DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 5

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SIR AETHER PAGET'S INSTRUCTIONS.

THE ARMY'S DUTY

(Received March _25, 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, March 24. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law read .a letter from an officer who was present at the conference. He said that Sir Arthur Pa-get spoke of active .operations: against Ulster, and that he expected the country to be ablaze by Saturday. He nssured the officers that he had the War Office's instructions.

;, Mr Bonar Law ..continued1 to say that it was impossible fcr General Gough's resignation io have been due to misconception- The country had a right to know the terms of reinstatement. He asked the Prime Minister to say openly-••that he was •reinstated on the mstancfc understanding that he would, iuat be asked to me the troops toi enforce Home Rule. Officers who refused on conscientious grounds should he permitted to resign without f orbiting' their pensions. The situation liad arisen through the Governmeni's attempting toi coerce. par€!;|»f'*fcbj? jpojjul&tion • the authority-, pj. iihe electors. Mr Asquith commenced 3bjyi defining the army's duty. ~, JB mast: protect military property and rejadex assistance if , th© civil power was inadequate to deal with , riot and disorder.

When Mr Asquith replied that officers domiciled in Ulster might resign , he was'asked'if similar areguJ actions applied; to strikes, and. he answered "Yes." It was a good .rule where amilitary ''.force' was called on to assist the civil authorities tp -a^oi.d employing men having domestic ties in the locality. When Sir Arthur Paget received the Wai 4 Office's instructions he assembled the divisional generals and brigadiers and intimated to them that the. movement of troops might cause excitement, and that the orders might be varied by consequent supplementary movements. *' ■ General Gough was a most distinguished cavalry leader, and a man of very great and well deserved reputation, arid he and some of the officers interpreted Sir Arthur Paget's observations in the sense of the letter which Mr Bonar Law had readl. The officers were now satisfied that there had been a misunderstanding and , had returned, expressing their full willingness to discharge their duties. ' Mr Asquith concluded: "It is not the business .6f the army arid navy to discriminate between the relative vaHdily of different points of law. If Mr Bonar' Law's doctrine is recognised, the whole fabric on which the law is bailt Avill disappear. If half a million men struck for shorter hours and better wages' and brought society near to starvation would the officers disobey orders because they believed the men's cause to be just? I protest against the notion that the army and' navy must ultimately determine the country's policy:" Mr Balfour said that it was. absurd for the Prime Minister to use conciliatory language. While; Mr Churchill was blowing the call to

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aa.*ms in Yorkshire, and while Mr Asquith was calling out the fire engines to put out the conflagration, he had sent two colleagues to the mains to destroy the water-supply. Never before had it been thought necessary, when supporting a magistrate or looking after the email arms, to lay down conditions that persons who had relations near to the small arms, might disappear and later <*ome back without loss of military reputation. The thing was manifestly foolish. General Gough had been reinstated, though he 6till said he would not fight Ulster^ There were times in history when the ordinary maxims of Government and society must be laid aside. There had been such a, crisis ia our -cml trar», in the contest with >tiie American Colonies, and ia the time of disruptions in the north .and south.