ULSTER AND THE ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2110, 30 March 1914, Page 5

ULSTER AND THE ARMY.

MR ASQUITH MAKES A STATEMENT. .

N0 MORE "HYPOTHETICAL

rnmsmm."

NEW ARMY ORDER

FURIOUS OUTBURST Qf

CRITICISM,

By Telcgraph-Pioss Aesociation-Copyright.

(Ree. March 29, 5.5 p.m.)

Ldiidon, March 28, There are turnouts of « dissoktioH, When the. Hottsa mqt Cabiaet waa still 'sitting, Mr. J. W, G:«Jland <a Juftior-Lord of tlio Treasury), on b.elialf of jlr, Aβquith, prpnjised tjiat a stateweiit ivcyl'4 be made kt.e in tko aftenioon. Mr. Bonar Law said tiiat Mr. Asquith pronj-isod a Bttttejneiit Jast Bight, and then deferred till ttdon. He wishecl to move the acljottrnnient of the House to enable the Ooyßfnme'iit- to tta|6 up its mind.

The. Speaker (Sir. 3. AV. Lowther) ruled that- as it was private members' day ho was unable to accept the- ino:tiou for adjaiiriim.eist. Mr. Bonar Law said he i--eg.fett-.ed that the rules of the Hohso preTCßted him dealing with what was nothing less than a public scandaf...

.'.lnjor A, 0. Jjcj-fi's-pn-Bfti! {Unionist member for North Devon) strongly protested against the new order as the grossest fflsutt to the whole Army. There was never giiy. ddubt as. to officei's and nioii obeying their superiors , Sir John Jfreiieh had stultified lii-s position _by'''S(g«fiig the ij.ew order. JU-ajoy Morrison-Beli eoiicluded; "Had i-iot Colonel Seciy drnve- his. bast to spoil the discipline of Mte-' wliolo Atihy by going to tho officers, and, through Sir Art-hty Paget, asfeiiig what their'views were, Tliis quest/ip.ri wouH sever have arisen.", (Opposition- cheers.) Later, Bli'. A-squith, lii. a brief stetfe ment to the ISc-usp, sojcl that lip was awaiting the-ftivai veply of' Sir Jol'ip French and General Ewa-rt , . ■ lib justified their signing Bfi-gadiei'-Gejieraj Gough's mofhora-jishtm. beeritlse tJisy be.lieved , they Wero anting on Cabitiet-s decision.. '.

Morrison-Bell eoiiewped; "Had not Colonel Seciy daive- Jiis. bast to spoil the discipline of Mte' ivtote Atihy by going to tho officers, ant}, through Sir Arthttf I'aget, asfeiiig whai t'heir vfews were;, TJiis quest/fetri wouH sever have arisen.", (Opposition- cheers.) Later, Bli'. Asquith, In a brief stetfe ment to tli.e ISpusp, sojcl that hp was awaiting thfr jftival reftly of" Sir John French and General ■ Efta-rt , . ■ lib justified their signing Bfigadiei-'Gejieraj Gough's mofhq-ra-jishtsn. beeritlse %<3.y be.lieved , they Ttero aci-ting on Cabitiet-s decision., With a view to obviating a requfronc.e of misuuderstaiisiingf.' tj.is Prirnjor said, tho Army Oouijci-t hacl bsUeil. a new Army order, vius'h provides t.lvaVnci officer or eoidier in iJje future- would bo questioned on tho attitude ho would adopt on hypothetical contrngencios y he would also bei lorbiddcn to asls wx ffssurancesj his duty was to -obey .lawful commands to safeguaj-d lives and property in tho event e'f! a -of the peace. Mr. Asquith. fijnplasiscd tho- point tnat Fiekßla-rfihal. Sir John Frcnch, and General .Sw'arb desired, to resign not because they differed witih, fh.o GoVcninient,btit because 1 tliey iiiitinlled tho memoranduin.' I'he Gwernmen-t wcfiild regard their resignations .is a spr.iofts misfortune..to 'the . Army • and to Qie. Stato. (Clieets.) .Ho -coiiohidcfi by d?clariiig tlmi it.'was ftltogother imtrtio that the Governnisnti ©:?■ f1,% member i>f the Gqvornjneiit, ove-r conteraiplatcd. afttivooperatio.)iscf an aggressive ter in Ulster,, or wy. Dpefatioiis .imposing Army diity not amply cove-red by the torms of this. <ixa&. MENACE 'SO THE MORA.LE OF tHE FIQUTIxXG S^VICES. London, March 27. ■ The "Tirnas/' in a leading article, discussing tlj:e Army's attitude, remarks that it is not. for the salte of Ulster or of the patty, but to tfce sake of th.e Kiug aud the iifflgiro that we trust that there will be a ai\it% tjirminatitiji of- e. crisis which,. i!. it continues mueli loiigei-i must seriously affect tho moraleand traditional, alooffiesa irom polities of both our great fighting services (tie Army and the. jSavy). SPEECHES BY TWO USE ft At ' ' tEAOERS,. DEAD SET ON THE ,ABMY. (llec- ilarGli 29, 0.5 p.tn.). Sir John Simon (At-torney-G'enetalJf speaking at ffiackb«rn, empbatieafty denied the existence of a MHsigtjrial piot to attack 'tJI-stef. Hg -iva-s 'prfSEnt at every _ Cabinet- meeting and C.aMflet committee mooting wlucTi diseusged theprecautionary amxngenK-utii. It wag a great misfortune, ho said* that the officers in Ireland was ever asked hypothetical questions. Sqone.r than admit the officers' ela-itn to. pick and choose between ths kwa t'bey woitld support, ho was willing to face resignations"without number: TJi.e one luring prGbtoa ot our time was she better deiuoefttttsation of the Arniy. Mr. Percy Jjlfngwortli {Qhiei Govefiiment Whip;,,, who also spoke-, said that the Tories bad f-aiseij an iss-vie- that was threatening ih& very fotindatioßs of the people. Tho ifici.dente..ii} the House of Connhons surpassed i-rt. interest and. in> portance anything ia living uietoory, but the Tory l'arty had weitled .<»a-Jttian into tho 'People's Party, ah.d the Army issue would Ijo settled, on tiio Liberal Party's own lines, in'its own w-ay, and in its own time. ''A f&w battalions up hill and down again/' ho s-aids "■and -the Ulstermen wfll ley down .tlreiv arms, and consent to be. devoured to fisafe a Lib' eral holiday. If Tjlster stands to arms, she will win. Tjie British, public will not allow war in XJlsier, end Mi , -, Asquith knows it,"

