THE WAY OUT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8681, 14 March 1914, Page 4

THE WAY OUT

Wo prefer tho later views expressed by Earl Grey on the Irish question to his earlier deliverance. Then ho seemed rather to approve of the intention of Ulster to fight. In'deed, he went so far as to declare that Ulster must fight if she wished to avoid the opprobrious brand of slavery. Now he says that “the turn of events has swept away any chance of civil war and left the way open to a settlement of the question on the lines he had indicated.” We may not see quite bo far along these lines as Earl Grey; indeed it is not apparent that he had found himself able to measure the distance he would like to sec covered. Nevertheless wo cordially agree with him that there is now no excuse whatever for war in Ireland. After all there is not much to differ about in the discussion concerning those lines of the way out. They are, as indicated by the noble Earl, Federal lines. Well! there is nothing in the offer of Mr Asquith to prevent the development of federation on perfectly rational, suitable and logical lines. We need not go any further <in the details of final settlement under tho conditions reported by the cables; it would be a very unsatisfactory proceeding, quite of the order that is forced to make bricks without straw, and perhapsoven clay. The conditions, however, are changing from day to day during a period which is'quite unimportant, being the period anterior to the final stage of tho preliminary Parliamentary work. The period may, and indeed if Earl Grey’s views are correct, ought to witness the final success of settlement by consent. In this direction his statement that there is no excuse whatever for any talk of civil war carries great weight. So does his explanation that the time has not yet come for tho King to feel bound to take any active course. That helps us, coming from one who has represented the Sovereign in tho highest position to which a subject may attain, to understand how the absurd rumour of the King’s intervention which was said to have convulsed all parties, has never been heard of after tho first unprincipled coruscation.