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Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 72, 26 March 1914, Page 7

THE ULSTER CRISIS. ■ » Secretary for War Resigns. Government and the Army. White Paper Issued. Some Amazing Rumours. To-day's cable messages indicate some astonishing developments in connection with the Home Rule crisis. The refusal of a number of cavalry officers , to fight against Ulster has introduced an even wider issue than Home Rule — that of the duty of the Army to obey. The officers resigned, and refused to withdraw their resignations unless they were given an assurance that they would not be employed in Ulster to impose Home Rule by armed force. They withdrew their resignations and resumed duty on an assurance being given by direction of the Secretary for War; and the terms and circumstances of the assurance were deemed so damaging to the Government's prestige that the Secretary (Colonel Seely) resigned. The Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, considers that acceptance of the resignation would be ungenerous; but the general opinion on the Liberal side, according to the cable messages, is that Colonel Seeiy blundered, and the Minister himself says that he unintentionally misled the Cabinet. The immediate effect of the military coup is to serve the Unionist cause by greatly embarrassing the Government. The ultimate effect, as foreshadowed by Liberal and Labour members, is to raise the wide issue of purging the Army from class influence, and freeing the officers from society and political pressure.