The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-08-19


Lord Northcliffe. The news was not
a surprise. as the bulletins issued by
the doctors for the past week plain
ly indicated that their patient was
dying.
Lord N~orthclife was by far the
most noted figure in British journal
ism. and the first question on every
ones lips was as to what effect his
death will have on the policies of the
Times and his other newspapers,
which since the end OF the war have
strongly opposed the Lloyd George
administration and its principles,
with the notable exception of its deal-
ings with Ireland, which the North
cliffe press supported throughout.
SKETCH OF CAREER
viscount Northcliffe (Alfred Chas.
William Harmsworth) the greatest
moulder Of public opinion in Europe,
will go down in journalistic history
as a maker and unmaker of cabinets.
Throwing aside ar opportunity to
study law Harmsworth left his Dub
lin home as a boy of II and went to
London to make his fortune in the
newspaper field.
For his achievements in behalf of
Great Britain through his great chain
of newspapers. headed by The Times
C"The Thunderer") and the Daily
Mail, Harmsworth was created First
Baron of Thanet in 1905 and Wis
count in 1917. IL was chiefly through
his journalistic feats during the war
that Viscount Northcliffe showed his
greatest power and his ability to read
and interpret public opinion.
Piercing the veil of censorship in
the Spring of 1915 he showed the
real conditions on the British front,
where Field Marshal French. then
the commander in chief. was calling in
vain for heavy artillery ammunition
to combat the tremendous and con-
tinuous bombardments by heavy
German guns. In response to French's
appeals the British War Office con-
tinued to send %shrapnel.
The Northcliffe newspapers began
attacking the policies of Lord Kitch-
ener, then Secretary of State for War,
and the public was aroused to such a
pitch that a new post was created to
speed up the production of heavy
guns and heavy artillery.
The Ministry of Munitions was es-
tablished and David Lloyd George,
already noted for his tremendous en-
ergy in handling public affairs was
given the post. From that time on
ward the flow of heavy ammunition
to the British front continued to in
crease
About the same time the newspa-
per proprietor began to chafe under
the rigid censorship which was keep
ing the British people in partial ig-
of the actual conditions in
France and Flanders. Having visit
ed France himself to make a person.
al investigation. Northcliffe decided
to send Col. Repington, the foremost
military critic in England, to the
lighting zone to gather materials for
a series of articles attacking the gov
ernment's censorship policy. In due
time these articles began to appear
in the Times and they created a ma
ton wide sensation.
The government was accused of
misleading the people and of con-
cealing reverses. Col. R~epington's
articles were used as an argument in
behalf of a more vigorous prosecu-
ton of the war. Premier Asquith.
then in power, and the wal board
came under the guns of the doughty
editor. A demand for immediate and
drastic CONSUMPTION was made as the
only solution to the problem of get
ting needed men in the army.
The War Office and the Admiralty
were bitterly criticised for the Ant
werp failure, the fiasco at the Darda-
nelles and the disastrous enterprise
against the Turks in Mesopotamia.
Viscount Northcliffe was well
known in America, having visited
that country several times, so when
1t was decided to send a British mis-
sion to the United States he was ap-
pointed chairman. The Viscount had
more than 10000 persons working
under him and gained excellent re-
suits.
Afterwards he accepted the post of
Director of Propaganda in Enemy
Countries and directed the British
agents in Germany and Austria.
In the meantime, under the re-
peated attacks of the Northcliffe
press, the Asquith ministry collapsed
in 1916 and through the efforts of
the same agency the portfolio went
to Lloyd George, who Immediately
organized a strong war cabinet, CIV
ing representation to all political
factions.
To show his political independence
Northcliffe turned upon Lloyd George
after the armistice was signed. AL
legations that peace treaty problems
and domestic questions had been mis-
handled were made against the
Welsh statesman. The attacks be-
came so furious that the premier
had to take ~cognizance of them and
delivered a speech of defense in the
house of commons in which North
cliffe was bitterly assailed.
At the beginning of 1920 the po-
litical situation in Great Britain had
become so acute al the result OF la
Dor troubles. the Irish situation and
- Ir-~.- 49, h@~. xurn.o ~ ~ rg