The San Francisco call., 1910-03-20
CABINET FACES
Loss OF POWER
By IRISH VOTE
Rupture Seems Inevitable Over
Attitude on Budget and the
Lords Veto
Dissolution of Parliament Would
Delay Many Reforms, In
Guiding Home Rule
By T. P. o'coNNoR

lSPeciol Gable TO The Call
Copyright. 1910, by the Tribune Co.. Chicago.
LONDON. March 1s.-Once more the
situation is critical and for the moment
a rupture between the ministry and the
Irish party seems inevitable. The con-
troversy RACES around the old question
OF whether the budget should be passed
before the veto is dealt with.
Redmond still adheres 10 the policy
summed up in the words. NO veto, no
budget" The ministry. on the other
hand declares that it is impossible to
face the British constituencies without
a plain attempt 10 carry the budget.
The ministry has been considerably
divided for some time, largely because
of the composite composition both as to
opinions and age.
SOME MINISTER'S TIMID
Some Of the best men in the cabinet
are now old, timid and unequal to the
semirevolutonary conditions now exist
ing. Others like Sir Edward Grey. are
stubborn reactionaries in certain things
and are so afraid of one chamber and
SO anxious 70 preserve the two cham
bers as TO look askance at the veto
proposals which limit the house of
lords so much as to make il prac-
tically impotent as q second chamber.
For months the struggle went on
between the advocates in the cabinet
for a simple veto resolution and the
advocates Of a reformed house of lords.
This struggle stin was going on when
the house Of commons met, which is the
real reason for the indecision and un-
preparedness at the opening OF the par
llamentary session.
REFORM SECTION ROUTED
Sir Edward Grey and the reform sec
tlon finally were routed by the revolt of
the radicals, but Grey returned 20 the
fight and insisted on pushing forward
the budget irrespective of the hostility
OF the irish. Grey ultimately won,
bringing the cabinet almost solidly over
10 his views.
In the meantime Redmond has a
large backing among many of the rad
zeal speakers and newspapers for the
pollcy, no veto or no budget, but this
backing probably viii disappear when
the liberals are brought face to face
with the decision Of their leaders with
threat TO break up the ministry and
the prospect OF an immediate general
election.
COMPROMISE Il DESIRED
The rupture means, Of course. the
breaking Of the liberal forces to a dis
astrous extent in Great Britain. It
also means loss of both the budget and
the veto and also the postponement of
many reforms. including home rule, for
some years
The Irish are more ready for gen
eral election than any other party and
viii face rupture bravely if it is
1orced on them, but still a rupture
would be 50 serious I'm the conse-
Quences that all reasonable men of all
parties are exhausting their efforts 20
find a compromise.
These efforts still go on day and
night At one hour they seem destined
70 md success and the next hour they
seem doomed TO failure
INTRIGUE WITH MINISTRY
The situation is complicated and even
made almost impossible by the in
trigue Just revealed between O'Brien
and Healy with the ministry After
denouncing the budget for months in
every term as an Unclean thing. in
ficting $l0,00o000 annual increase on
the irish taxation and other grotesuue
and gigantic falsehoods, the faction
lists now are ready to accept the budget
on terms quite as modest as these de-
nanded by Redmond and those practi-
cally promised to Redmond weeks ago.
In the meantime the house of lords,
by discussing its own reforms for near
ly a week, at once surrenders its pres
ent composition. but AT the same time
shows by its fierce adherence TO most
Of its old and worst abuses that any
reform from the inside OF the house Of
lords Itself IS impossible.
This exhibition greatly increases the
determination of the radicals against
the house Of lords, and unless some
foolish action by the cabinet destroys
the present combination between the
liberals and Irish. the great battle be-
tween the lords viii come in a few
weeks and viii end in a democratic
victory.