The Irish standard., 1911-12-02
All Parties Unite in Appeal to
Railway Directors to Meet
Their Employees.
Tories Win an Election Through
Bad Generalship on Part of
the Liberals.
Home Rule Campaign Continues to
Attract Large and Enthusi-
astic Audiences.

Although the tories won a victory
over the Liberals in Somerset last
week and are extraordinarily jubilant
over the turn of events. the victory is
not SO significant as it appears at first
sight, according to T. P. O'Connor In
his London cable of Nov. rs to the Chi
cago Tribune he says:
The last was another feverish week,
full of significant events and throb-
bling with many alarms. The Tories
are oheered by their big victory over
the liberals in Somerset and their in
creased majority in Hertford and Som
erset.
The defeat was the first real check
the ministry has had for years, and
was largely due to the folly of putting
forward a workingman as the candi-
date in a. rural constituency. The in
creased majority In Hertford was nat
ural when Cecil was a candidate in
the county with which the Cecil FAM
lily has been associated for centuries.
But these incidents, coupled with a
change in the leadership and an es-
cape from the nebulous position main
tanned for years by A. ]. Balfour, has
plucked up largely the courage of the
Tories, and they are fuller of fight
than ut any time for years:
Labor Unrest Still Peril.
Tho labor unrest still hangs as a
threatening pail over the business
world. but it was rather relieved by
the debate in the House of Commons
and the unanimous appeal of all par
ties In the House of Commons to the
railway directors to meet their en-
ployes In friendly conference.
The suffraget riot is generally re-
garded as a possible prelude to worse
things to come and the present insane
excitement may burst into some seri-
Gus event. This attitude is more in
COMPREHENSIVE. as present events
point to the probable acceptance of
the women's claim next year when
Premier Asquith will propose the new
suffrage bill.
This is especially true as Chancel-
lor oyd-George offers to lead the
agitation in women's favor and his
personality Is now the most powerful
in England. ...
Learn Peril Of War.
These events, however momentous,
shrink into insignificance, when COM
pared with the situation between Eng
land and Germany over the Moroccan
negotiations. ...
Everybody was startled with the
revelation of the hitherto hidden fact
that the countries were on the verge
of war a few months ago. The hatred
of England in Germany now is raging,
though not so strongly as two weeks
ago, but strong enough to make every
body realize that the atmosphere of
tions is always likely to reach such a
point that small spark may produce
a general confagration. 1t is
suspected that the cabinet was not un-
animous on the terms Of Lloyd
Georges bellicose speech last July.
These things account for the crop Of
rumors Of ministerial divisions and
the probable resignation of Grey.
The speech may assuage but it may
also further dangerously exasperate
the bitterness of feeling. Sir Edward
is a powerful personality, with per-
suasive speech, and he may also unite
all other parties in the commons. but
he may also widen the growing breach
between him and the Radicals.
Irish Members Anti-Jingo.
The Irish members Of the commons
are strongly anti-jingo, but they will
not embarrass the government at a
moment when it is working vis1bly.
swiftly and resolutely towards the set
tlement of Home Rule questions.
The latest campaign against Lloyd
Georges insurance bill Is on the insur-
ance of servant maids. and the Daily
Mail is leading tremendous but shall
low attack on it. based largely on the
frightful grievance Of women Of high
degrees having to lick the insurance
stamps with their delicate lips.