THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 December 1916, Page 3

THE WAR

lAußtr.al.a->'ew Zealand Cable Service) (Received This Day 8.50 a.m.) THIJB RT. HON". H. H. ASQUITH'S RESIGNATION. London, December 0. Mr. Asquith'» resignation came as a bombshell, showing that every effect made to preserve the unity of the coalition h.id failed through Lloyd George's counsel having been accepted in principle. On Sunday Mr. Asquith contended that the powers of the War Council must be derived from Cabinet as a whole. Subsequently it was necessary to find Ministers who were pre- J pared to delegate authority to a smaller body. Lloyd George did' not object to to Mr Asquith being a mem- I ber of the council, but held that a member of the Council could not at the snuno time discharge his dutiefi as l'rime Minister since his time was taken up in .general administrative supervision and in attendance at theHouse of Commons. When he found that it wns impossible -to reconcile conflicting views, Mr Asquith called the Liberal leaders ers together called the Liberal leaders together, Viscount Grey, Mr Haircourt, Lord' Montague, »Sir Herbert Samuel, Lord Orewe. Mr MoKenna, Mr Runcimnn, Lord Reading and Mr Henderson. Later Lord Ou-rzon was called in and Mr Asquith commenccd negotiations with Mr Bonar Law. Just before seven o'clock Mr Asquith drove to Buckingham Palace and had hnlF-an-hour's audience with the King. When he 'returned' to ©owning Street he was not carying his portfolio. Apparently Mr Asquith suggested that the King should summon Mr 'Bonar Law. Throughout the crisis, Mr Lloyd George was most conciliatory. His letter of resignation was couched in the most friendly terms'. It recalled a decade of intimate personal association with Mr Asquith, emphasising the fact that despite sharp differences of opinion occasionally they had never had a personal quarrel. Mr Lloyd George proposes that the War Council meets twice daily, or oftener. 'He attaches importance to the press uiro of a Labour Minister in the Council, holding that Labour is (vitally! concerned in Ithe effective prosecution iof 'the gigantic conflict. Mr Lloyd 1 iGeorge and Mr Bonar Law iwere not parties in the efforts of the iN'orthcliffe press to drive Mr Asquith from the Prnnierslijip. They Only knew of Mr Asquith'.s final decision to iresign 6.30 to 'clock, when {Lord Curzon returned Prom the meeting of Liberal members of Cabinet. The meeting lasted three hours. Later Mr Bonar Law was summoned to Buckingham Palace.