The Spectator at war: National Government

From ‘News of the Week‘, The Spectator, 22 May 1915:

We have named a Dictator to finish the war. The Dictatorship, it is true, is in commission, but none the less it is a Dictatorship. The new National Government will be all-powerful. Let us hasten to say that this will not make their task or their responsibilities any the easier. On the contrary, the responsibility that will rest on each Minister individually and upon the Cabinet collectively will be very much greater. Neither jointly nor severally will they be able to excuse themselves from doing the right thing by declaring that the Parliamentary situation would not allow it, or that if they had done an unpopular though a wise act, or a necessary act, they would have been thrown out of office by an Opposition waiting to destroy them. The tremendous responsibility which tests upon all autocrats will rest upon the National Government.