The San Francisco call., 1910-06-12
PARTY LEADERS
SEEK To AVOID
WAR ON LORDS
Pressure From King and Pacific
Mood of Nation Cause of
Concessions
Both Sides Dread Negotiations
for Settlement Without App
peal to Country
By T. P. o'coNNoR


Copyright. 1910. By the Tribune. Co. Chicago
LONDON, June 1.-THE party lead
ers are like two billiard champions at
the turning point of a game with big
stakes. They are playing for safety.
Each wants to gain the credit of seek
ing peace and to escape the discredit
or the plunging OF the nation into d
war.
This concession, while partly insin-
. cere, has at its back two factors. The
first is the general WEAKNESS of the
country and a loathing of the rever-
sion to the rancors of the big night, and
She- second is a genuine desire not to
plunge the new king into the gigantic
difficulty Of choosing between the two
parties on an issue so momentOus.
KING PLEADS FOR PEACE
In reality both sides dread the nego-
tiauOns. and would avoid them if pos
sible. But the pressure from the king
and the pacific mood of the nation
. forced both their hands. While some
. Independent tory journalists suggested
peace the majority of the tory papers
cried for war. and Balfour played golf
I and said nothing.
The liberal leaders in the meantime
hesitated before awakening again the
suspicion Of their courage and unity in
the fight against the lords which nearly
. wrecked them at the beginning of the
..5.ear. 1t was Lloyd Georges enthusi-
ssm. tenacity and faith in his own
power Of carrying everything by nego-
tistion that won the day.
But Lloyd George is alone optimistic.
1T is difficult to see what compromise
either side can offer or accept without
raising revolt among their own follow
ers.
IRISH PARTY WATCHFUL
:. The labor party and the Irish party.
Wstchful and suspicious. stand behind
= Asquith. while the backwoodSmen in
the house OF Lords and the extreme
-protectionists in the house of commons
menace Balfour. Lloyd George evil
Gently hopes that even abortive nego-
tistions may be better than none. They
viii relieve the liberals of the respon-
sibility OF making war without ex-
hausting every eXpedient to produce
peace. Lloyd George also evidently be-
lieves that the king viii be much bet
Ter disposed toward the liberals when
they come TO make their demand for
guarantees II they have shown a dis
position to avoid a crisis.
The views OF the Irish leaders are not
known, as they are still absent in Ire
land, but the indications are that they
are watchful and disturbed.
During his recent visit to London for
the Roosevelt luncheon Redmond again
declared his readiness to continue the
hearty support of the government. so
long as the ministers stood stanchIy
by Asquith's declaration of his policy
with regard TO the lords.
REDMOND GAINS VICTORY
Redmond, however. is equally en-
rrN r. ~ an1 rfr Sc
tion, II not hostility. if the government
shows any inclination to climb down.
Redmond probably will form no opin-
ion until he reviews the situation on
his arrival in England.
In the meantime, Redmond has
achieved q notable victory in Dublin
inducing several candidates to with
draw from the harbor division of Dub
lin, rendered vacant by the death of
Harrington. and getting William Abra-
ham unanimously chosen by the con-
vention, which means also his unop-
posed election.
William Abraham is an Irish Protest
ant and nationalist. who, after a
quarter OF a century, was turned out Of
parliament by William O'Brien at the
last election. Abraham's selection by
Dublin meant a reply TO O'Brienism
and OBrien's cruel calumny that the
alliance Of the Irish party with, the
Hibernian order meant religious intol-
erancc.
TORIES APPEAR CHASTENED
- 1t is impossible now to forecast the
date Of the general election or indeed
anything else. events are changing with
: Kaleidoscope rapidity and complete
ness. but I have a firm faith that
things will ultimately take shape
favorable TO ireland and the liberal
irish alliance
There are signs of distress on the
part Of the tories which show that they
are in a much more reasonable frame
Of mind than they were before the
kings death
= 1t may be that they recognize that
rhe new king has not the same power
and prestige q s his father and that.
therefore, il the liberals were forced
into = fight with him, ii would not be
SO much to their disadvantage as a
fight with his extraordinarily popular
father. Whatever the cause, their mood
is certainly very much chastened. They
have abandoned the present constitu-
tion of the house Of lords even more
fhan they had done during the recent
sittings OF parliament
II is at least acknowledged that the
liberals have a just ground of COM
plant in the fact that they are in a
permanent minority of 40 in house
Of 500 members, and some contrivances
are suggested by which this grievance,
so tardily admitted, may be removed.
LAWYER PROPOSES CHANGE
There is only one suggestion made
. up to the present which holds out any
Nsembiance even of an accommodation
on this point 1t is made by Sir Al
fred Cripps. who belongs TO curious
section Of the lawyers Of England.
At every session of parliament all
ft-.. Ixrrnx