The San Francisco call., 1910-07-17
RADICALSGROW
FESTIVE Under
ASQUITH'SRULE
British Politicians Complain OF
Secrecy Maintained in Con-
ference on Veto
Rumor Persists That Irish Home
Rule Will Be Part of the
Compromise
By T. P. O'CONNOR
Especial Gable to The Call

jour 1lallst illustrates the deadening of
all strong political interest today by
complaining that London's latest muir
der mystery attracts more attention
~Spap the fight between the house of
- commons and the house of lords. While
the papers contain innumerable col
.tInns about the murder. a bare, terse
paragraph is given to the conference
Detween the liberal and tory negotia-
-tors.
Ardent politicians are becoming rest
=11e and the prospect of going through
.the.. long vacation until the resumption
-qf the sitting Of parliament in Novem-
Der without any definite statement is
p anFlghrng the lighting politicians. who
a!Teady complain that the conference
has killed all liberal enthusiasm
CONFERENCE KEPT SECRET
1T seems unlikely that Asquith can
dismiss parliament without some in
4 formation, but up TO the present mo-
5nent the secrecy Of the conference pro-
ceecings is preserved TO a degree un-
eNampled in the house Of commons
history.
-: The impression is beginning to
spread. however. that the conference at
---ast is reaching the critical point, and
THAT before the house separates the
. -neEotiators viii know whether there
HvilI be A compromise or whether a
rupture is inevitable.
I. find the strange rumor is still per-
.s.sting that home rule viii come as a
part OF compromise II there is one
.%Stin T find little ground for such re-
marks. but the continual repetition in
'Ilany different quarters can not be
ignored.
REDMOND'S DAUGHTER ILL
-- REDMOND has gone to Ireland in con-
but he may be summoned back at any
moment He announced before leav-
ing that he held himself in readiness
TO return on the receipt of a telegram.
OF course no compromise will be ac-
cepted by the liberals which the Irish
party can not support as safeguarding
home rule, and Redmond will be con-
suited II a compromise ever seems pos
sible.
3. At present. however, nothing can be
said except that rupture has not yet
come, and that the compromise is not
certain. The chief debates of the week
were on wOmans suffrage and the size
- Of the navy The opinion on the
woman's suffrage bill was not divided
:on ordinary party lines, though the ma
jority in its favor consisted of more
liberals than tories.
; WOMAN'S BILL DOOMED
The Irish leaders abstained from the
represent the radical view, refusing to
support the bin because ii enfranchised
only a small minority of the women.
their dread being that this minority
would consist mainly of tories.
The future Of the bill in the present
session Of parliament row is sealed, but
il is uncertain whether the more violent
section Of the suffragettes will resume
their operations in order to force par
Iiamentary action next year
John Dillon. who is the real leader of
the radical section on this question.
II went more satisfactorily than the
previous debates. The relation between
England and Germany undoubtedly are
much better than last year, partly ow-
ing 70 the diminution Of the navy scare
IN England.
GERMAN SCARE STILL LIVES
IN spite Of the exposure of the con-
tradictions OF Asquith and the other
oeral leaders and the now admitted
.exs Egers tions Of the estimates of the
naval construction of Germany, the
scare is not dead. Asquith's soothing
words as 10 the English German rela-
'tions have been well received in Ger
many.
The situation in ireland is improving
De- steadily. The agitation against the
whisky tax, though Well financed, is
not advancing The gigantic temper
proportions recalling the days of Father
Mathew. is raging in many sections,
with the population in favor of the tax.
Though the tax is still regarded as
financially unjust and VIII be crlticised
again at the November sitting by the
Irish members, the Irish party will
gree TO support the liberal ministers
ffhey still remain firm and bold in the
ur aign against the house of lords.
WHISKY CONTROLS POLITICS
II is one Of the extraordinary phe-
nefnena of British politics that some
apparently unimportant article of daily
life assumes the position Of deciding
the tate Of parties and of ministries
For several generations in succession
this place was occupied by the simple
and harmless article. sugar One OF the
most famous episodes in the life of the
great earl Of Chatham, when, as VII
liam Pitt he was the most potent voice
ia the house Of commons, relates TO
sugar
0israeM. in one of his books, ex-
presses surprise that an article which
is the delight Of youth and a solaee OF
old age should so often have wrecked
.parliaments and ministries. To-Day
whisky. and especially Irish whisky.
plays the part formerly acted by sugar
Whisky presents an exceedingly com
pleX problem in both British and irish
fe in its political and social aspect
Tia Ireland and in Scotland il is not
only popular beverage. but also the
basis Of a great industry. AS an IN
dustry il is more important to Ireland
even than 10 Scotland. Unemployment
.is stil the curse of the small irish
towns and the closing up of a distillery
quitting hundreds of men out of en-
rloyment is little short of great ca
lsmity
OPPOSITION TO HOME RULE
The liquor business, too, still re-
ma ms IN Ireland, as elsewhere, a pow
erful political force and, though the
distillers are tories even 10 a man, and
have subscribed for years TO the anti
home rule funds. the small liquor deal
ers are for the most part nationalists
and have done more than their snare
~ work for the Irish cause. II, there
fore was dificult for the Irish party
10 resist an increased whisky tax wnicn