The San Francisco call., 1910-06-26
secret Conference on Lords
( Veto Power Produces Rest
tessness in Rank and File
.DIscontented Groups Gather in
House of Commons and Ques-
lion Premier's Attitude
By T. P. o'coNNoR

compulsory truce. and the conference
between the liberal and tory leaders.
Tire protectionist organ. the Morning
2sr sees vision Of a betrayal by
tour Of the scheme of tariff reform.
iilie the radicals are possessed of
4uaI fear that the liberal ministers
lAay give away some essential point of
re program against the peers.
IRE secrecy of the proceedings con-
= Einues to produce hourly crops of
t1-Hors. The most absurd rumor, and
'.-i%e one most persistent. is that home
luie may be one of the questions settled
. bt mutual agreement. The Irishmen
Noulo naturally rejoice at this early
q. gfoae OF their long struggle. but 1 do
-liqt entertain any hopes OF the confer
'~Fce even touching the Irish question.
RADICALS GROW SUSPICIOUS
T.. ia The meantime the radicals grow
~ 'l.Pie suspicious OF the whole proceed
inS Their fighting men in the con-
slLuencies are losing some hope The
tianpIng down Of all interest in politics
: ~ .licl follows the conference is work
-4pE badly from a liberal point of view.
]. Enthusiasm and passionate revolu-
:. -If0nalE temper are necessary factors to
= ezra bic the liberals to carry the aboli-
-tten of the lords veto and, enthusiasm
lE07sghas vanished
=: A " kward questions still are thrown
~ : ASquitl from the liberal members
sand meetings OF discontented groups
!. continue TO take place in the conference
TEQglnS OF the house Of commons All
.<of this has produced a big effect on the
- liberal negOtiators.
: - The result is that the hopes Of
:cQmprOmise between the two parties
.>Nvhieh were high in some quarters last
week have diminished. and even that
-.ilicurable optimist. Lloyd-George, shows
signs of diSCOUTa cement.
PARTIES PLAY FOR TIME
II. It is significant that in spite Of the
different rumors in the papers, the
:fEonference has only met twice UP to
: now. and the preliminary meetings
..EaVe not even approached the serious
- points which viii lead to a settlement
QE q final rupture. Accordingly, the
ceiling increases that both sides are
nIiiE playing for time and to avoid the
rep-Oach OF forcing the Young king into
lie graNest constitutional crisis.
. - The arrival of Redmond and the other
..:. risumen this week brings another dis
. +tTbrbing factor into the situation. While
-. Brien's exaggerated and mendacious
Ca upaig against the budget has lost
@a3l its influence. the feeling against the
q. budget still is strong. especially against
tsle huge addition To the WHISKY tax
IRISH MEMBERS TROUBLE
III the whisky tax is renewed the
3: 1rIsh members viii ind it difficult TO
Vote for the budget and their vote
=. against the budget win bring back the
.:-y9id trouble and the danger of the early
spring. namely--that the Irish mem
Hers may he forced into action which
:-NyJIl destroy both the budget and min
r Tstry and thereby end for the moment
3. she campaign against the house of
.--l6rds.
- Negotiations are proceeding to avoid
'if.0 "a : ~ -
..early stages of the budget, which will
. come next week. do not raise the whis-
Ky tax. and the Irish members can
t.lfa for the carly stages without hesi-
1a5jsn.
The suspension Of the active cam
raEa gainst the lords through the
conference produces in ireland a GER
p. {oI5l- unrest. and the situation. there
-:fIfp; IS less easy than when Asquith
. II ra&v the bombshell into the tory
gareQ before the late kings death in
% de- laring his intention 10 demand
. 4 sa ntees from the king.
p .The best solution Of the whole situ-
..:s-fion IS that liberal negotiators should
{. NOT allow the tories prolonged con-
!. ference. and that at the first moment
All; chance Of a real compromise dis
p sa.Bpesrs the conference should be
-.airoken up and the ministry resume
sf3fe house Of lords campaign.
5IROsPECT or DISSOLUTION
- breakup Of the conference viii
lead TO the carly close OF the present
= parllam meDtary sittings. the resump-
..g3on Of the sfttings in November. then
an early collision with the lords and
IAN appeal to the country in January.
-.-Trishmen and radicals VIII urge an
*5esrly dissolution and they will pre-
vail
.s..The agreement Of the liberal min
:: :fstrv 10 propose a conference with the
tory leaders is another instance OF the
enormous sscendency which Lloyd
George las gained in the innermost
=. .xIrcIes Of his party. Why is this man
SO powerful?
:. III IS the universal experience of the
practical politician that in group of
- i5i,e1 who meet together in counsel, per-
:. -zouaI tefnperame even more than in
=. telligence tells; and that the man who
lis able 10 stick TO his opinion and his
;. ;5oiut fn the end by sheer force of will
:..a-fld perseverance bears down the other
-. men who have a lack either OF force
a.. of patfehce And this is the reason
1yh,-apart altogether from his gi-
EentIc success as a popular leader
through his budget-Lloyd-Geo COM
. raands such influence in The present
cabinet.
CHARACTER OF ASQUTTH
-Asouith as negotiator has the very
opposite defects to Lloyd-George. AS
she one man is a typical Welshnlan, the
other is q typical Yorkshireman. The
-Yorkshireman stands in England for
-brusqueness. downrightness, an almost
OYsonlike want Of the graces of speech
and demeanor in life. In that respect
Asouith is like the county in which he
was born Add TO these defects that he
Is = shy man, d reserved man, and you
understand how unfit he is for the deli
cate and courtly work of negotiation
Sornefinies-tlough he is really at bot
ton = good fellow. simple, unpreten-
"a and kind hearted-he looks almost
az IN he were surly: he does not suffer
fools Gladly: and lie has an overem-
nharfc way of expressing his views.
His ora atory is like his character; it
nov-s in a broad, pellucid, slow stream
every word is in the right place
almost each sentence, though lengthy
and even unwieldy, ENDS in perfect