New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-11

. ~ MANI ~ lbImtN.
/ Portrait Painting.
So with his portraits. The Kaiser is
, put on the dissecting table and leaves
/ IL stripped Of those outward semblances
1 which have given him n worldwide no.
/ toriety. Here is a stroke Of the seal
pei:
British ministers and diplomatists
whose business it is 10 gauge, not only
the muzzlc-velocity Of eminent charac-
I tiers, but also the forces of their recoil,
never seem TO have arrived at any def
mite conclusions with regard to this
/ battling personality. Whatever he did
or did not do. they were always sur
/ prised by il; which gives us some
measure Of their capacity, if not of his
He is pre-eminontly man OF
/ moods. lie possesses an almost
incredible number of uniforms.
/ Upon the phenomena of the moment his
commentaries are aftcn apt and enter
tanning. When he discourses, as he
often does, upon the profundities OF
politics, philosophy and religion, he
I falls into set forms. He has
not found truth, but only remembered
phrases"
There is an elaborate study of the
English Prime Minister, too long to
quote, difficult to summarize and not TO
be judged by extracts. Mr.. Asquith s
too famous formula, "Wait and see" is
accepted as the perfectly natural eX-
preston of his character and policy.
an the peculiar circumstances Of
the case il proved itself to be n sue
cessful Parliamentary expedient. II
is probable that against a powerful
leader who had his party well in hand
this policy of makeshift and delay
would have brought it's author to grief.
But the Unionists were neither dis
ciplined nor united. and they had
lacked leadership ever since they en-
tered upon Opposition
I'm these three sentences Mr.. Oliver
disposes not only Of Mr. Asquith lut
Of Mr.. Balfour and Mr.. Bonar Law: a
good example of his method.
Sir Edward Grey himself does not
escape criticism.
lie is statesman whose integrity
and disinterestedness have never been
impugned by friend or foe; but from
the very beginning Of his tenure Of
Office he has appeared to lack that
supreme quality Of belief in himself
which stamps the greatest Foreign
Ministers. What he needed in
the way Of counsel and companiOnship
was simplicity and resolution. What
he had to rely on was the very G.
verse Of that"
And Mr.. Oliver clearly inclines to
the opinion that NJ. Sazonotf was
right when he said to the British Am
bassador at ST. Petersburg as il then
was July %, that if Britain took her
stand firmly with France and Russia
there would be no war. But Sir Ed
ward Grey would not adopt this course.
II is probable he could not. For
though the Cabinet as a whole eXer-
cised no restraining or impelling irhu-
ence on the conduct Of these negotla-
tions, Mr. Asquith and Lord Haldan
and probably one other Minister
were in a position to direct or defect
Sir Edward Grey's policy
An Indictment of the Late Ministry.
This book is in effect an indictment
of the Asuuth Ministry for its con-
duct Of the war; for its unreadiness,
its dilatory habits, its failure TO grasp
the vital facts Of the struggle; its IN
adequate supplies TO the army, and
even its recruiting, generous as is the
tribute 10 Lord Kitchener's matchless
energy ir collecting two millions Of
so-called volunteers and IN Its mis-
handling Of the domestic necessities
Of the case. All this and, indeed, the
whole volume served as a basis upon
which is built a demand for National
Service; industries included. Mr.. Oh
yer was closely associated with Lord
Roberts when in 1912 he resumed ms
effort to organize England for the war
oh a q
least Mr.. Asauith, Sir Edward Grey
and Lord Haldane knew OF the intend
ed German attack. but would not make
ready for it by modelling the military
resources of the Kingdom. To his
sustained argument, eloquent, convinc-
ing, irresistible and unanswered, /
must refer the reader.
But there can be, | think, no AmeT-
can reader who will not join with Mr..
oliver in his tribute to Lord Roberts.
He tells US how the advertising re-
cruiting agencies of the Government
have issued posters with a portrait OF
Lord Roberts and the legend:
"He did his duty. VIII you do
yours ."
For which Mr.. Oliver suggests as a
@He did his duty. We denounced
him for doing it. We failed to do ours.
VIII you, however, do yours?
Yet in its opposition, or at least IN
its indifference, to National Service the
Government is still obdurate 1t
shrinks from a decision. It shrinks
from a discussion. II will not lead.
II waits. The only counsel Ministers
have TO offer to the country is Let It
alone" Yesterday in the House OF
Commons Captain Guest, one Of their
own supporters when they were all
Liberals. bronzed and worn with ten
months service at the front, brought
message from the front, an appeal,
a passionate appeal, from the troops
themselves for compulsory service by
the Nation. The Prime Minister in
tervened with a rebuke. at is not the
time nor the occasion to discuss hat
topic" said Mr.. AsQuith. No. yet IN
ali these half wasted ten months has
the time or occasion been found. Yet
found it must be sooner or later and
/ think the sooner and the more ef-
fciently for the saving Of ;h'S IN
perilled Empire by reason of Mr.. on
ver's Ordeal of Battle. u. w. >.
ORDEAL BY BATTLE BY Frederick Scott Oliver
Macmillan Company J vol. Syo. pp. 45i.
DANCES AT NEWPORT