The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1916. BRITAIN'S GREAT NEED.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1916. BRITAIN'S GREAT NEED.

The gravity of the political crisis in the Motherland is far greater than is generally thought. It strikes deeply into the question of prolonging the war beyond all reasonable hopes, and, on the other hand, it;', solution, if wisely carr-Mi out, may, and probably will, hasten the end of the. struggle. The cloud over Die Cabinet has beta gathering slowly but surely, until the elements of a stoin have been created. The root of the whole trouble is traceable to that rooted system of independent, departmental control that has always been a stumblingblock to British success in prosecuting a war with the minimum of friction and the maximum of effort. It is an old and incontrovertible truism that tradition'dies harcj, and though it was gen--1 orally considered that, as the war pro-

ceeded, Britai i had thrown over the old hide-bound conservative methods, ,and had adapted the administration of the war services to modern requirements, there is ample evidence to show that [he evil is still rampant, hampering and isolating the various departments, instead of co-ordinating and unifying them under one supreme control. It is only necessary to see the complexity that exists to-day in order to understand why so many blunders have been committed. The wonder is that there have not been more. There is the Cabinet, a Cabinet War Committee, a War Council, an Aerial Defencn Committee, a Munitions Department, Army Control, Naval Control, an Allied War Council, and a number of other activities, all ostensibly working together, but in reality more or less independent of each other. No great war like that which is now proceeding can be rightly prosecuted under such a system of overlapping administration, 'iritain's great need has beopt, and is, <i)e possession of a master-mind at the liead ol' affairs, having mature and exp«ri judgment, with a will that defies opposition, and a way of making every particle of the war machine act in unison .'n such a way that victory will be sure and swift. It will be seen by this morning's cables that the tug-of-war is between the Admiralty, the Board of r| . rade, and the War Office, each claira.iig the right to carry out its work in iU own way, regaidless of the needs anil requirements of the others. There is tu•lay as much fear felt by one department of over-ruling the power of another do(artirent as if they were-separate States of the Commonwealth, and it strongly insisted that somebody should be. appointed as head who will he superior to the competing claims of. Admiralty, Board of Trade, and War Office. The revelations that ate now being made will come as a shock to-the Empire. We a\*e fighting against a highlj trained, excellently equipped, thoroughly organised, and resourceful enemies, backed by the whole resources of their respective nations, and whose method of conducting warfare, unscrupulous though it is, has i,iie great advantage of being controlled by the iron will of an indomitable dictator. Our chief enemy, Germany, has now played his last card —the compulsory utilisation of civilian service of bot'i seves, in ordtr to place the utmost of his man-powei ill the fighting line. It Is a direct challenge to the Allies to Uo likewise, and they must take up this challenge in, the spirit in which it is. given, or accept the inevitable consequences. It is this factor which has doubtless brought about the Cabinet crisis in Britain, because there can no longer be tolerated any hesitation, any dilatoriness, or dual control. The crisis is the outcome of the demand for a more vigorous and more effective prose, cution of the war. In the face of Germany's challenge there is an imperative necessity for a. general levy on manpower and woman-power, so that th«> nation must be* thoroughly organiseu. It will only be by that means the war wii! be won. Who is to be responsible for this work? Great as Mr. Asquith las proved his powers to be in the service of the Kmpire > ho does not possess the peculiar' qualities necessary for the v : tal work that has now to be done. 'J.iie Empire's existence depends 011 neft methods, in which promptitude of decision, . vigor, and generalship of the highest order is essential. The Unionist members of tiie Cabinet, who all ra.ogms<> Mr. Asquith's consummate statc.--manship, no longer trust to his generalship, and they have taken the very extreme and distasteful step of asking liim to resign. Those who are versed In British traditions know full well that the danger must be acute when such a draij tic move is made. There appears to be a hint of the possibility of a Llovi George-Carson combination. Mr. lloyil George is at present the moßt vigorous and successful organiser in the front lailk of British politicians, and seems io be the kind of leader the nation is looking for, and is so badly in neml! of at Die present moment.