THE IRISH CRISIS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 46, 31 March 1914, Page 7

THE IRISH CRISIS.

STARTLING DEVELOPMENT.

PRIME MINISTER'S POSITION. TO BECOME WAR MINISTER. RESIGNATIONS PERSISTED IN. In the House of Commons the Prime Minister announced that General French and Lieutenant-General Ewart had declined to withdraw their resignations. Amidst great excitement, Mr Asquith added that, with the approval of the King, he had decided to assume the duties of War Minister himself. He also announced his retirement, legal advice being to the effect that he should be re-elected. Colonel Seely has also insisted on his resignation being accepted, in view of the decision arrived at by General French and Lieutenant-General Ewart. Lord Morley has promised*the House of Lords that he will give a full statement regarding his own position to-mor-row. Probable successors to the retired generals are mentioned, including General Sir lan Hamilton, who is,-at present in Australia.

By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright, LONDON, March 30.

Lord Chelmsford, a former Governor of New South Wales, and Lord Sydenham, who was Governor of Bombay from 1907 to 1913, in a letter to the Press, declare that civil war, the destruction of the Army, and the elimination of the Empire as a world factor, are inevitable unless .the extremists on both sides make concessions. They urge that it is the leaders' duty to confer and agree upon a fresh solution of the whole Home Rule problem. Lord Chelmsford and Lord Sydenham also remark that the new Army Order is tantamount to an acknowledgment that irregular questions were put to officers at the Curragh, necessarily leading to an unprecedented request for assurances concerning the interpretation of orders which .might be given in a certain hypothetical case. The lamentable events of the past week are directly due to the initial blunder, and have been the cause of anxiety alike to tl-e Government and Opposition. Surely the Government must now realise that its policy is profoundly perturbing to the conscience of a very large part of the nation, and cannot be carried out to the bitter end. The extremists in opposition must also see that unbending insistence on a policy of negation regarding Ireland is equally hopeless. The letter concludes: —

"We firmly believe that with true patriotism and statesmanship, in the desperate nature of the situation, the moderate, element in the community, which may prove to hold the casting vote in a general election, will demand the adop-

tion of a middle course. We have both been apart from home politics for many years, but we do know that the British community beyond the seas is looking on with the deepest apprehension to what is happening in the Motherland. Is it too late to make this appeal to the leaders of both parties in the State on behalf of the safety, honour, and welfare of the Sovereign and the Dominions?"

FEATURE OF THE CRISIS. MAINTAINING THEIR DECISIONS. A Ministerial Whip states that an important debate on the position of the Army will arise to-day, and a very important division occur. The growing consensus of opinion is that the resignations of Sir John French and Sir John S. Evrart are final. It is freely stated in military circles that Sir John French intends to notify commanders that his , resignation is purely personal, and that he hopes, for the sake of the Army, that resignations will be limited to chose of himself and Sir John S. Ewart. ! The '' Standard'' says that the final decision of Sir John French and Sir John Ewart to maintain their resignations is the governing feature of the crisis. While the Government is willirg, as Mr Asquith's speech on Friday showed, to repeat the sense of Colonel Scely's paragraphs, it is bound to decline to stultify itself by reinstating these, and on this rock the negotiations have split. Lord Haldane's attempt to find a satisfactory formula has so far been resultless.

ARMY COUNCIL'S SUGGESTION.

TO RESIGNED GENERALS.

A meeting of the military members of the Army Council suggested that Sir John French and Sir John S. Ewart should draft a letter to the Premier, explaining their difficulties, and the Premier should, if necessary, read the letter in the House of Commons to-day Lord Eslier, in a letter in reply to Sir John Simeon's advice to democratise the Army, suggests that Lord Morley should present Sir John Simon with a copy of his monograph on Cromwell. He adds: —

"A democratic conscript army, inasmuch as it is impossible to de-

mocratise a, voluntary army like ours, would prove a powerful "weapon for fighting on the Continent of Europe, but a fatal instrument for domestic use in the hands of a tyrannical Parliamentary majority, or those of some political swashbuckler."

"THE AWFUL SECRET."

LLOYD GEORGE'S SURPRISE

Mr T. P. O'Connor, M.P., writing to the "Freeman's Journal," Dublin, says Colonel Seely's assurance to BrigadierGeneral Gough was written on Monday. Colonel Seely. attached to little importance to it that he did not tell Mr Asquith about it till Tuesday. Mr Lloyd George was seen by a friend on Tuesday. He was not aware of the communication, and was in high spirits over the magnificent way in #which the Government had defined the position and upheld the doctrine of Parliament's supremacy over the Army. He went to the Cabinet Council, and learned of the awful secret, and immediately saw the abyss into which the Government was about to fall. Mr Lloyd George, who is a man of prompt decision, saw immediately that the Government must repudiate the fatal surrender of all constitutional principles.

HIS MAJESTY'S DESIRE.

