The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-07

or the war. NotnlnS untoWard hap pened on the western front. nor on the sea, the two points where England is
 most deeply involved. But in the far away near east things did happen. The | Rumanian armies, from which so much l was expected. retreated and retreated | before the German Bulgarian forces. Fearful things happened in Athens. | The nation was appalled,, and Lloyd George struck.
 l Mir. Asquith fell because his govern
 ment was not efficient. His machinery
 was unwieldly and cumbersome He | began the war with a party of his 1 own-the liberal. After a year he was l obliged to form coalition ministry,
 with himself still at the head. Liberal, 1 unionist. labor and Irish members all l had say. The thing was impossible. Not so long ago MT. Asquith in a con- versation, hitherto unpublished, eX- plained his difficulties:
 "Complaints are made of indecfsion and delay. Both have been inevitable. ] With government like this, composed | of so many contending political ele- mentS, every question has to be re- | ferred to too many people and their assent obtained. Suppose, for instance, I that a certain decision is required. l Say it is June. By the time everyone | has been induced to agree it is Au-
 
 | ly has changed so much that the de- cision reached is not the one required Mr. Asquith has pledged support to MT. Lloyd George, but he will sit in opposition in the House of Commons and it is certain that Lloyd-George ! will have his troubles. Certainly he will have more opposition that did MT. Asquith.
 Lloyd George has shown himself a hut IA hp mi acles to perform.
 The two important features of the crisis are what it was all about which has been roughly explained. and what difference it will make in the war. Lloyd George and his followers claim that the difference will be that hence- forth the British government will win the war, supplanting indecision with decision, inertia with progress The country is well pleased and hopeful. It had been a dark and dismal period. Great problems confront Lloyd George. In order of immediate import ance they are these:
 Man power.
 Ireland.
 Blockade.
 Foreign affairs.
 Although England has conscription not all of England's manhood has been taken into the army. There have been toe many exemptions from military service and there is great confusion as to the status of munition workers. Tens of thousands of young men who should be in the ranks are not, and Lloyd-George faces the task of getting them in. The blockade is alleged to be ineffi- cient and there is a growing demand that it shall be frightened. If it Is there will be trouble with neutrals and it comprises a delicate problem.
 In foreign affairs the situation in the near east stands foremost. MT. Balfour,
 who has been transferred from the ad-
 mralty to the foreign office, to the in- tense disgust of his many opponents. is
 a statesman of long experience, but here he has his hands full.
 In his sweeping cabinet changes Lloyd George did one thing that the nation halls with delight. He created a long-wanted business government" The old-style of- ficeholder who was a politician by pro- fession, has passed out. Many. of the old timers have been completely thrown overheard, and their places taken by busi- ness men who have never held office of any kind
 Chief among these is Sir Albert Stanley, and his appointment is most interesting l to Americans. Although born in Eng l land he was taken to America when an l infant There he learned American ways and there he got American business train- | ing. He was graduated from Cornell | and was engaged in the electric railway business in Detroit and in New Jersey he was general manager of the public service railways. In London he has been the head of the amalgamated under ground system, which carries nearly ] 900. 900 900 passengers a year and receives an income of more than 100000 He is the ''baby' of the cabinet, being only q years of age
 Meetings of the cabinet will have an added, and utterly new. touch with Sir Albert there for he speaks with an Amer ican accent He will also take into t'.e cabinet American punch" Tn addition to his business training Sir Albert brought back from America a fine skill in the great American game of poker. which may or may not be useful in administer ing the affairs of the board of trade, of which he becomes president. Another appointment that has aroused much enthusiasm is that of Lord Mill ner. Lord Milner is one of England's best known men, albeit that he has never held public office in the home govern ment. He has, however held high ad ministrative posts in Egypt and So'tn Africa. His greatest work was in South Africa during and after the Boer war Since the beginning of the present war he has been leader in the movem mt for national service.
 One of the most important of the 'bus'- ness'' appointments is that of Sir Joseph Maclay England's food prices have been soaring and the high cost of shipping has been much to blame. For months there has been a demand that the gov | ernment take over all shipping. Now Lloyd George plans to do so. or at least to take firm hold of this great problem,
 He has appointed Sir Joseph Macay the shipping controller, an entirely new of- l fee in the cabinet. Sir Joseph is lead- l ing shipowner and a very prominent cit l zen of Glasgow. He is one of the best known liberals of the west of Scot l land and is recognized throughout Great Britain as one of the greatest of experts l on cargo shipping. He has been ern | ployed in an advisory capacity on ship | ping since the beginning of the war 1 Lord Rhondda, still another "busness man" who takes over the important post { of president of the local government board | in the new cabinet, is better known as | D. A. Thomas the name he bore when, 1 at the request of Lloyd George then minister of munitions. he went to the | United States and Canada in July, 1915 | to distribute war contracts totaling $25O, l 00O,0O0 It was in recognition of the abil- !, ity with which he carried out that re- 1 sIJUMsble task that he was given a peer 1 aAeNin the last New Years honors Tn
 company with his capable daughter. Lady | Mackworth he was on board the Lusi-
 tania when she was torpedoed and both
 had narrow escapes from death. "A big business man. Lloyd-George | called Lord Rhondda, when he chose his | fellow Welshman for the American mis-