HOME RULE: A NOTE OF PEACE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 78, 2 April 1914, Page 6

HOME RULE : A NOTE OF PEACE

Sir Edward Grey has a remarkable ability to create an atmosphere. His calm aloofness, born of a political life consecrated to foreign policy — which demands the highest discretion, self-control, and devotion to duty — colours almost everything that he says or does. He commands the eloquence not only of words but of silence, and sees things in a clear, dry light most baffling to the storms of prejudice and passion. Therefore it ie likely that uot even Mr. Asquith, the past-master of political formulas and lucid expression, could lead the House of Commons at this juncture as can Sir Edward Grey. He has made it clear and definite that, while the civil law must be upheld, the employment of the Army to comprehensively force Ulster to go under Home Rule would not be conceivable without first consulting the country. Granted that position, there seems to be no reason why any crisis i should have arisen at this stage, except by blundering policy on both sides and a series of "misunderstandings" whicn any ordinary business-like procedure could pasily have avoided. As defined by Sir Edward Grey, the Liberal attitude now seems to be': (1) the Home Rule Bill, with exclusion of Ulster for six years, must in any case go on the Statute Book ; (2) during the aix years, conversations should be resumed between Government and Opposition with a view to permanently establishing Home Rule on the basis of a federal system for the United Kingdom. If the passing of the. Bill is followed by a General Election, as seems probable, and if the Liberals win, the Government will be able to proceed with the second part of the proposal. If the Unionists carry the country, they may do likewise, or alternatively may prefer to repeal the Bill and get to grips with the Nationalists just as the present Governffie&i^ B .Ji°^ v - Sk daggers haj{-dra,wu jvitb

the Ulster "covenanters." Should the Liberals ai. the election win a clear. majority independent of Irish Nationalist support, they will have a free hand in drafting the federal system. But if they are returned to office dependent upon tno Nationalist -'Vote — ac they are now— the position will be different. Then the atti- j tude of Mr. Redmond's followers to the principle and details of the federal system will become of prime importance. Sir Edward Grey's reassuring statement appears to cover all the present demands of an ugly situation.