The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-09
TELLS OF WAR COUNCIL

l ELLC UT W hN SOO4NSlA
 The management of the war devolved in November, 1914, upon a war coun- cil consisting of MT Asquith, Earl Kitchener and Mr. Churchill, with MT. Edward Gray, MT. Lloyd George and the Marquis of Crewe the heads of the foreign, treasury and India offices participating, but with comparatively Inactive advisory functions. Sea Lords Fisher and Wilson were with Mir. Churchill and Chief of Staff General Murray and Earl Kitchener theoreti- cally as technical advisers but in practice, according to the report, usu- ally playing silent parts. The commits sion was struck with the atmosphere of vagueness and want of precision which seems to have characterized the proceedings of the war council"
 Different members, the report says, sometimes left the council with diff ferent views as to whether certain questions had been really decided or only provisionally. The Marquis of Crewe and Viscount Ha1dane expressed too much talking and that the experts took small parts in the discussion.
 Mir. Churchill testified that MT. Asquith and Earl Kitchener settled matters .' although he had the same authority The commission thought his view was over modest. The cabinet as body placed all responsibility in council, at times re- questing that 1t was not to be told of occurrences on the ground that the fewer who knew of them the better.
 Earl Kitchener's dominating influence pervades the testimony. The commission says he would not impart full informa- ton of his plans. even to the war coun- cil. MT. Churchill described him as "ali powerful, imperturbable and reserved, '' ad ha fad al, al councils at this time. The belief tha, he had plans deeper and wider than any we could see silenced misgivings.'
 General Murray testified that he was never asked to express an opinion on the military plan. The situation at the ad miralty was different. MT. Churchill was not a professional man like Earl Kitch- ener and he consulted Admirals Fisher and Wilson. Admiral Fisher testified that he was dead against the naval oper- Iation alone, because he knew it must be failure.'
 The commission comments on this state ment as follows:
 He did not at any time record any such strongly adverse opinions as these Neither does he appear to have impressed others with the strength of his objection. VIEW OF ADMIRALS Admirals Fisher and Wilson said the,
 
 Churchill expressed views with whicl they disagreed as form of loyalty tt their chief. Mr. Churchill testified that he thought Admiral Fisher was fin ful agreement with him.. Admiral Fishe once, however. threatened to resign at { | council, but Earl Kitchener persuaded hin 1 to reconsider. Admiral Fishers view ap parently was that he should defer to thu civil head of the admiralty or resign MT. Asquith. commenting on the differ ences between MT Churchill and Admira Fisher. said that they 'got on well to 1 gether, all the time
 l Junior members of the board of set | lords were not consulted in admiralty con 1 ferences. Admiral Fisher thought theil departmental duties all important bu they protested to MT Balfour while MT ! Balfour was at the admiralty that thu system of supremacy of the first sea lort
 tended against the imperial nationa safetv.''