Shortage of ammunition had been a serious problem since the autumn of 1914 and the British Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Sir John French gave an interview to "The Times" (27 March) calling for more ammunition. Lord Northcliffe, the owner of "The Times" and the "Daily Mail", blamed Herbert Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, for the recent death in action of his nephew. On the basis of an assurance from Kitchener, Asquith, stated in a speech at Newcastle (20 April) that the army had sufficient ammunition.