A "Round-Robin."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1914, Page 5

A "Round-Robin."

HOME RULE FOB IRELAND.

APPEAL FOR AN ELECTION. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright} [United Pbehs Association.] (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, March 3. j A letter signed by Lord Roberts, Rudyard Kipling, Lord Midner, Lord Desborough, Professor Dicey, ■Sir \ William Ramsay, Sir Edward Uigur and others, appeals to |their fellow-countrymen to join in a solemn declaration that if Home Rule lie passed without being submitted to an election, they will feel justified in trying to prevent it being put into operation, and particularly in endeavouring to prevent the use of troops, against Ulster. Other signatories of 1h« Jotter ere* Lords Halifax, Aldenlmm, and Loral, the Duke of PortlatiJ, Sir George Chubb.

THE BELFAST RECRUITS.

London, March 3. Owing to the recruits at Belfast exceeding 100,000, inefficients are being weeded out and formed into a corps of stretcher-bearers and ambulance units. A dozen aeroplanes have been offered, and mounted squadrons are being organised.

PRESS COMMENT.

London, March 3

The Daily News ■ admits that a .section of .Radicals and Laboritcs favour a general election in. the autumn. .Reynolds and the Chronicle make .similar statements.

The .Morning Post forecasts an election soon after June.

The,Pall Mall Gazette declares that an election is in sight. ' (Received 9.20 a.m.) London. March 3.

The changed tone of the Radical press indicates the possibility of a general election in the autumn after pushing the Home Rule Bill as far as possible, and in the event of non-set-tlement.

THE SECOND READING.

(Received 8.45 a.m.) London, March 3

Mr Asquitli 'promised to make a statement re the concessions on Monday when moving the second reading of the Home Rule ißll.

EARL GREY'S OPINION.

Earl Grey, in reply to a Dunedin pressman in an interview on the train during the journey from the Bluff, spoke on the Home Rule question inter alia, as follows:

"I suppose that you really know as much about it as I do. When i 'left England I had hoped that the leaders of the parties (Mr Asquith and Mr Bonar Law.) might have arrived at some basis of settlement by general consent on both th«-» Irish M-d jthe House of Lords questions. The opinion of the Unionist leaders, which was announced—or,-I might say, expressed—by Mr Austen Cham be: lain and'Lord Lansdowne, that they were prepared to consider the Federal solution, appeared to me to be the first step towards a settlement. Sir Edward Carson had also announced that he was prepared to consider any plans based upon the principles of aquitable political treatment for every part of the United Kingdom. This means a plan of Home Rule all round. I do not know why Mr Asquith .has not taken advantage of the readiness of the Unionists to settle on this basis. The alternatives appear to bo a settlement by general"consent, or else dissolution before the Home Rule Bills becomes law and civil warfare begins. The first alternative is obviously the one to be desired. You vannot settle greatconstitunioii.il problems by force, and against the wil], is the Unionists believe, of a majority of the electors. Great constitutional questions should be settled by general consent on the lines acceptable to the overwhelming majority of reasonable men on both sides. The Ministerial measure which Mr

Asquith and Lis colleagues have advocated as a stepping stone towards the Federal plan might have been withdrawn as soon as the Unionists' leaders had professod the r desire to settle on the' Federal »v.is ; «s. This should have more than convinced Mr Asquith of the Unionists' desire for a settlement. Why this most desirahle I arrangement has not been arrived at [ cannot say. Perhaps it is due to want of trust between the leaders or a feeling of obligation to Mr Redmond, whose support has enabled Mr Asquith to continue in office for so long." Asked what his opinion was as to the attitude of Ulster towards the present Bill, his Lordship said: "I cannot understand how men of Liberal traditions could ever have thought that the present Bill might haye been accepted by Ulster. It robs them of their liberties and many sympathisers are wholly and entirely 'with them in their resolve to maintain"these." Asked whether in the,event of !'ls*>r being excluded from the operation of the Bill, would it be passed, Earl Grey said: "It may go through, but I don't think that it will work. It is based upon a wrong principle—namely, on the recognition that it will end the lights of a separate nationality, and is entitled, by reason of this separate nationality, to a uta-

tus which cannot he conferred upon other parts of the kingdom. This Bill, if passed, will naturally be a stepping-stone towards other trouble. Moreover, 1 have never been able to understand thai the present Bill could be amended in such a way as to exclude Ulster. The only solution, 1 repeat, is the withdrawal of the Hill, and to go for the Federal plan."