Mr. J. £L fflioiuas (Labour member for Derby), in a speech to Ms cofistjtiwnts, said that thei'e Was no better Is* sue for a general ejection than whether Parliament should govern, or the Army, encouraged and fosit<?rt<l through iiris* tocratio circles, Softie officers, with the full connivaii.ee of thft lVri?s, had started the doctfifee ©E optional ob.edicne.e~nuraely, the support of tlio civil aufhori* ties in protecting life and property under a Tory.tjqyeinment, but if asked to perform a similar duty under the- Liberal Glovernmont they resigned. "That insult," he added, "we will in duo time be prepared to meet." SHARP COMMENT BY' THE • "TIMES." '(l^ p March 29, 5.5 p.m.) Lomloii, March 28. Tho "Times" says that "if tho opening clause id the He* Army owlor is a confession t'luit the Oovcrninent wrOncly sought such an assurance, wb wolcomo it, but the in&i&Hro of tlio.it sincerity is tho degree in winch they re* strain themselves and their vindictive followers from making unfounded siul malicious attacks tin the Army. IVnitcioiis speeches like Mr. lilingwort'li's immediately ujitto any attempt at peacemaking."

UNEXMCTJSD AEIUVALS. Latidßrtj JiarcU 2%, ■ Brigadier-General Gongh, from the Curragli, and Sir Edward Carson have unexpectedly aimed'in London. Sir Edward Careen, in 3,n. described the ftgiv' Army order is a

fnrce,_and merely repfeate that contained jji Bi-igndicr-Goncral GoMgh's guarantee.

PRESS AND PUBLIC. COMMENT ON. THE SITUATION, (Jfee. March 29, 3.5 juh.) Liondorij Ji« ro li 28. J.lie coasenims oi 1 opjiuou amongst tlio. mcjtie.rato Lmerals ib that tile uovewi. raent's latest decisions wcj-e intended ls> pJaoe in tlitnr rigiit, perejpoctiv-e Mio questions of discipline,raised by tiie more Almwieiiahst sca-jons oi tiie party. This opinion also desires to seu tae whole juciaeut qjeedily oiosed, Lobby gossip savs that boi«ii members resgarded Major Morrison-Bell's speeeii as a warnieg to file House, tiiat file controversy on the military and personal side had -gone far CRetign. : Tiie bestoinmou oh both sides, jitter tjio Premier's speech, «o»s(dcrcd that itie way had boon cleared lor l'aduiinenl to resume tlio consideration of fciio irt'itely political issues ai the question It is generally assumed that- Sir Jolm FraiaHi and Ueiicrai Kwart mil witjiiaw their resignations,

I'tio "JJaily Okimkh , ' (Lilieral) states that tlio two words "in hitiire" apiwar in the- Army order referred to by Mr. for tfao j)tu-.[)p.se of preventing its ope-ntug articles (icing .construed as censure ol past acts, wlietner irf those rf Brigadier-tidim-al Uougb, Sir Arthur Fagot, Udo-jicl Jseely, or the Anny (J»uneil

