THE KITCHENER CANARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 4, 6 January 1916, Page 3

THE KITCHENER CANARD.

A ''WICKED INVENTION

LONDON NEWSPAPER SUPPRESSED-. ;\' '■■ LONDON, Nov.' 18. .. Of all the rumors calculated to make the average British -man mentally uncomfortable at the present juncture are those which -hint at strained relations' between Lord Kitchener ;v«d .'ins foKmv C-.-tbinet Ministers, ' Th'- public. Mccopted,with1 stolid imiiffiM-niii.-^.j-i.thiv ipqrry or'-less, dramat'c upib-lr^vi a] •of Sir Edwai'd Carson-from '■tvh C<\byo.o.t. but the mere hint -tjuvt . J^ord i.vitfhener was .coutemplatiiiji; ■ copriHg .his example w:is en!»ugi7.'it.) -svMiri:•.•a.-'chJ.-.iJllof uneasi'nes^'''?oiwo.UKfiolr?*;: stk>v';. rlongth ~ ztiid breadtli, of ii'iv-'lifiid. ■,I'"Tuage^'then. of our eoi\si«.rn,^ti:oft -araT dismay \vheuon Friday. .r.vf>Ti[>?.£■ lust the- "oldest evening pap.i;'"',-; c<ttt»ntf! bill was en-

tir.dy occupied' with these words: "Lord Kitchener Resigns," in the boldest type possible. It never occurred to most people.to doubt that the evil many feared had come to pass, for it seemed incredible that any newspaper of standing would venture at Bueli a time to give tongue to a .ie on such a.matter, even if. there wero no drastic punishment possible for the offence under the provisions of "he Defence of the Realm Act.

If en glared at the contents bill, and many spoke their thoughts aloud: ''It must be true. —they wouldn't dare-—:—" was the burden of the comment oveiywhere, and many people allowed the Globe's .contents bill to .serve for the newspaper itself. They were so sick at heart that -they had no heart ror reading, but gave themsolves up to morbid speculations. Others, hoping against hope, bought the paper to see whether they could"' read into whatever the Globe ha*f published something upon which theirho t >es could legitimately feed. But thoy were grievously disappointed';; no statement could have been moredefinite than that made by the GTofee.. With, as it .said, "a full sense of responsibility,'" it stated that JWd'' Kitchener h.id tendered his resigna>tion to the King as Secretary of Sta)lte for War. The paper continued :-— "No man who is honestly put for; King and country could be expected^ to tolorato indefinitely the intrigues^ of the politicians. Lord Kitchener, acting with a single eye to the interests of his King and country, has tolerated manoeuvres and machinations which none but the patriotic soldier would have endured for a tlay. But even with a man so strong and independent as Lord Kitchener there conies a hrenting point. It is for the King and the people to decide whether that point has been reached. Lord Kirx-hcuer has tendered his .resignation to his Majesty. The -fact that he should have done so at such a time is a measure of the gravity of the step." ■ - .

PRESS BUREAU ASLEEP

As usual the Press Bureau wns half asleepj and allowed the Globe's astounding allegation plenty df time to reach remote corners of the Empire <?re issuing a by no means soul•sfitisfying communique denying that Lord Kitchener had resigned, and stating that he would be temporarily absent from the War Office on "public duty,' and that meanwhile the Prime Minister woiild carry on the work of that ■Department. Despite this announcement the Globe oil Saturday reiterated "its statement that Lord Kitchener had tendered his resignation.

''We repeat our statement," said the Globe. "Lord Kitchener had an audience of the King on Thursday, and '-tendered, his resignation, which was not accepted." The article contained. '/The- publication of this information excited the greatest interest in all •.-•quarters. It had the desired effect; it prevented an entii'e ehfuigi? in the ' responsibility for the direction of Ihe war. being carried out behind tbe backs of the nation. . . . Lord Kitchener does not visit the Sovereign in 'his sick, room merely to make a pleasant au revoir, because,-to ■quote yet another dementi, this from tho semi-official Press Association, he is to bo absent as 'from time to time during his term as War Minister ; he has been absent .from. Whitehall ''owing to. the exigencies of his duties. 5 " ;

Some-pyople could find comfort in this pai-ngiapl) ' They felt 'perfectly certain', that the last thing "K. of X;? would do would be to visit the Palace with his resignation 'in his lianas wliilst the King- was—if not in danf/er-t-rstilf very for indeed from being ''himself again." OFFICIAL ACTION TAKEN.

'Th.fi Press Bureau had.now wok© xip tot-he fact that to give a lie,a long start was the worst kind of policy, \iu\l promptly authorised the .Press ■ Association.,to give "the- most absolute .-and categorical denial of the further rumor respecting Lord Kitdumei-," and to state that "'not; qrily is it ..uniruo that Lord Kitchenerfesnzned, but it '. 'is ' eqi]ally untrue that His lordship ever tendered hia i-esignatidn to the King." .^ The police authorities \voke up also, Ind j ust as the final edition of Satiny. lav's Globe ...'was being .printed they Vairleit'it-shoniein the-Strand and proceeded to sei;ve and execute a warrant' ■ J "^}img vh? publication of the, paper. A. 11 piulted copies found on the promises .were seized, and the, machines were put out of operation. The formes containing the offending articles were commandeered and cakon awfiy.:- the moulds, utilised in; ma'dng the plates from which the paper was , being printed, shared the same fate. The police left nothing tr> chance; for they even cut off the electric current which drove the machinery.'

The editor of the Globe, inter-v viowed on the; raid, talked about a "vague and undefined offence,'? arid added: "I cannot say in what the Globe has ■•■offended, because no definite .■allegation has yet been made, but; th.6 'action'"of the Government, is -learlv"a challenge t« the freedom of the press and the light of public criticism." ] ' . ]«jven newspaper' men were compelled to smile as they read this artless statement. As.for the "challenge, to the. freedom of the press and ' the right of public criticism," no man in his senses can urge that".the -Qlobe:, was upholding these 'things when it ■puolished the offending "news," and ho mar. --an-., argue that in publishing such-Statements' the paper in question was not doing something calculated to cause (to say the least of itjr profound uneasiness in the minds of the British public; and give intense satisfaction to our enemies.

The Globe's• punishment is-a very severe one from-the financial point of v j t ,v/—how severe only those who are responsible'-for tho production of a greV.t evening paper can estimate —but the action of the Government has met •with unqualified approval. It is felt, howevi".-, that t!ic. ''Government ought not to have stopped short with the; suspension of. the. Globe. Other papers sinned by continuing to give countenance +0 tbo lies about Lord Kitchener after rhe IV's's Bureau had issued the official denia', and at least one:paper gave 'the lie direct to tho official ■sfcacomoht.