The Washington herald., 1911-02-12
BY HERBERT TEMPLE.


events which are expected to happen in
ISL, the coronation. strange as 1t may
seem. dwindles into comparative inSig-
nificance, except possibly to our Ameri-
can visitors who come to see it as they
so to Barnum & Bailey's
Prospects are that in spite of all Tory
assertions of disagreeInents within the
government party, England will have a
much more modern and liberal constitu-
ton before the end of the year.
One of the younger members of the
government assured me just before the
opening of Parliament that never has
the cabinet been more solidly united than
at present and, what means a death
blow to all Tory hopes, the Irish party
| are acting IN perfect accord with the
cabinet, serene in the confidence that
home rule is coming and that the passing
of the veto bill is a necessary preIini-
nary to it,
AS for the preamble to that bill, which
certain radical members of the govern
rnent party would rather see discarded,
even these members now agree that as
the recent elections were fought on the
parliament bill containing the preamble
as the chief issue, it would be a tactical
mistake of the government to leave out
| the preamble now, as this would lay the
government open to the charge of de-
ceiving the voters
Redmond and his party, indeed, do not
care very much whether the House of
Lords is reformed or not, but the Tories
hope that the Labor party will vote
against the preamble and the Parlia-
ment bill thus be lost. But 1 am con-
vinced that the leaders of the Labor
r1TtV will that n
victory for the Lords and will vote with
the government.
With unity and control in the Liberal
ranks the Parliament bill should be
passed by the House of Commons before
Easter and the whole constitutional crisis
settled before the coronation.
AS to what will happen after the pres
ent difficulties have been successfully
solved by the Liberal government all
kinds of rumors are afioat. Time and
again it is asserted that when Mr. AS
quith has carried through his programme
he will feel that he has done his duty to
hrs country and will turn over the lead
ership to one of the younger men of the
cabinet either Churchin or LlOyd-George,
who. with greater energy. will be able to
carry on the banner of political progress.
Mr.. AsQuith would then probably as
pire to the woolsack. as il is quite well
lection for the position as lord chancellor
as she late Campbell Zimmerman had for
-the Speakership
9phat he would make a satisfactory oc-
cuTent of the woolSaCk goes without
saying. Mr.. Asqufth's ability would, in
fact, be seen probably to greater advan-
taae in the penuItimate position OF our
leEaI system and in the control of the
debates of a second chamber, he it lord
nV~ AF0~e hnr ~ -
q man of such marked characteristics as
4 ,Iogician and clear. unbiased thinker it
IS inevitable that such should be the
case.
Meanwhile the present occupant, Lord
L0reburn, the Bobby Reid of Olden
days, sits right with a smiling face. He
knows very well indeed that his refusal
to appoint judges FOR their political faith
and the stand he has taken on various
other matters have made the keener
party spirits anxious for his retirement,
but these events are said to have made
him still more determined not to give
away.
Meanwhile the prominent members of
the Unionist party are still worrying
over their old problem of leadership. 1t
is accepted as inevitable that .Balfour
should lead but the younger voices are
becoming more and more insistent that
he should lead in n more democratic
manner. At the party meeting which
took place on the eve of Parliament some
Of the bolder spirits were obstreperous in
their demand for recognition. Happiness
does not rule in the Unionist ranks at
the present moment.
1t is beyond all doubt that the newly
opened Parliament counts among its
members several who will sharply criti-
else the expected enormous increase of
the naval budget.
Nobody knows at present how large
the increase will be, but there is a strong
rumor afioat that the admiralty officials
contemplate making a very large de-
mand. which some place even as high as
$40, 900 more than last years estimates.
1t is also freely rumored that the admi- |
rlty proposes to ask for five more
Dreadnoughts in addition to the four
which will be placed ON the stocks dur
ing the present month IN fulillment of
the governments pledge given in the
spring of last year.
Parliament will undoubtedly be agreed
on one point - that the British navy
should be strong enough to enable this
country to be absolutely secure from In !
vasion. The useful memorandum just
published by Mr.. Haldane and written
by Sir Arthur Wilson shows that this re-
suit can be secured by an efficient navy
without the necessity for compulsory
service So far, so good. But the ques-
ton round which the struggle will be
waged during the coming year will be,
What is an efficient navy for that pur-
pose? How large a navy must Great |
Britain maintain in order to make her |
perfectly immune from all outside dan |
ger? On this point all the old answers
have become very shadowy and uncer- |
tain.
The network of alliances achieved by |
British governments during the last ten |
years have made it a madman's night |
mare to dream of a vast combination of
the whole world against Great Britain
Practically speaking. even the most tim |
id people have now concentrated their !
fears on one power. and one power alone |
There is no sensible person in this coun-
try who still contemplates a possibility |
Of a combination Nbetween any two great |
naval powers against Great Britain. ia |
nan. is our ally, and besides Japan and !
Great Britain there are now only two |
ether first-class naval powers in the !
world, the United States and Germany |
The widest dreamer cannot imagine a |
between those two great |
powers against Great Britain.
Happily or unhappily, therefore, we are |
limited to Germany. a power that is no. |
in process of building a for |
midable navy on the other side CT the |
North Sea. It Is the growth of this navy |
which mas led to the Increased expendi- |
,,,ro - tho last few wears and N Ia that 4