The "MAraiag Past 11 (Unionist) ohserves that Sir John Iffeiuifo and General JiiVa.fi must eoiisifjej , wiiuther Mr. Asquith's dosing words cover tlw reinitoted asstiraiicu in the iHMMraiidmn coiicGi ned .lit "crits.king tlio political oniWiitioii."' Mr, JttO-bort Bl&ickforifl, ill the "Clar. ion," d;e.o'laras that tljo cry of '•■'the Ansiy sgailiijt tiie -peypio" h the (Je-spai.rtn-g Cry of a discredited pai'fcy ■ rea<iy to -iyreck the jiat-i.eii «i a desperate gatnftle to sav o theiimelvcs.

tho "Dsily Mail" states that it is reported; that Brigadict-G-enera-l Goiigh has been summoned to the \Vsr Office, and that Catjn-et is seeking t» obtain a free sur.refKfer of the pledge lie hpldsj thus enabling Sir Jolia i'renpji aiid perietal Ew_a.rt to rqEiiaiu, and 5Q estricato the Cabinet ffofii its worst difficulties.

. Ma-.ny of the Liberal iissociatfons in the provinces have pasiseol restitutionseongratulating Mr. A.squitl} m Jjis firniliess, arid -supporting tho Government's efforts in resisting ewiroae-htneht? on tlw people's sovereign liberties, and also pi:e.to.stMg against tether-concessio , ins to Ulster.

fh-o "tlaily SWl's" Duh.fui c.orFegjsPii" dent States that it now appears, in. Gqnjicetion with the s-watopiii-g pi phiet, that eighteen batteries: of.nald artillery and two. of tlie Hoyal Horn Artiltac.y. wero Qi-dexed. to be in reiidin.ess to gb avo.rtJi) while 32 tens of amrnun.itioii ive-ro ofdwed from Biiblto for the garrisons at Nmvbrid-go a»d: Kt-Ma-M. Letters from Irish officers sliett tliat .the Kiftg J s liafliis was used freely, Purnig the ijueßtipKih|?& pf Jiifei.itry oifiecrs.,... they were iafofmed that-it iva-s the persona! desire that of 'the two atenia.iives ijui to. them by the G-.ovef.nmei.it, they Bhonld -fight XJlstt]r rather than resign. Certain genoral.a atoit- that tliey Used the King's name, and explain that it is tho custom to speak of. the King as the head of the Army, a-ud. to Wo his. ha-rrte whe-ij sonveyihg rh&inictiouß. The ''Observer" augßOSfs that tho Oofiimona a.nd the Peers should co-oper-ate to amend the I'a-vliament AW oxtending tho lYumtar of SUBglonta over Which BiWs may sp.fe.a.d l fhm ttprid onable tb.6...lri&h a.nd Welsh .Bills to bo BUbmittq.fl U «' ge»eral election, aiid ptacee4ed with by th-.e new I'ar-liatn-B.ut at tho stage wh,cre they were eiisjende'd-. COLONEL SEELY. BADICAL PM-SS DEMANDS BIS U?rteEMENf, L:o.n.dpn, Mareli 21. The. Jtapjcal newspapers are $till ma-tufing Colohol SjeeleyV rptirenjeiifc. . ' When Ccilonet Seely ai'rfved mi, ■ the War Office tOKky d geu%inah. wearing an t'iste-r bactgo met him on t)to step's and exelaiiiifed veheiiietttly, "I sbttuld- be ■ ashamed of myself."Colonel smiled .genially aiid passed oa» •' A CRIMINAL SPEECHV" "JtAIES" ON jm, CHtißaßlliL. . London, Meich 2?< The "Times, ,, ' in s, teadittg artiete on jir, ChurehilPa statement that tjie issue is now the. Army y&rsui Partianieiti, says;—"No riiore-; criminal spteeclt hasever fee&n delivered, iu of cut of Parlia*raenb by a nia ! n.'"ho}di.ng a responsible exeoij.tive position." . A LETTER TO THE KTN-β, EXTREME STEP-SI LOB© ROBERTS. : "Stmes" Mt-i SJdney "Suit" Services. Lojidori, March W. Lord Jtotets took the ih.ost ostreme steps to -mark his objections to trciogs being - compelled to- seJvo agpinst pi-ste-r.' When ho tearni of the jli-nistry's plans, he wroto a letter to the IKittp;, paying tliat gref% as lie prized Ihe hoiiours bestowed upon hhn by his Soveteign, he would bo compelled, if the Army oecnpied Ulster, to'.return t%m 'te the King., together with %\% FieldMarshal's baton,