The San Francisco call., 1910-12-25
HOLIDAYS and
TRAGEDY stop
POLITICAL War
Murder of Policemen and Coal
Mine Disaster Cause Sem
satiOn in England
Premier Asquith Expected to
Push Veto Bill and Follow
With Home Rule
By T. P. o'coNNoR
LSpeoial Gable 10 The Cain

copyright 1870 by the Tribune Co., ohicago)
LONDON. Dec 24-within the last
few days the approach Of Christmas
The murders Of the police in the Hounds
aiteh robbery, the gigantic coal mine
olsaster near Bolton and the conviction
OF two British officers as spies in Ger
many have pushed politics aside
The Houndsditch murders created a
profound impression. and in the first
impulse the universal arming of the
police with revolvers and more severe
measures against alien Immigration
were advocated, but though the eni-
Hooe was startling reminder of the
oisorderly and dangerous elements in
lroauced in England by the Russian
Heactlon, the people Of London already
take more sober view
GIGANTIC NINE DISASTER
The gigantic coal mine disaster
brings poignant grief 10 Irishmen. as q
good proportion Of the $50 victims were
irish, and mining is the one English
mo ustry~ where Englishmen and Irish
men nave lost all racial antipathies in
common work and common perils.
The espionage trial was taken with
perfect calmness by the English press
-- ---N "a -e-- " a. conducted with fair
ness and an absence Of rancor by the
German court According to all Jour
nals IN both countries il is expected
that the imprisoned officers soon viii
oe refeased and the episode leaves less
pad blood than might have been ex-
pected.
LIBERALS AND IRISH Pleased
Though for the moment submerged
po.flles stiil haants the general imagi-
hallon- Like in neck and neck. race
on horse track. interest in the genera !
elections was maintained to the Il s+
pcssible moment as the supreme ones
ton was whether the liberal ministry
would come back as strong as ar tba
beginning Of the election
. As each day brought an almost
maj aeInatical equality Of gains and
'losses 10 the liberals and tories the
Pa ues watched each new day with the
; same 1eVerish eagerness The last ,5a,-
;oT the election involved the whole nrob-
lem, as the one seat in Scotland held
. cy the liberals was expected. to 20
back 10 the tories
Now that the result is known. the
fed "a 'is-
$50 eNfTH REMAINS FIRM
Some isappointmentlwa was felt AZ the
loss Of a few seats. which better man
Wl1nh
were lost by some accident or an in
hnitesimal majority, as in Mile End
where tory was returned by a MA
jority Of two.
But the great fact remains that. con-
trary 70 all election precedents. the
same liberal ministry was returned
three times In succession, and the sec
ond time on the same issue. That issue
was the abolition of the veto power Of
the house Of lords
Premier AsQuith gave indication Of
the urgent Importance and close ap-
prOach Of the struggle on this ques-
tion by his hurried visit TO the king.
Beyond all question. Asquith and the
otler liberal ministers mean business.
and viii withdraw from Office unless
they are allowed 10 carry out their
fun program Of reform.
PEERS LIKELY TO YIELD
There VIII be no real opposition. I
believe. from the king. nor even from
the house Of lords regard the aboli-
tion Of the veto already as good as
carried.
The tories already are weakening in
some Of their sanest journals, and
everybody now knows that Asouith. if
driven to il, viii have the viii and
the power 70 create 500 liberal peers
Even the 'backwOodsmen' peers. per
ceive that this submergence of the
present peers by these liberal peers
would bring down the whole house Of
lords in shouts Of universal laughter
and after much spluttering and a good
deal of talk the peers viii yield. and
probably win yield before the corona
tion.
The coronation then once more comes
70 the front as a powerful factor in
the present situation.
No party comes out of this election
tee
according to the universal acknowi-
edgemeut, as the Irish
REDMOND CRUSHEs FACTION
Redmond has added power TO his
Following by the higher gain than that
Of any other political party, but, still
more important, Redmond has crushed
faction issue into one small corner OF
ireland. He has beaten Healy, his most
powerful opponent
More important than even all this
are the political conditions which
,s,-oIve from the election. The imme-
Sfate and vigorous campaign against
ere house Of lords, and the clear, de-
..Ief,-e lltterances on home rule by AS
ori+b and the other liberal leaders dur
srr the election have shown the irish
neople that at last their liberation Is
in sight 49, -,i,o~
ssssee and closing up all Of the small
.5issensions. gives Redmond freer
S-sDd than he ever had in his career
aD6 makes thus the relations between
him and Asquith easier. closer and
safer
FULL STEAM AHEAD
The whole tendency, ] believe, viii
he 10 go ahead. Asquith may repeat
fire well known words Of the German
emperor when he was rid Of Bismarck
ssT7,5u steam ahead" This is undoubt-
Nedlv the wise as well as the courage
o7,S. nolicv. for the heat Of the country
ir ereat and ii wouId be insanity not
- strike the iron while il is hot
T expect. therefore, that the first day
the house Of commons meets the prime
minister viii announce the immediate
introduction Of the veto bill; that it
viii BE- pushed through with fair rapid
ity and that it will be sent to the
house Of lords promptly OF course
~ body will reject it, and then viii
Ndme the critical moment Of the whole
tyruggie.
" think the liberals have all the
cards IA their hands and that they
must win on the house Of lords issue.
tl.fr FnTf oven on the fOrV