The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-04
NEED EXPERT OPINION


 The impelling reason. however, for the decision that a professional first lord must be appointed was the desire to have expert naval opinion at first hand in the delibera tions of the abinet Nolman ever relied more on the opinion of his profes- sional advisers than did Winston Church. i'll, but inevitably and unintentionally this advice became changed and colored in transmission through his civilian mind to the civilian minds of his cabinet col leagues. When fse retired Arthur Balfour was chosen as the oldest and wisest of the members of the coalition government, because it was felt that he would defer absolutely to professional advice, but even in his case the same difficulty arose. What the sailors advised and what he thought they advised, sometimes proved to be different things. Tn addi- tion to that the necessity for quick action made the presence of a sailor at the cabinet meetings desirable.
 Apart altogether from the immediate personal interest in these changes there Is much wider interest both in Eng land and America It has been the rule in English politics that the ministers of the fighting services should he civilian politicians. The reason for this Is the fear that soldier and sailor ministers might not be so amenable to public opin- ion and that they might encourage the growth of military caste and a military spirit, similar to that which exists in Germany. In other departments the rule was not so strictly enforced. The chan cellor of the excheouer might be a finan- cier and the president of the board of trade a business man. but even in these departments the politicians usually got the job, When the great test came the system broke down absolutely. Lord Haldane, though undoubtedly the best civilian war minister that England ever had was remorselessy scrapped. It was recognized that he was unequal to the task of creating the immense army that England would need and Lord Kitchener was called to take his place.
 EXPERIMENT JUSTIFIED
 Kitchener went ahead and did his job without reference to politics or the poli- ticians, and he has justified the experi- ment. In the case of the navy as have already explained. there was the feeling that no civilian would dare to monkey with it, and I am afraid also the feeling that every Engishman must have some natural knowledge of the sea. At any rate. the civilian minister fetish has at last been scrapped in this depart ment also
 Only less striking, because less direct has been the development in the depart ment of finance The outbreak of the war found Lloyd-eorge chancellor Of the exchequer. Now Lloyd-George Is a great agitator and great parliamenta- rian. but even his most ardent admirers never claimed for him that he was a heaven-sent financier. When he found himself faced with the financial prob lens of the war he had the good sense to recognize his own limitations and he called the late Lord Rothschild as hls ad- wiser It is no eXaggeration to say that ,~. <<f T Rothschld steered the financial policy of England. When he died his place as chief financial adviser was taken by Lord Reading. thensSr Rufus Isaacs, who has since become lord chief justice of England, but who devotes most of his