FALSE ISSUES AND CLASS PASSION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2111, 31 March 1914, Page 4

FALSE ISSUES AND CLASS PASSION.

-:■■■... ■ ■ 0 "■ , : * ■ One of tiaft frOsfc disktfbjng fdatiipcs of the pßlitieal situation ift Britain at the fflottienfc is the manner in vhiefi !a ; rg.o national fcsufcs a ; vts being twistoti and turned to sme th<» ends of l'ival pai'iics, with toe littleregard for the welfare of the, people as a, whole The Unionists have at times been over-keen to ■■turn to party ends the embarrassments of the GcfVefniMHt over the attitncfo of Ulster, but they arc far tess oulpabw titan sonw »f t»o rtwniitevs of the Ciflivt'r-ninftnt, who tti'f! oiidoavoiti'iiig ■to csciipfl fi'om il)« diffietiUifiS int»* wlpdi they texvß itemielerc.d by rriifi-inp false issflns of a wost iierrtietmis and (taiig-erons antim. Tlic Lcmctan h,ms a day or two ago. in eonwiunting oa M.u, "WiNSTOK OhUßCium.'s deekratian that the issue was now "Army venns Parliament," .said Uo |aore criminal speech has ever been delivered in of out of Parfemcßt by a.

man holding a vesponsitta Executive position," This is vei:y strong language to iu'o tmviii'ds a Minister o! the CnJwn, but when the nature and effect of Mil,. OHUBOBHit'a assertion are taken into aocuuiit there are few thoughtful people who will not realise that the 1 occasion called for strong language. The impression jsottgljt to be conveyed by Mil. CiiuncHiUi was that because a number of Army -ofiter eft preferred to resign their cottumsSion's rather thaft take part in the armed coercion of Ul&Cor, they W«re arraying themselves against the' Parliament, and, thvwgh it, the people of Great Britain.. Or, to take the words of Mil. Llqys Geobgb to be found .in »i cablegram Wjiisv we publish this morning, tfey tvei'o attempting to establish a military despotism. Mk. Lloyi> Oemige, indeed, goes rather further than tiiiSj and suggests tliat the issue i$ "whetlier the country is to remain fpco or in effect be enslaved by miiiiE&ry despetism." Every intelligent person who lias followed the course of events in Great Britain knows perfectly \yell that this, declaration is utterly ui]ju:s;tifed,.and is the wildest distortion of fact, designed to inflame class passions and ] obseurc the real issue. The Army -officers who ■declined to \ serve against Ulster eould never have j contemplated haying to turn their arms against their own fellow-sub-' jflcts, and when they received ordcrsi which appeared to'plainly in<tie.a,te that they would toe calkd. on to $£> thisi they were within, their -fights lit tendering their, resignation's. . They had Joined the At my as defenders cf their .q&untry against iiiv-asioiij or to: protect its riitci'csts against aggreg-'-sion«a.bfoa£li and.to pretend ttia-t in preferring to .resign mtheisili-q.n bear iirftis ag.q-inst thair feilp-w-ecmatry-. men they were attcnipiin.g to '-en* sliiye tjie country under -militaty des' potism" or. to range- the Aimy against Part-iaMctHi is too flagrantly dishonest ,ta deceive any.biit. the ifip&fc biaSetl and parti'sa-ri. Jhlfc while- this may be the case- those- -w-ha bave ■closely followed the cour.se ,oi events, '. there ea» be m> dottbi tori aiieh ideas ■ as Slr; Wijfsjos OiimtGiiUJL aijd Mft. Lloyd GfeoK.QE have given voide to will hft accepted toy a; great niafty people who do not tacAible to tjAik -for : thcmse.lyqs us truly irepresfefttvitg the iDO'sifeipii, ain.d , thus give birfh to , iie\v passions wjiMs jhte ihtcnstiy the dftßgw'a of a situatibh -already strained to hreateing-pgintv.. ,fliis diifficult to ifind censWti strong eitohgh to fittingly chastise those 'who are, , thife reelfloSs'ly jaiiii-j.ng thp- ijsnjej p| |).ass.ion Mid for poliiic'iii-.: purposes, lifiedfcss ei the fia'tastro jific. they ltifty .■pre.Gipi-tato -iipb.h ■ the- W : tian. ;Ihe Unionists are not-eni-keiy jslaWfelcss in' the nia.%r,.... : bu-ji .they have far less ,'tff ■■Answer ,, ,fo:r {.hap their apportents. fhe afl.vice whifli: 'we are MS ■to-.imy lias-be&n -tendered 1 the cpttflictiftg parties : bj? |,pjip mnW an-d :: jibftp sO&£Liis|c>Rr> will no m6is|Vpcopjc hereas bctrig Ijath wise :hml fi-mc ; ly. It m : fts}).iHrce. iKjJn,.Mde -aibwndjjh-tly. this ihit even a.mqngst thoso , who synipffltbisc wit'll the-degire 4Jf"ttie 'SaMoflaKsfej; for sptag iortrf di Hbnj| : Rifle, there itr-e it would.he;a pojt!.s'tr-pils:anj;us|ice:b-;haw- force' Ulstfe.r to sacrifice : what- it : :ha? betiti.'sp..fUinli' slit>w ; ii- ;s'|ie;,:fi6i.ds : 'so detifc Ife is-pla-in-.'ia;ls>'t!iftt TJtsfet' ■catild ditly , ' bts, . of : at ; ffls,. Such' a , c6^.ji , geni^.-,% , (ftri;a- lie' iiit|or|y Teptignaiiit .J;p- ,; alll"secti6n;s-'§f I felfeh 411' the ■ iii : Wie jSiffescnt; iniiattiedj st% i>l 'pplitical' feeling -fri. GJigat any , "fir■tltei', siigge'stfen-; of 'qd.tn : jji'ay: appear to be-out of the aiiesti'o's, frt'jt there are fpsnyM |}ie.',cop.ler'hea.dedOJi ; bot:h, is-id.es who Wijt , : be, gl/j-ij'.-ip: .seijic bit tp:&4.yi'<;e. proffered by -tciniiVfailing" this, the p.rtJy'jhQp.e-pf easing tte ten- , sien lias iq jhj. (^oVftrgitien* , deciding oti a ; tl-issoltitibi! and -An- a.lipeal to the elccferatQi '...'. ' .-'