DEFENCE OF THE KING TOOK NO INITIATIVE OF ANY KIND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1914, Page 7

DEFENCE OF THE KING TOOK NO INITIATIVE OF ANY KIND

THE ASSURANCE TO THE ARMY. COLONEL SEELY'S SPEECH. • LONDON, 26th March. Speaking in the House *of Commons, Colonel Seely emphasised that the suggestion that the King had taken any initiative this matter was absolutely without foundation. In the broadest sense, His Majesty took no initiative of any kind. Colonel Seely repeated this statement amid loud Opposition cheers. He continued that it appeared to the Government and to Sir Arthur Paget that the movement to protect the depots might result in civil commotion. Therefore, they took steps to support . the troops, but they were anxious to avoid provocative action. The resignations were due to' a complete but honest misapprehension of Sir Arthur Paget's statement. The officers believed that there was a plan to overwhelm Ulster by a surprise attack. THOSE ADDED PARAGRAPHS. Explaining the two added paragraphs in the agreement with the officers. Colonel Seely said that during Ins interview with the officers he asked Brigadier-General Gough how the difficulty had arisen, and General Gough replied : " Because we thought we were going to be asked to coerce Ulster, and this seemed to get outside of lawful orders." Colonel Seely continued : " I said : ' The Government must retain the right to use the forces of the Crown, but it is proper to tell you clearly that the Government has no intention of taking advantage of its right to protect the

civil power in order to crush the political opposition.' Brigadier-General Gough said that it would be better to put this clear statement in writing." To this Colonel Seely said he assented. The Adjutant-General prepared a draft of the first three clauses, and the Cabinet discussed the document and Colonel Seely's conversation with the officers. During the Cabinet discussion, Colonel Seely went to Buckingham Palace, and he returned as the Cabinet meeting was breaking up. He (Colonel Seely) added the two paragraphs in order Ithat the document should conform with the statement made to the officeis in the morning. Colonel Seely concluded that he did not know that the Cabinet seriously considered the document or regarded it as final. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald said that if the position revealed by the White Paper had been the Government's position, the Government could not have lived for twenty-four hours. He was delighted that it was not the Government's position. COERCION NEVER CONTEMPLATED. Sir Edward Grey said that wfoea the Cabinet authorised the communications to Brigadier-General Gough, General Gough's letter of 23rd March was not before them. -. r > he paragraphs Colonel Seely added were harmless in themaelves. but the Cabinet was unable to endorse them, because they appealed as an answer to General Gough. The Government still maintained that General Gough had returned unconditionally. It would be well known to him to-morrow that the Government stood by the first portion of the communication, and was responsible for nothing else. It was never contemplated to force or coerce Ulster, but the Government was prepared to use force to any extent to make the will of the country prevail. That contingency, however, would not arisu for a long time. He looked with the greatest loathing and reluctance towards any prospect of coercion, and still hoped it could be avoided, but the one road to certain revolution was for the Government to allow its policy to be dictated or influenced by the officers' politics. TRUTH IN UNMISTAKABLE WORDS. Mr. Balfour pointed out that Coionel Seely still adhered to the two paragraphs. He presumed that the Government agreed, as Colonel Seely remained in the Cabinet. Certainly the paragraphs represented facts. Colonel Seely had told the country the truth in words which were unmistakable, words which the whole army would take as a charter. It was now hopeless to enforce disruptive legislation at the point of the bayonet. Mr. Asquith regretted a most unfair, inconsiderate, and improper attempt to bring the King's nam\ into political events. He said that from first to last Eis Majesty had observed in every way the position of a constitutional monarch. Mr. Asquith added that he was not going to accept Colonel Seely's resignation because it would be ungenerous and unjust when the error had been committed 'in a time of great stress and anxiety. LORD MORLEY'S HAND. Mr. Austen Chamberlain repudiated the suggestion that it was intended to use the Army for party purposes. He said that the country now knew that Lord Morley assisted in drafting the additional paragraphs in the documents given to Brigadier-General Gough. If the pledge which Colonel Seely and Lord Morley gave i>ei'e repudiated, as men of honour they could not stay in the Cabinet any longer. Mr. Churchill, in closing the debate, said that Lord Morley had no responsibility. He neither revised nor examined the additional paragraphs. CRIES OF "LIAR!" Two great issues, said Mr. Churchill, emerged from the proceedings. These were (1) Parliament versus the Army, and (2) the Army versus the people. The Opposition he added, had laid down the principle that it was always right for a soldier to shoot a Radical or a Labourite. This statement drew shouts of protest from the Opposition, who excitedly cried out — "Liar!" Lord Morley, in the House of Lords, repeated Colonel Seely's explanation. Incidentally he admitted that he was cognisant of the complete document, which Colonel Seely showed to him to enable Lord Morley to answer questions. PRESS COMMENTS. The Daily Chronicle states that Colonel Seely cut an inglorious figure, but he is a fine type of English gentleman, and the manliness and candour of his apologia aroused universal sympathy. The House of Commons was ready to forgive a fault frankly confessed. The Daily Mail states that when the Cabinet on Tuesday heard that FieldMarshal Sir John French had signed General Gough's guarantee, Mr. Lloyd George threatened to resign unless Colonel Seely did. Colonel Seejy tendered his resignation. It became evident on Wednesday that Colonel Seely's actions involved Mr. Churchill and Lord Morley. As Mr. Asquith stood sturdily by Colonel Seely, Mr. Lloyd George withdrew his opposition. SIR E. CARSON INTERVIEWED. LONDON, 26th March. Sir Edward Carson, interviewed, said that any previous Government would have been compelled to resign after such an extraordinary muddle, bub the Parliament Act and the payment of members enabled the Cabinet to carry on without regard to decency. LABOUR MEMBER'S PROPHECY. (TIIIBS AND STDNBY SUN SBRVICBS.) LONDON, 26th March. Mr. J. Ward, Labour member for Stoke-on-Trent, prophesied that at the next turbulent strike, the soldiers, following the precedent of the officers, would decline to suppress riots. DAMAGES FOR SEIZURE OF GOODS. LONDON, 26th March. A special jury at Belfast Assizes awarded Hunter and Son, gunsmiths, damages from the Customs authorities for the seizure of goods under the proclanfction prohibiting arms. The Judge" restricted the hearing to the facts, and left the legal question for the higher Court. HYDE PARK DEMONSTRATION. APPLICATIONS FOR TICKETS. (Received March 27, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 26th March. Applications have bren received for many thousands of tickets for the Unionist Hyde Park demonstration on the 4th April.