The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-21
TO STRIKE KITCHENER
CONTINUED from Page II

| (GOntlhued from rage l.
Kitchener is soldier in the sense. that
| Field Marshal John French is a SOL
der. Kitchener is a gatherer of men,
, and a very fine gatherer, too; but his
record in the South African war as a
fighting general apart from his ex-
cellent organizing work as chief of
staff, was not brilliant.
Nothing in Kitchener's experience
suggests that he has the qualification
required for conducting a European
campaign in the field and we can only
hope that no such misfortune will be-
fall this nation as that he should be
permitted to interfere with the actual
strategy of this gigantic war"
Grave Charges Against Kitchener.
Proceeding to accuse Lord Kitche-
ner of having ordered the wrong
kind of SHE'LL the Daily Mail asserts
that despite repeated warnings that Il
high explosive shell was required
Lord Kitchener persisted in sending
shrapnel such as he used against the
Beers, thus causing the deaths of
thousands of British soldiers and in
cidentally bringing about cabinet
crisis"
After lauding the military strategic
skilP' of Sir John French and his chief
of staff, Sir VIM. Robertson, the Daily
Mail adds:
IF by any chance Kitchener went
to France to conduct the campaign, we
should probably have q costly object
can and European warfare. 1t is to
be hoped that Kitchener with proper
and necessary assistance, will remain
at the war office, though when the
inevitable compulsory service comes
his sphere of usefulness will be great
1y diminished"
"GoOd Recruiting Officer
Other newspapers in a less outspok-
en- manner seek to reduce Lord Kitch-
eners value to that of good recruit
Ing officer or they may excuse him
on the ground of being too much oC-
cupfed in producing recruiting adver-
tisementS to attend to the supply OF
proper ammunition.
The Times in an editorial SAYS:
Our armies in the field require re-
Inducements and shells of the right
kind. Neither has ben provided in
adequate quantities, for the simple
| reason that Lord Kitchener's order
| were given too late. Plain warnings
lulled into a false security by mislead-
ing official reports, with the result
| that thousands of British lives were
sacrificed in an unequal contest.
The nation will not allow that sit
uation to recur. 1t must be set right,
and be set right quickly, or the con-
sequences will be swift and startling
The whole trouble arose because Lord
no man could have proved equal"
Urges Changes of Hand.
The Times then forcibly urged that
the business of supplying army shell
and other necesSaries of war be given
| into other hands.
While some newspapers are thus al
| most calling for Lord Kitchener's re-
| tirement, other organs, like the Morn
| ing Post and the Daily News, protest
that dead set" has been made
against him. The Morning Post says:
The new government will not like
| ly be so foolish as to throw over the
| man whose presence has held the con-
| fidence of the nation and of our fight
ing force since the beginning of the
| war, but will rather seek to support
| and cooperate with Lord Kitchener
| and take from his overburdened
| shoulders the secondary work of re-
| Organizing the country's industrial re-
sources so as to supply the army with
| adequate supplies and munitions"
The Daily News, in an editorial,
protests in the strongest language
against what it terms a press cam
paign against Kitchener, organized
by newspapers who at the beginning
of the war forced him upon the
| country"