ATTACK ON KITCHENER.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5447, 2 June 1916, Page 5

ATTACK ON KITCHENER.

HIS POLICY CONDEMNED

MOTION TO REDUCE SALARY

London. Last Night

Specking m the House of Commons. Mr McKenna said that the troops in Britain consisted of sick and wounded, and those in training. A necessary number were kept for home defence. Mr Ivor Herbert moved to reduce Lord Kitchener’s salary by £IOO. He declared that our great failure had been the absence of a well-considered scheme at the beginning of the war. Centralisation at the War Office had never been so severe, and there ought to have been on early conference of representatives of industry to arrive at an understanding. A lull enquiry into the Dardanelles campaign was urgently needed. Mr Asquith said that he believed that there was a no larger proportion of non-fighters in Britain than in other nations, but the Government was taking the most effective stops to use the larger proportion in the lighting line. General Sir William Robertson and other staff officers had visited the front and had made suggestions resulting in the disproportion being substantially reduced. Mr Asquith said ; "Thank Heaven there ha,s not been any likelihood on our lieing invaded. But the risk could not. bo neglected. The only troops kept, in Britain were members Ol tile navy, and army jointly considered accessary for absolute security. Ihe a toff officers had been considerably reduced and depleted. The staff comprised some of the best officers in Europe. but they were unable to respond to the notv demands of a glowing army. The Government’s policy

is to promote young men of brains, with fresh idea and regardless of ml tape or etiquette.” Mr Asquith warmly championed Karl Kitchener whom the army, count! y. and ’Empire owed immeasurable words. A charge levelled against Bari Krecflatter should also be aimed at the Government. Mr Asquith accepted his share of the responsibility, because ho had boon closely associated with all that Earl Kitchener had done, Sir A. B. Markham said Earl Kitchener hod boon stripped ol every authority. What use was there > n hav-

ing a War Minister when Mr Asquith had to go to the front to <Tls- | cover a shortage ol machine gnus.

Earl Kitchener gave no orders for the necessary materials until Mr Asquith came on the scene. No other belligerent power had shielded incompetence. Mr Tennant had been made the butt for much of Earl Kitchener’s stupidity. t Sir George Reid said Eari Kitchener’s name was almost the only English name which aroused a sympathetic echo in the Dominions overseas. His most serious fault was that he was not an adept in advertising himself. He was also a relentless enemy to the feather-bed soldier and the disloyal subordinate. Mr Asquith said he was not going to say that Lord Kitchener had never made a mistake in one of the most arduous undertakings a human being had over had to face. No other man in the Empire could have been suminoned in so short a time and gained such satisfactory and bewildering resuits from pur enormous army. Surveying the twenty-two months of the war. with its unforseeable events and the hazards of kaleidoscopic variety, and remembering the gize of the army with which they started, there was no fair-minded man who would not pay his respect and appreciation for Lord Kitchener’s services.

Mr J. IT. Tennant Under-Secretary for War, announced that Earl Kitchener would confer with any member of the House who desired to see hrm on war matters every Friday morning. and would answer any questions.