CONFERENCE FAILS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 145, 25 July 1914, Page 9

CONFERENCE FAILS.

HOME RULE CRISIS.

EXCLUSION AREA THE BLOCK.

FORTY MINUTES' DISCUSSION.

PREMIER DECLINES FULL

DETAILS.

By Cable. — Press Association. — Copyright,

(Received July 25, .11.55 a.m.; ' ' LONDON, July 24. After a forty minutes' meeting, the Conference at the Palace ended;

Cabinet immediately met, and subsequently Mr Asquith stated in the House of Commons that the Conference had considered the possibility of defining the area to be excluded, but had failed to agree either in regard to the principle or the details of such area.

Replying to Mr Dalziel, Mr Asquith declined to state the exact differences of opinion between the members of the Conference.

He stated that the Amending Bill will be discussed on Tuesday.

STOCK EXCHANGE DEPRESSED.

MR BONAR LAW'S ATTITUDE.

NO COMMENT ON REPORT.

(Received July .25, 12.30 p.m.)

, As a result of the-conference fail l ure, the Stoek Exchange is depressed. Consols are at seventy-five.

After Mr Asquith 's statement to a crowded and expectant M'r Boh ar Law said he proposed to follow Mr 's example and make;, no comment on the conference report. Regarding the Amending Bill, he said he thought it ought to be taken as soon as possible, and readily agreed to taking it on Tuesday. ; EMPIRE TO BE STRICKEN. FOR SAKE OF TWO COUNTIES. " The Times,.''' in a leader, after traversing the negotiations, says: The grim fact remains that the collapse of the conference leaves the country and the Empire free to face the greatest danger known in living memory. The British Empire numbers over four hundred millions, and the whole of this A T ast delicate structure is to be imperilled and for what reason? Because Mr Redmond wants to "get control of two. counties in the North of Ireland w T ith a population iof two hundred thousand. The whole Empire is to be stricken to its foundations because of this.

NATIONALISTS ARMING.

FOREIGN BOURSES VERY WEAK

The Manchester '' Guardian'' states that the Nationalist volunteers possess two thousand rifles, all of which were sent to Ulster by motor" car last week. '.-..■'

Eeports from Paris and Berlin state that the Bourses are very weak.

ATTACKING THE KING.

RADICAL PRESS CENSURED.

(Received July 25, 9.5 a.m.)

The "Western Daily News," the "Liverpool Post," and several Liberal provincial papers censure the London Radical Press for attacking the King respecting the ' conference and the phrase referring to eivil war. BEBELS AT THE PALACE. LADY NOVELIST'S OUTBURST.

(Received July 25, 9.15 a.m.)

Beatrice Harraden, the novelist, in a letter to the Press, says: —"The King's intervention in the Home Rule crisis comes as a rallying cry for women. A few weeks ago we heard that he was no lover of intervention, and now he has not only called a conference, but one of the members summoned to it was Captain Craig, who was responsible for the gun-running. Can you wonder at the unrest among women and their increasing anger at the injustice meted ) their cause. For women rebels there are no conferences with the King, but vindictive sentences and ruthless re-arresting. For men rebels Buckingham Palace is opened wide, but nevertheless the women are of good cheer, for their unrest is spreading." SPEAKERS PROPOSAL REJECTED. SIR HORACE PLUNKET'S APPEAL LONDON, July 24. Only the slenderest hopes of the success of the conference are entertained. The King gave an audience to Mr Asquith after yesterday's sitting. It is expected that a decisive statement will be issued to-day.

It is understood that the conference declined to accept the Speaker's suggestion to exclude Tyrone for two years and afterwards hold a ballot for or against exclusion.

Sir Horace Plunkett, the well-known authority on Irish affairs, has-'written another pamphlet on the crisis. He appeals to Ulster to give Home Rule a chance. He can say with absolute

certainty that if TJlstdr' throws in her lot with Ireland, she will find herself received- with generous - enthusiasm, which will last because it will be founded in respect. GROANS AND CHEERS. CROWDS AT THE PALACE. Crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace to watch the arrival and departure of members of the conference, who were greeted with a mixture of groans and cheers.

Mr Asquith, who was accompanied by his daughter, was enthusiastically The police were compelled to force a passage for his motor ear through the cheering crowd. "The Times," in a leader, says:— "The King made a plain, commonsense, and entirely accurate statemerit. There was no partisan spirit in this simple definition of an extremely manifest fact. We trust that there will be no reprehensible criticism of the Sovereign, who has done manfully, and is anxiously trying to carry out the duties devolving on him as ruler. It is not these islands alone, but the world-wide Empire that watches anxiously his attitude in a moment, of extreme crisis." REGULARS AND VOLUNTEERS. A MILITANT LORD MAYOR. The Irish Guards, some of whom recently publicly eheeml Mr Redmond and Mr Devlin, were paraded at Wellington Barracks, and Colonel Morris,, addressing the said he was sorry that- soldiers in uniform should have given way to a political demonstration.

The War Office has issued.an order prohibiting .soldiers,.-from, .associating with the .Ulster or the Nationalist Volunteers.

Writing to the Woolston's Women Unionist Association, in Hampshire, Sir Edward-; Carson says the position is so critical that any day may see a catastrophe. The Government is apparently content "to drift until civil war breaks out. A Volunteers' Aid Association was inaugurated by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who said the people recognised the possibility of the failure of Home Rule owing to the arrogance of Ulster. "If we must have civil war," said the Lord Mayor, "in God's name let it come." -

"BECAUSE HE WAS CARELESS.' *

MR ASQUITH CRITICISED. *

The "Daily Chronicle" (Liberal) soys Mr Asquith is perfectly aware that the reason why it is inexcusable that the words of the King's speech should have been published was not because they were innocent, but because he was careless. This sort of leadership is inadequate. It is not the first time that Ministerial carelessness has allowed au inexcusable phrase to appear. Mr Asquith 's own presence at the War Office might remind him of that.