The Washington times., 1915-05-19
KITCHENER IS MOST
AFFECTED BY CRISIS
War Secretary's Dictatorship
During War Is Called Disas-
trous to Great Britain.
Continued from First PaGe.)

(COnt1nued from f1rSt PaBe.1
French is a thorough democrat Lord
Kitchener Is a typical absolutist. Sir
John French wanted publicity given to
British empire should be told what Its
citizen army was doing. Lord Kitchener,
however. has contempt for all news
paper publicity. except where he HIM
self Is personally concerned. IL was
intended early in the war that Kitchen
er should lead the second British army
into France. Newspaper men. SAID
Kitchener. could not go with Sir John
French's .expeditlonary force. but tney
might possibly accompany the second
army.
This policy of ignoring public opinion
Lord Kitchener carried to the furthest
limits. Enslishmen ,, accepted eau she thsv irKv
had faith in Kitchener and because
they believed the Kitchener censorship
was part of the machinery whereby the
British armies were to move forward In
secret and overwhelm the Germans.
Absolutism Overthrown.
But one man In England saw early
in tho war that the censorship was 60
ing to end disastrously. This man was
Lord Northcliffe. proprietor Of the Ion
don Times and other papers: Lord
Northclfffe began a campaign in favor
OF publicity of war news at time
when even to suggest the possibility
that Kitchener might be capable OF
making mistakes was almost accounted
treason.
forbidden to be used in Lord North
cliffe's newspapers, and Northcline be-
gan to preach that in a popular war the
people should know what their sons,
brothers. and husbands we're doing I1 tTr
their country. Other newspapers fol-
lowed his daring lead and at last the
censorship was modified.
Kitchener's early threat to have Of
Tending editors shot became dead
letter. Democracy had overthrown ao-
solutism, and the newspapers for the
first time since the war began were
allowed this spring to tell Englishmen
the truth.
Had To Curb Kitchener.
The truth was not advantageous to
Lord Kitchener's reputation. It revealed
him to be no more than a human being.
possessing his full quota of frailties- He
was seen to be above everything else.
q centralist. and man incapable of
dclegating authority.
doubted abilities as an organizer to rails
ing and training the millions of English
men needed for the new armies, kitch-
sn snssa me to to aeG sect fh he
OF war supplies. Unless he did 1t, he
believe there was certain to be disas-
trous errors.
. At last. after Sir John French 8 in
sistent pleas for more ammunition. II
became necessary for the government to
curb Kitchener. A special committee
was appointed to relieve the war min
lister of the work of directing the manu-
facture Of munitions. The necessity fol
this step showed that during the many
months that had passed since the be.
ginning Of the war. Kitchener had done
shortage. The reduced severity Of thu
censorship permitted the newspapers t
tell the country how the matter stood.
Lost Public Confidence.
Then confidence in the government
began to decline. No attempt wal
made to attack Lord Kitchener with
open severity, for that was felt to be
unpatriotic. But the government as a
iishod British principle that ministerial
responsibility Is collective.
At the same time there was growing
resentment with the lack of spectacu.
lar results by the navy. This dissatis.
faction reached its eliminating point
elles failed. Newspapers began assail.
ing winston Churchill. for the purpose
of showing that popular disapproval OF
the way the war was going was more
than an impersonal objection. Mr.
Churchill. being q civilian politician
could be attacked openly far better
than could soldier like Lord Kitch'
ener.
Concerns Kitchener Most.
Thus. while the ministerial crisis IL
due on the surface to the trouble at the
ard concerns Lord Kitchener more thar