The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-22

! Sitat ne tofu tnem posi-
lively he would not retain Office
under ''Asquith's management"
| Hts resignation is mofnentarily
| expected and will be followed,
1t is believed. by Winston
Churchiii's resignation of his post
AS Home Secretary.
/ LONDON. Feb. 22-Premier AS
quith Is to-day planning d game of
solitaire in politics, and unless the.
radical iieutenants In the Liberal par
" can screw up his courage tre-
mendousiy the downfall of the AS
lquith administration is merely a oues-
ton Of hours.
The Premier Is accused of trick
Ing his own party, the Irish Ma
tionalists and the Laborites, and the
ultimatum OF John Redmond, the Ma
ttonalist's leader. that the latter
would act support the Liberals unless
/ Asqutth agreed 10 Immediate home
rule" and the abolition of the lords
veto, meets with approval even by
: The Liberal press.
The Star to-day says:-..We agree
with Redmond's view. Leader Red
mond is justified in assuming that
his interpretations of Asquithis ut
terances were correct"
! The utterances referred to were
AsQuith's election promises and his
statement that he would not assume
office unless the King would first
guarantee to reconstruct the House
| of Lords so that the Liberal iegisla-
tive program could not be endanger-
! ed in the upper house.
Facing Crisis.
hoped for a compromise, but Red
mond's declaration from the floor OF
/ the Commons has removed all hope
! for this and preeipitated crisis.
There were many party confer
ences among the Liberals this morn
ing. as a result OF which the predic-
ton Is made that unless Asouith re-
signs he will be voted out of office
within three weeks. There was u
rumor that Asquith was preparing
his resignation. but this was prompt
ly denied.
/ Should Asquith be forced from Of
flee the premiership will undoubted-
/ ly be vaffered to Arthur Baifour.
Conservative, How long Balfour
could retain control. In the doubtful
contingency of his acceptance of the
pest. is questionable. 1t IL not be-
lieved that he could last more than
few days. when Parliament would
he dissolved and new election or
dered, with the Asquith wing OF the
/ party practically eliminated. This
would make David Lloyd George the
nominal leader of the Liberal party.
As an indication of the complete
~Ioss of caste that Asquith has suffer
ed In the last twenty-four hours. 1t
is said to-day that seventy of the
Liberals have decided to stand by the
Nationalist in their opposition To the
Asauith program. as now announced,
thus completely shattering the Lib
erals control.
Limit the Lords Veto.
The forty members of the labor
party joined the Irish nationaiists to-
day in opposition to the liberal pro-
gram as outlined by Premier Asquith.
Speaking for his party, George Barnes
declared on the fionr of the House of
Commons that the laborites would de-
mand that the limitation of the Lords
veto he taken up before the budget.
He declared for Irish home rule
and repudiated the increased naval
expenditures of the forthcoming
budget
Barnes quoted Lloyd-George to the
effect that the chancellor of the ex-
chequer would not retain his port
power would be curtailed.
| With the disaffection OF the ma
tionaiists and laborites and seventy
liberals, Premier Asquith has not
more than EOS votes assured for his
program. On the budget matter Ii Is
assumed that enough conservatives
will support the liberals to insure its
passage.
Suggest Compromise.
- Sat
faction of the Irish Nationalist and
the Conservatives was limited at to-
day In an interview that William r.
Stead had with William OBrien.
leader OF the small wing Of the Ma
tionalist party which Is out of SYM
pathy with John Redmond. Tho in
teryiew Is printed in the Westminster
Gazette.
oBrien says the independent Irish
members of Parliament support the
Liberals attack upon the Lords, char
acterizing the latter as an obstacle to
Home Rule.
But as II seems beyond our power
to remove the Lords" O'Brien says,
II suggest that the Irish party may
get something from the Conservatives.
Better temporary semi-self govern
ment from the Conservatives than
nothing from the Liberals"
O'Brien declares the land taxes in
the budget hit the Irish party so hard
that In the next election there won't
he ten Irish members supporting this
tax. Stead suggested to O'Brien that
the success of Redmonds policy de-
pended on whether tho Nationalist
can count on America for SUFFICIENT
funds to pay the expenses OF an imme-
diate election.
0'Brien replied that even r. r.
O'Connor who recently collected
about $50. oUo' In America Tor the frish
cause.f will find 1t difiicult to again
find money there when the Irish
Americans And that the money con-
trtblted u 70 be used in defeating
candidates who would carry ont the