Evening journal., 1915-05-19
KITCHENER FAILS
AS SAVIOUR AND
Cabinet splits
English Face Internal Crisis
Because Army and Navy
Move Slowly
Churchill MAY QUIT
AS ADMIRALTY Head
BY J. w. t. MASON,
Written for the United Press.


NEW YORK, May 19-The failure
of Lord Kitchener's nine months die
tatorship is the basic cause Of the
ministerial crisis in England. The inn
mediate reason for the formation of
a coalition cabinet is dispute at the
Admiralty between the chief head and
the First Sea Lord, but the clash be-
tween Winston Churchill and Lord
Fisher would not have involved the
government as a whole If the expert
ment of assigning the government Of
England to a military organizer had
not proved disastrous.
Great Britain has gradually been
awakening to the fact during the past
two months that the war is not pro-
crossing satisfactorily for the allies.
With the arrival of spring, English
men expected a quick turn of events
in France and Flanders. which would
establish in fact an indisputable as
tendency over the Germans. For
half a year Lord Kitchener has been
given free hand. He was TO be
the saviour of the empire. All the
bowed to him. Nearly all parlia-
mentary announcements concerning
the war we're made in his name. He
was the superman in British imagi-
nation Lord Kitchener accepted the
responsibility offered him, as his
right. He had, in fact insisted upon
it. and had declined to accept the
Office Of Minister of War without abb
solute authority.
During the long months of German
successes last summer and Of German
steadfastness during the autumn and
winter, Lord Kitchener told his. peO-
pie TO have patience and to give him
time. "The war will begin in May"
he said, and England was content,
believing Kitchener to be infallihle.
But when spring came and May came,
too, the expected offensive could not
be developed. The men we're there.
but the ammunition was not. Lord
Kitchener had not anticipated this
war was to develop into contest Of
ammunition. After Neuve Chapelle
Kitchener complained because Sir
John French's artillery had fired
more shells than we're used during the
Boer war. Sir John French immedi-
ately journeyed to London and faced
Kitchener and the government. There
was a memorable session and Sir John
French's insistence that he must
have practically unlimited ammuni-
tion was not only agreed to, but also
Sir John was allowed to make public
his demand in his report of the Neuve
Chapelle battle.
This clash between Sir John French
and Lord Kitchener was not the first
of it's kind. The temperaments of the
/ two men are entirely different. Sir
, John French is a thorough democrat; I;
Lord Kitchener is a typical absolutist.
Sir John French wanted publicity
given to military movements and be-
lieved the British Empire should be
told what its citizen army was doing.
Lord Kitchener, however, has a con-
tempt for all newspaper publicly, ex-
cept where he himself is personally
concerned. It was intended early in
the war, that Kitchener should lead
the second British army into France.
Newspapermen, said Kitchener, could
not go with Sir John French's expedi-
tionary force, but they might possibly
accompany the second army.
This policy of ignoring public opin-
ion Lcrd Kitchener carried to the
/ furthest limits. Englishmen accepted
the irksome press restrictions be-
Continued on Second Page.