The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-03
British Premier Shows Bold
Policy in Dealing With the
Veto of Upper House
Irish Members Desire to Avoid
Rupture, but Want Budget
Held Back
By T. P. O'CONNOR


mains tense and uncertain. but the
tempers are rising gradually as the
real tight against the lords is fully
started after many months Of delay
and vacfllation.
The debate in the commons is on a
high level both in ability and passion.
and Asquith and Churchill put the case
against the lords and the bold policy
Of the ministry in more daring and
absolute terms than at any moment
since the beginning of the contro-
versv
II stiu is doubtful whether Asquith
viii demand guarantees for the crea-
tion Of peers 10 carry the resolutions.
especially as nobody thinks the king
would give them. but il is not doubtful
II The veto resolutions are rejected or
shelved by the peers that Asquith can
NOT hold his Office.
PROSPECT OF DISSOLUTION
The present prospect, then. is that in
six or eight weeks the ministry viii
resign. Balfour viii be called into Of
fee and Immediately we VIII have
dissolution. some liberals, however.
favor the ministry keeping the disso-
luton IN their hands and. before GO
ing % the elections. asking the king
for guarantees if the election gives
them a majority a second time.
These tactics. however, still are un-
decided Indeed, the popularity of the
situation is that nothing is finally de-
cided by any party, the conditions
change hour By hour still and even the
attitude - the Irish party 10 the min
isLrE and especially TO the budget still
is undecided.
The temper between the Irish and
the ministry is improved and there Is
q growing desire among the Irish 10
avoid q rupture and the liberal rank
and file is working energetically 10
compel the ministers TO avoid such
collision. but the formula for solving
the situation has not yet been found
REDMOND WANTS GUARANTEES
Redmond still wants certain stages
Of the budget held up until the lords
have pronounced on the veto resolu-
tions and the ministers find certain
difficulties in such an undertaking. The
house OF lords may delay the discussion
Of the veto resolutions for such
length Of time as TO compel the minis
Try 10 90 forward with the budget
before the lords have given their de-
cision.
A possible way out is found by As
Quith putting beyond ali doubt his re-
solve not TO remain in Office II he does
not get the guarantees, but all these
points again remain undecided and
must await the development Of. events.
Redmond viii not. Of course, abandon
any weapon which. viii insure the
reality OF the aght against the lords,
but the budget is rather a weapon
against AsQUith than against the lords
The lords had the budget so much that
chey are not frightened. but delighted.
ly the prospects Of its defeat BY the
irish party IN the house Of commons.
SITUATION IN IRELAND
The situation in Ireland is profoundly
modified by the growing feeling that
TIE evils OF the budget were grossly
exaggerated by O'Brien and Healy with
q view Of forcing the Irish party into
e. collision with the ministers.
OBrien and Healy are further dam
sged by the confession by OBrien that
~ the moment he was denouncing Red
mond and all his colleagues for having
interviews with Lloyd George he him
self was having interviews also with
Lloyd George, and that, while few
weeks ago he denounced any idea of
supporting the budget as the blacklist
treason % Ireland, he now proclaims
that the rejection Of the budget and
the defeat Of the ministry by Redmond
would b. fatal crime against Ireland.
one good result OF the first weeks Of
parliament is that in Ireland that fac
tion now is thoroughly discredfted, and
O'Brien's recent appeal 10 have q con-
. ference with the Irish party, which
Few weeks ago he denounced as COM
posed Of scOundreis and traitors. fur
Their exposes the hollowness of his
whole attempt 70 break UP the party.
POLITICAL TEMPER RISING
To sum up. the political temper is
rising. and thus all the other Issues are
becoming gradually submerged This
is one Of the many factors bringing the
liberals and the Irish closer together.
but the cabinet remains the chief diff
hculty, partly because Of its own in
ternaI divisions and partly because
many OF its members who formerly
followed Rosebery are ready for a col
Ifsion with the Irish party and equally
ready 10 discredit Lloyd George. whose
budget and whose personality they
equally dislike
ct,rfously enough. the difficulty Of
the situation is not the two or three
parties who are now in combination.
The rank and file OF the liberals are all
right. the rank and file OF the labor
party make il q rule OF their tactics
never 10 have breach with the Irisn'
and the Irish party IS ready 70 make
concessions for the purpose Of keeping
together the combination The weak
ness is in the cabinet itself
II may seem impossible that COM
parativeIy small body Of Is men can
destroy a situation which more than
200 men are trying 70 save; but every
body acquainted with politics from the
inside knows that small number OF
men is in control Of the central ma
chine. Il may be even that sometimes
only one man VIII manage 70 command
a situation and save or ruin Il.
THREE THoEaNs IN PARTY's SIDE
The composition OF the present cabi-
net has been unfortunate from its very
start II came into existence In 1905,
when Balfour suddenly resigned before
meeting parliament and before the gen
eraI election Campbell Bannernan
had no conception then Of the gigantic
majority he was going TO receive from
the country nor Of the commanding po-
sition which he himself held in the af-
lection and confidence OF the liberal