New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-18
LIBERALS LOSE GROUND
.ASQUITH'S HANDS TIED.
FideEg Divergent Vie1rs on Anglo
German Relations.
Especial By French Gable to Tn. Tribunal

Especial By French Cable TO The Tribune
london. April 17.-Premier Asquith has al
tempted TO revive the spirits Of the Liberals 's
his ingenious and plausible special pleading 1t
Glasgow. but the shrinkage Of the party ma
,oritv in East Edinburgh one OF the safest
seats cannot be explained away The country
e not with the government, and emphasizes as
condemnation whenever there is by-electoh'
legislative business will be resumed next
week with the London election bill introduced
by Mr. Harcourt. and the welsh disestablish-
r7,ent bill is radical enough to placate the most
militant Nonconforrnists- The Prime Minister
himself viii lead the new disestablishmeht
movement, since he was Identified with the
previous measure. There cannot be any expec-
tation Of enacting the BILL since the LORDS Will
certainly reject II If it be carried beyond the
second reading IN the Commons. The govern
,aent, after q continuous series Of defeats IN
hv-elections. lacks the authority for ordering q
rhaaRe IN the relations Of Church and state IN
suy portion of the kingdom Mr.. Asquith Is
taking up this attitude toward Free Church men
for its political effect the general election
irIe cannot look forward with a reasonao Die de-
rr.e of assurance to q certainty Of doing any
Important work during the remainder OF the
session. beyond emerging the naval estimates
and carrying the budget. with features more OF
less novel
.
nerves and induced excessive excitaolIty.
maurice Hewlett is radical who seldom takes
the trouble to express opinion on public
events but he has suddenly broken loose III q
iYst1er to the Liberal Association of Broadchalk,
where he lives denouncing the war scare as
,unscy and q crime, asserting that there Is a
war party both IN Germany and England, and
fr,ro+est.ng against the burdens Of military and
snsvsl srmaznents Although he disiikes the
.Socislists, he sees harm in getting the work
,f civilization done by them. and conmends their
efforts 10 induce men of al countries to refuse
To serve either N the army or the navy.
/ On the other hand, there is Arnold Nhlte'
scrdinerily one Of the sanest pUbhoists cata-
loguing among the signs Of impending trouble
ixhe building Of the Bagdad Railway, the imam
unrest, the closing Of Khyber Pass, the counter
revolution at Constantinople and the German at
-ernpts to obtain wireless rights between Mini
tcop and Ceylon. He sees the spiked helmet IN
everything going on in. the world. and asserts
that the German Emperor exercises greater
newer in Europe than Napoleon did III loo'-
These examples Of vehement discourse might
Re multiplied Red specks are apparently hoa'-
sing before every Englishnnan's eyes because
where are hot fits OF restlessness in Europe anu
cald fits OF apprehension in England, more
7o,eadrougbts must be ordered, although the ex-
merits do net know what they are worth, and
,rhen his is done the ministers will be attacked
for waiting TOO long and allowing the willy, SCI
tptiho Germans 70 get ahead Of sloW-golng
England. ~