RESTRAINING PARTY PASSION. A request has reached BrigadierGeneral Gough to return his written guarantee, which is deposited in a bank in London. The " Daily Chronicle " says the King's action in the present crisis is thoroughly constitutional. He has sought to restrain party passion, his role being that of an impartial umpire and grand conciliator. His Majesty's one desire is to see the achievement of an honourable and permanent settlement of the Irish question.

CLASH AT BELFAST VOLUNTEERS ATTACKED. Crowds of Nationalists attacked three Ulster volunteers at Carrick Hill, the Nationalist quarter of Belfast. The police dispersed the Nationalists. One of the volunteers was badly injured, and is in hospital. The cruiser Foresight has relieved the Pathfinder at Belfast. During the Pathfinder's stay, members of the Ulster volunteers signalling corps, for practice purposes, exchanged numerous messages with the signallers aboard. When the Pathfinder left, hearty messages were exchanged.

PREMIER'S DECISION.

TO BECOME WAR MINISTER. A TEMPORARY RETIREMENT. GENERALS PERSIST IN RESIGNATION. (Received March 31,10.45 a.m.) LONDON, March 30. To a crowded and excited House, Mr Asquith announced that Generals French and Ewart persisted in their resignations. While he deeply deplored their decisions, he could not speak too warmly and gratefully of their ability, loyalty, and devotion to duty. He hoped that they would to serve the Army. In the circumstances, he felt it his duty to assume the office of War Minister, a change which the King had approved. (Loud cheers). Mr Asquith then announced his retirement. He stated that all the lawyers were agreed that in assuming the new office it would be necessary that he should be re-elected.

COLONEL SEELY GOES OUT.

A PERSONAL STATEMENT.

Colonel Seely, from the corne* of the third bench above the gangway, made a personal statement.

He said there was no difference between himself and his colleagues on any point of policy or principle. He had pressed his resignation because it appeared, although such was not his intention, that there had been a bargain with the officers regarding the service they should render to the Crown.

As General French and LieutenantGeneral Ewart had resigned, he felt obliged to surrender his own place. It might be that the whole Army system would have to be re-cast, but he could not discuss that now. He hoped to still support the Premier and the causes for which he stood.

OVATION FOR PREMIER.

ENTHUSIASTICALLY OI'LEI',RED

When Mr Asquith left the House of Commons, the Liberals, Labourites, and Nationalists cheered enthusiastically. It is understood that Colonel A. Sprot will contest the East Fife seat against Mr Asquith. [At the last election Colonel Sprot opposed Mr Asquith for East Fife, and secured 3350 votes, as against 5149 recorded for the Prime Minister.]

THE REINFORCEMENTS, NAVAL AND MILITARY. (Received March 31, 12.50 p.m.) Replying td the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord ; Morley admitted that the

reinforcements promised to Sir Arthur Paget included a naval and a military force from England, and two Irish divisions. ROYALTY STAYS AT HOME. "Times" and "Sydney Sun" Services. (Received March 31, B.HO a.m.) The King and Queen will not proceed even to Windsor if there is any likelihood that the state of politics will demand their presence in London.

4 ' PROVOCATIVE MEASURES.''

MR CHURCHILL ATTACKED

(Received March 31, noon.) LONDON, March 30,

On the third reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill, Mr F. E. Smith accused Mr Churchill of provocative measures, wften he made his Bradford speech, as he was aware that instructions had been sent to Sir Arthur Paget, and, later on, gave the order to move the fleet to Ireland.

TOO MUCH TOR POLICE.

SIR E. CARSON'S REBELLION. Mr Churchill said that Sir Edward Carson had raised a rebellion greater than the police could cope with* The Opposition leaders were striving to prevent the Government from pulling down a revolution.

LORD MORLEY'S POSITION.

FULL STATEMENT PROMISED.

Lord Morley, in the House of Lords, promised a full statement of his own position to-morrow.

PROBABLE APPOINTMENTS. GENERAL'S SUCCESSORS. Sir James Grierson and Sir lan Hamilton are suggested as successors to General French and Lieutenant-General Ewart. Sir lan Hamilton's acceptance would enable the Government to abolisjt the office of Inspector-General of the Overseas Forces.

"A PIRATICAL CRUISE."

MR W. A. HOLMAN IN TROUBLE.

SYDNEY, March 30

Mr Holman, speaking at the annual breakfast of the Irish National Foresters, said he had heard of a little party which might go on a piratical cruise and perform acts of sedition on. English soil. If so, it was fortunate that Darlinghurst Gaol had not been given up. There was still ample accommodation for those who wanted, to,cool, heels and refrigerate their heads. In the Assembly to-day, Mr Storey asked Mr Holman to apologise to the Ulstermen of New South Wales for the slur cast upon them.

A VIOLENT DEBATE.

PREMIER CONSIDERS APOLOGY;

(Received March 31, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY,- March 31.

Mr fioliiian's 1 regarding Ulster were the subject of a violent debate in the Assembly/

The Premier promised to consider the suggestion that he should apologise to the Ulstermen in New South Wales for the slur cast on them.