Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-08
ITCHENER MAY
GIVE WAY FOR
LLOYD-GEORGE
Ia, Secretary Shorn of
pover by Enlarged Office
4 New Chief of Staff
.vvRy ALSO MENTIONED
- K,s" Prestige on Wane.
Now Loses Direct Control
Of Military Action
LONDON. Feb. s.

LONDON, Feb. s.
,,ovd.George, Minister of Mu-
pau w.s again being mentioned to-
Iu''. rosslble successor to Lord kitch-
~ of X" steps out of the War
n.' tord Derby, who directed the re-
pN.e .,,alting campaign, was another
cM chose name was connected with
he position ,..,,,.. -, E,,o,0,
=. confirmation of rumors OF Kitchen
~ ,mnsnding resignation was OBTAIN
a. ,sam any authoritative source. 1t
W. generally agreed that II he QUITS
\. nav post will be in Egypt OF Meso-
80 scotehmen. 1t was pointed out to-
& ivy "a noyy-Jiirecting the chief opera
s ..s. A. Great Britain's armies. Sir VIII
w, ~ Rohert Robertson has taken over
4 ,,,..hener's most important task-that OF
isrsrtlng all military operations-and Sir
. no.slas Haig only recently became COM
DDs,ssr.ln.chief of the British forces In
France. .,
rha comparatively tranquil atmosphere
~ has marked the domestic political
s,r.,on for some weeks has given way
s~.r night to a feeling Of restiveness, and
Z ..slsht polltical London Is afiutter with
F.. .,eitsment and speculation. This time,
s.Iits previous occasions. doubts are
ss,ed moi. concrete facts, not guess?s
4 or polltlcal attacks.
revolutionary change has just been
E -n.aa in the functions of the Secretary
for War.
1 Tbls order, by which Lord Kitchener
4 !. nractlcally superseded in what has
Nm the foremost function of his office.
~ Al once taken up by the press as
,nbstantial sign that the days of Earl
kitchener as War Secretary are definitely
numbered.
while no effort Is made here to conceal
.,hatsIf the reported change is actually to
n made II will mean in the last analysis
.that Lord Kitchener has at last been
.downed by his political opponents, it is
certain that he will by no means be en-
.irey discarded as one of the leading mil
i lary figures In Great Britain.
II Is pointed out iere that Lord
'Ktchencr's power has crumbled bit by
.bt during the last twelvemonth. First
.IJoyd George, popularity described as the
EMPIRES driving force, was made Minis
'ter OF Munitions. That appointment de-
|prived Lord Kitchener of one of the vital
Branches Of his original province of work,
although ostensbly it was done to IRE
ieye him."
Then came last fall the Derby recruit
|hg campaign. The traditional idol of the
POSTERS X. Of n, was replaced by the in
|s1rgent, Lord Derby. The latter's name
began to be associated with the recruit
5ng campaign. Lord Derby and not Earl
Kitchener received the credit of doing all
Ehat was humanity possible in delaying
konscriptio:.
leanwhile the foes of Lord Kitchener
Eept 70 the campaign with unabated bit
seEness One of the latest attacks upon
him vas made by the Weekly Dispatch,
which called him too old for his pres
ent ONCE and urged the Government to
pend him to the Near East, where he be-
}ongs, and where he can do the best
=Forkp
Again, when Lloyd George entered
9pon MS nationwide roundup of labor
Eor the speeding up of the munitions
Palpal. making speeches that shook Eng
zahd from apathy into action, Lloyd-
''eorge rose from the most cordially de-
#ts1ed man In the kingdom to the ped
fsal ot the empires driving power"
Enle Lord Kitchener lost in prestige.
|'ot long ago, when the Munitions Min
|''ef made his now famous too late"
lpeech, II was generally taken as a yelled
uAck on Kitchener, for it was the latter
Fno was held responsible for the failure
I nil the need for machine guns.