regretted having
offered a place in the Cabinet TO Sir
Edward and that Sir Edward regretted
his acceptance. There will be more TO
say presently. ! only add now that
any break in the ranks will be a mis-
fortune, and this would be one of the
greatest.
Half Everybody's Income.
The Chancellor Of the Exchequer has
. thought IL eXpedent to leave 20 his
subordinate one OF the gravcst fnsn-
cial statements yet made Mr.. Mon
tagu. the Financial Secretary 70 the
Treasury, is himself an expert in
finance. He seems also an oXper IN
public opinion. In sentence, he has
perhaps done more 10 convince Eng
land she is al war than any Cabinet
Minister has done. He told the House
Of Commons yesterday this:
Every citizen ought 20 be prepared
10 put at least one-half of his current
income at the disposal of the State
either in the form of tax or loan"
Note the use Of the word citizen in
stead of subject, and State instead of
the Crown. There is a growing ten
well as in act.
The Englishman thinks slowly, but
when he is told that to pay for this
war he must surrender half his income,
the word war takes on clearer mean
ing than ever before. do not intend
a criticism; still less a slur. But the
English mind has a quicker grasp OF
the concrete than of the abstract. Ex-
press the concrete in pounds, shillings
and pence, and he knows at once what
you mean. Mr.. McKenna's recent Bud
get, with its doubled income tax for
everybody and its quintupled tax for
the super-rich, taught him something.
But half everybody's income is quite
another matter. 1t will not come just
yet, but. as things arc going, II lies in
the near future.
Sir John Simon as Censor.
The American press appreciates Sir
John Simon's defence of his censorship
at its true value; which is nothing al
ell. 1t is not even a plausible defence.
No doubt il is true that the fighting
departments are responsible for the
rules under which the Press Bureau
acts. But who is responsible for the
laundering way in which these rules
are applied? Sir John Simon himself
is: he and the Press Bureau Executive
under him and responsible to him.
And what sort Of a test is u to say
that whatever assists the enemy" is 10
be suppressed? That is the War and
Admiralty rule. Who is to judge what
assists the enemy? Does criticism OF
Sir John Simon assist the enemy?
Lord Seborne's "mischievous stupid
ity" was thought a good description of
these proceedings, but Lord Seibo.ne
has since explained that his phrase
pointed at the military authorities and
not the Press Bureau, and applied only
10 a particular act. That appears 10
transfer his censure from Sir John
Simon to Lord Kitchener-or to the
military censors at headquarters in the
field. appointed by authority of Lord
Kitchener. But did Lord Kitchener for
bid the publication of Venizelos's resig
nation. known in London at p. m. and
not allowed 10 be published till the next
afternoon? II is certain he did not. |
say again that the public will accept,
and rightly accept, almost anything
from Lord Kitchener. But they do not
like TO see the Home Secretary, in the
person OF Sir John Simon, shifting the
blame from his own shoulders. They
1t is the tone OF q lawyer in search of
verdict That IL not what England eX-
poets of Cabinet Minister.
In truth, all the heads OF the Press
Bureau have in succession, when chsl-
lenged, put in the same answer NJ.
+. f. Smith, Sir Stanley Buckmastor
NOW Lord Buckmaster and Lord Chan
cellor). Mr.. McKenna, Sir John Simon
all have said. colloquially, II not gram
maticallv, ITS not me-" That again ia
moi the Cabinet Minister'S attitude, not
vbat England expects. The least that
can be said Is that they ought never to
have allowed themselves 10 be put IN
position of power without responsible
itv: or. as they would phrase IT, OF re-
sponsibility without power.
Our Super-Neutral President.
The American Government, we are
told by cable, SIS against doing any.
thing that would disturb the present.
calm in German-American relations.
II insists that We shall be more IMAM
neutral"
What sort of impression do you sap
nose that makes on the European nil'u
President W ilson, we all know IN amer
lea. takes the murder OF Americans
alike in Mexico and on the high seas
"calmly." When has he ever cone
anvtbing"? He has said things, but
what has he done? The so-called Ara
bic concessions, in so far as they are
concessions. are due 20 the British
navy and not 70 Wilsonian Notes. AS
for the Lusitania dead. If they are Tor
gotten by him in America. they are
not forgotten here.
And Mr.. Wilson's cry OF America
"Grst. last. and all the time" The on,
niscient cable declares IL is addressed
IN The Germans in America. Then why
not say so? But in terms il includes,
or excludes, the Allies who are fightng
for us as well as for themselves ne
Allies are ruled out. Inc fresioeh'
1ines up" on one side Gil Americans
who think OF other countries, ana on
the other those who think OF amer ca
only. lie damns the one and appiauus
the other. / call IL shameful utter
'ance. Our sympathies Tor our own sske
AS we'll as for that humanity OF "h'Sh
Professor Wilson pretends 70 De me
champion are due TO the hiiles' VINO
90 6gbting for humanity while he is
talking for humanity and acting against
il: if he ever acts. .L,If
And his protest 20 Turkey in behaii
If the Armenians7 in itself right
protest. but with what sort OF deeency
Goes il come from the Presidential Ups
which never once opened TO protest
against the German outrages upon per
gium? What does Mr.. Wilson suppose
10 be the moral value of such nroees'
now? W.
The new constitution, with It's budget
feature, will save taxpayers money