Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-14
NORTHCLlFFE DEAR;
WAS MOST NOTABLE
EDITOR OF HIS DAY
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He was created Baron OF the Isle OF
Thanet In 1905 and made Viscount
In 1917 after he had served with dis
l.tinction as head Of the British Mission
to the United States TO consolidate
British interests here during the war.
To viscount NorthclifYe is ascrlbed
the arousinR OF the British public TO
knowledge OF the fact that the
British army in France was In
sufiiciently equipped with high ex-
posive shells. that British guns on
the French front were short OF ammu-
milton and that Lord Kitchener, then
Secretary OF State for War, was send
| Ing the British gunncrs shrapnel while
Sir John French. as commander, wac
appealing for the same kind OF high
explosives that Germany was hWllng
over the lines In vast quantities. This
exposure has been characterized ae one
OF the outstanding journalistic feats
OF the war. 1t resulted in the appoint
ment OF David Lloyd George as the
FIRST British Minister OF Munitions
and put him on the road to become
Prime Minister.
Owing, it is said, to the rigid CEN
sorshlp which the then Baron North
cliffe bitterly assailed. the British
people know little about the conduct
OF the war at that time. They were
told of the victories and advances, but
II Ia claimed that the disasters and
defeats were not fully revealed. Official
England is said to have known for
months that the wrong KIND OF shells
were being furnished. Lord North
cliffe knew these conditions because
he had visited the front on several oc-
casions. He sent the military CORE
|, spondent OF the London Times. Col
. onel Repington, to France. and Rep
e lngton sent and the Times published
despatch exposing the situation and
, attributing the failure OF military
Z operations and heavy casualty lists to
Z deficiency in shells.
= Viscount Northcliffe, however, ac-
Z cepted the post OF Director of Propa-
:, ganda in Enemy Countries and for
the remainder OF tho war directed an
u organization in the nations which had
J. agents in Germany and Austria and
: an extensive organization In the
: nations bordering on them.
= With the armistice and the subse-
: quent appointment OF Winston
Churchill as Minister OF Munitions
Viscount Northclffe, who long had
been hostile to Churchill, turned
against Lloyd George and attacked
him. This evoked from the Premier
a ecathing speech OF criticism agains
w. the newspaper proprietor in the HOUSE
OF Commons. This incident was point
y ed 10 as in keeping with the previous
"a attitude OF Northcliffe, who, 1t wa
said. never failed 10 criticsse frien'
or foe alike. IL he deemed their action
:. in public he justified 1t.
Lord Northcliffe was III at the tim
the Armistice was signed. His III
ness was diaginoized as due to adenom
Of the thyroid gland, for which h
=, underwent an operation in June, 1871!
Although he was incapacitated. h
exerted considerable influence on III
British government during the Peac
Conference at Versailles.
Plans were made early in 1921 for
:, world tour. The start was delayed VI
:. til July because o. labor trouble, IN
- volving the publishing industry. an
:. q renewal OF hostilities between Lloy
George and himself. Lord NorthclifI
attacked the motives OF the PrenAt
and Marquis Curzon In desiring 4
represent Great Britain at the WASH
ington Arms Conference. AS RI
re suit of this attack, government new
or was barred from the Northcliffe pres
l. Lord Northcliffe sailed for Americ
III defying the boycott.
al During his world tour, Lord NORTH
n cliffe occupied the public attention I
es each country he visited displayin
NO great knowledge OF the problems fa'
ne ing various nations Arriving in Ne
York. July %. 1921. he warmly e.
dorsed President Harding's plans f.
the armament conference. In Al
a STRATA he saw a grave danger in tn,
at country being overrun by Asiatics. al
fr. in several addresses revealed an IL
or innate knowledge OF Australia's n;
Is. tional problems During his tour
the Pacific he made close study
the situation in the Far East, al
in Hongkong expressed the opinit
,g. that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance WI
or a bar 10 its solution. He returned
L. London from his tour in May, 1922.
June he was reported to have made
on. tour of Germany incognito.
u This was followed by an editori
criticism OF Lord Kitchener. who
ing to that time had been regarded
n England's greatest war genius. II
revelations and criticism shocked En-
ny land into quick action. Mr.. Lilo.
ent George appealed to the British wor
men TO back up the British. army al
&c" England became vast shop for &
VII manufacture OF guns and ammuntic
Meantime Lord Northcliffe w's d
no nounced on all sides by the Britt
400. press. his newspapers publicly burn
TIA In rho streats and his bte - So.
nc have been threatened.
Through his newspapers and pc
,u'' odicals Lord Northcliffe had demand
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