WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. MR. ASQUITH'S RESIGNATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2112, 1 April 1914, Page 6

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. MR. ASQUITH'S RESIGNATION

The British Prime Minister ha resigned in order to secure ttie &p jai-oyal of tiis constituents to hj taking over of the portfolio of Min Inter, for Wμ. Tilts is the Latas development in cemtieetion with th political crisis in Great Britain, an< comes as a striking diffiax to a scrie ■et sq-ftsfitjftnal events nn pai-ft.Uc.led in madi-rii '.British Ms tory. Mj!,i Asquxth's resignation L the outcome of therte&ttble which ha: arisen in. _ the Army in eonscq-uenei of the military movements in ho land •which were yegarded by manj as. part of ft plan to uso the trwp: for the coercion of this fee iief caused a number of officers t< Itaacl in their resignations, , and 1 very grate situation was erca/ted On receiving ftu assurance tH'iifc th. Army was not to be used for the pir? pose of attacking Ulster, but meofcij to preserve order and project Gov eminent; property, the rc-signatfen! were withdrawn. ■ This , ' did not, how ever, put an end to the trouble, m a new and fiercei? storm was pro voted by the action ol the War Of :fico in givi'ng- the aWve ass,urajie< which was strongly resented .by i :large. section .of the.Radicals Tjl't ■ fltttacfc centred on. Colonel Seekf, tin Secretary for War,', and he offeree to; rtflmquisli officcj but the. Prime; Minister declined to accept bis resignation. The- next, sensation was the UniiQitneeincnt that Sjr Jo;h:n ■Fkb?c«. (CWef of the Imperial General Staff),, and G-enejial Ewsbt had ■resigned owing to the ■repudiation by Cabinet of the guarantee which they, acting in eottjimctito with ■Qquwel/ Seely, had given to - -GEfiifjittAi,' GotiGH that under no olrcijmsfojftdcs. would he bo used' to force Home Rule tan Ulster, Strong inifl'u6fS:cgs. were k«ght the tope of inducing Bin John Pbenc.ii and. OJiJJE!i.*i, Kwaet ttf retain their positions,,hut without avail, thoiigin ■the two Geaqrals declared that ihes action was of a purely personal eJiaracter and hoped that' other, officers wQWId not follow tpok exaniple.. . ilio posiMou how hecame more- diifictiit than cve.i , .. It was- almost im-possibk-lor Coiejirfif, SbeW to retain offics after' th> two Geii.orals., who share*! \vil3i hiffl the responsibility of giving the guarantee, h&d ! resigned, and in the nabJs ■columns of to-day's issue Will bo ■found the atooimeemeirf that he. |ia.§ #so tendered his. resignation vrbxeh ■ naSj ori this ocffitsiftrt, been accepted. ■ The next act in this ejitrao.rdina.ry political drama is the .sensatwfta.l de■dlaraiifflu by Mr. Asqtjith that lie will himself. assume the duties'of Secretary far Afar; an,d as it is neeessary that any Minister, on ■taking tip si new portfolio,, must pi?eSen-fe Mniself to his coastituents hi re-eketion,, He. Asqul«h has resigned :Ms position i.w ' theHoiiss of Commoiis and is Uqw a candidatc far the vacant East Fife seai. It h uftdersteod tiirtt his opponent will be Col&nSl A. Sraof. evej whom Mft. Amvim scenrni a niajoritv of 1709 at ths General Btectiofl of ion. fhxi last Minister to present hW4f to his constituents was Mb. 0, F. G. M : ASTEiuuN, who had to resign ;, as the rnsnlt of his irfomotion to r be Ch4B.eftl.lor of tte Pudiy of ta.jir casteiv The by-ele.cti.6n took place on Fcbrna.ry .19, Mr, MastßMun s.iii- . feniig desfeat at the of gjs Mmhew", Wilson, the Undohist canthdate. This was a severe blew for , the Government, aftd its saVerity ifas itttdrisjfificl h' the faet that it came . on top of.-.pther by-eleeilon ks.ses, it , js not likely that M.% AsotJiTH will suffer the sahie fnto as Mft> Mas* ' TEBSU.N, but the efcefcion will never- - thfiless he ah exceedingly iufcrosfcliig one; But why should Nβ. Asovna tif»- ■ Mine Secretary fer \\'m 1 This qnentioji is caslc).' asked th&ii dnstt-ered. ■ : Perhaiss noiie of Ms Ministerial efll- , itagiies' felt iadinud to occupy 't|ie: positioM in view of the critical" sita- j ation wljifeh now crista, qf perhaps none cif thftm was willing to irieur tlw nsfc of Meat at the by-«>fcctlen Which a dwiage. of o:fßp« would render necessary. The probabilities arc hmvcvei , , that the fcfil obieet of tk Goverflinoiit is to pain A tactical n;dva)i,ta,go ,by iurther ewfusing the. pylitieal issues. By pretending, that no om but the ...Prime Minister Mrii* soli wight to be in of Armv matters at the m'esent JHrtctare, H ts hoped, m> dowbt, to irtiprcss- upoft the THiMw. the idea. si»ead abroad' bv Jfit Winston C'HuttcHiiiL and Mr. .Lloyjb Geo«<3e, tha,h the situation has resolved ife«l;f into a trial of strength bff.ween. Parliament and the Array. . <l Tkv Afmv venut the Pecmfe" will probably be one q>f thft ekctioft.tries at the'fetsfc Fife eontest, th&ugh it would.be , a gross aft! mischievous misrept'tscntatiftn of the issue. The greii-t fluestiotr before the clfluters is vhctlior fljo Sftmt?. R\At scheme shall be passed as it stands, of whetkr ulster shall lie cxeluded from thn jurisdiction of the proposed Btfblin Paiiirsitiftnti The Army trouble, and th« filiinp mi the vacant ofe of SecristniT f OT War arc, coinnaratively speafciftg, finite ineigflificatit mattfii-s. The efforfc of the Badicals to coxicenfcyata public at-: taiiron on iilwm sldc-issires' ia a form of political slvategy ttie object of whieh is to prevent'a elear and imraistnkft.bk espi'cesion of tlm will of ■ the- electors on t?te Government's Home itile policy, Ko tJtntbt tfie Cabinet also Wants to gain a little ln'catiring time in oyder to find sonic WAV of ttSjfricatinp! itself from tfio difficulties by which is is sttrroiiircto_d; but it is almost impossible!.to bolievo that it can carry on mtieli fongef. It is .generally vindovstoec!. that ft dissolution k liof, far off, and ii; Avill certainly be foHnwecl by one 1 oi tlie most niOßientoiis GeaoraT ! (.ions of HM'Jorn tiiiass- 1