New-York tribune., 1907-12-15
POLITICAL PROBLEMS.
ANXIETY ABOUT IRELANO.
Dilemma for Mimistry-Oh Age
Pensions and Fighting Services.
ESPECIAL BY French Cable TO The tribune!

rO-zy-i "a.
London. Dec 14-The Prime Minister eso"p.7
eso,a1 routine at Biarritz. but is harasseo WIN
,,o,i-,cal anxieties Mr. Brrel is coniroileu
NTH oreanized lawlessness in ireland. ana can
M, take -he responsibility Of deciding Whetiei
,be sgrar;an warfare shall be licensed OF sup
,,ressed 1t is Gladstone's dilemma pe'"eo"
Home Rule and coercion. and the Prime hiIii''e
alone can face il. Cattle raiding Is the eApe
dent adopted by the Sim Fein aella'ois ~ ~ -,
effective method of proving that lrelano cillso
he governed without her own consent
cannot he depended upon to convict the olieA1
ers who are running important agric"i' 'u o.
Industry. MIR. Birren does not want u -:
the crimes act as is shown by his apoloseti0
.,.ect, 10 q, danutation of land owners. but ne
will be forced to advise this course IL oa'''0
driving continues.
He would gladly avail himself OF the aSsis'-
.nce Of the Nationalist leaders in the res'ora-
ton of order. but they are making a'ipiS -
speeches and he cannot count upon thelii.
Rednnond's power in Ireland has declneo sii,oo
he rejected the Councils bill after playing VIII
IL He does not keep under restraint 'Ae nv
snnnsrhTe CSinneH and other outrage n1ollsei7
and may lack the authority required lor sup
ming the cattle raiding- He heslta'es W -
II decisively If he possesses IL Ior 'iie '0
,,o,ces discontent with the management OF the
against England. 1t is perpiexlns situo'i0
which must cause the Prime Minister ioS'
sleep. The prosecution OF Ginnen for conteinP'
OF court instead Of for the 1ncltenleI! 'A -
lessness is feeble makeshift
Other questions have been left with the heeD'
NJ 6enartrnents with the understanding that 'iio
cos- of the fighting services shall be kept DOWN
end drafts of legislative measures be IN reaoi-
NESS for Parliament. Mr.. Asquith Is expecReu
to srnnIy between 100000 and tI.ooooo ior
starting the scheme of old age pensions ana
ednce that is inadequate for the system "iiioh
,,,e labor members advocate, it implies reces-
civ for raising the age limit, excluding ioierS
and .ncor7igible loafers and requiring contrlou-
to-v s,,pnart 1t is already clear that the SUD-
Sect Of nensions cannot be taken up declsiVeIy
without q revision OF the antiquated poor ID"
.,5 the adoption of a measure for FORCING li7
considerable class now frequenting the casual
,zards to work in the labor colonies There is
,u.b :, this scheme Of social reform to occupy
Parliament for dozen sessions. The hcenslns
,,eetion &c also most perplexng. with the proba-
hilitv Of a compromise which will cause more
discomfort than satisfaction
The r,rnors that Winston Churchill will enter
tie Cabinet and that other ministerial chaise'
GRO nending are idle whispers. Equally nre-
enonsible is the story that the New Year iiSl
Of honors will contain fresh batch OF peerdseS'
Involving important by-eleeuons Ffeceoei'
z-ould have carried such peerages into the DIT
dav list The ecclesiastical appointments are
mora troublesome than any other case OF pat
,onape owing to the differences OF opinion OF
the King and the Prime Minister l. N +