Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-03-09
May BE Held Up BY the Break
OF Liberals and Labor
Party.
Even Politics Remain Quiet Until
Danger of Strife Shall
Pass.
ROUSING MEETING In ENGLAND

Premier Asquith and his Minis
terial colleagues fully realize that
Great Britain is passing through
one Of the greatest crises In its his
tory. II is not only an Industrial
but political and social crisis as
we'll. Reviewing the situation last
Saturday, T. p. O'Connor, M. p,
cabled that the fortunes of the coal
strike vary day by day and hour by
hour. The Intervention of the Gov
ernment was hailed with en-
thusiastic and universal applause
and Premier Asquith, his complete
grasp of all the facts, by his i'm
pressive appeals to both combatants
and by his resolve, in the back
ground, to resort to drastic legisla-
ton II no other escape from the
deadlock is possible, dominated the
situation. The journalists and legis-
lators desert the benches of the
House of Commons and are filling
the lobbies to discuss feverishly
every new report in every hour of
the day. Never did one great issue
more completely submerge every
other question.
The miners refusal to negotiate
minimum wage and their refusal
of Asquith's proposals drives them
] into an unpopular position and all
/ the immense and practically uni
versal public sympathy has gone for
the moment. This profound mistake
comes partly from the supremacy Or
the extremists, but largely from t
absolute want of confidence amo1
the work people in any chance
justice from the greedy employer
the stupid railway directors and thu
Tory Judges.
The uncertain prospects and the
nnnw. -evff possibilities OF TINS
lemendous struggle for the moment
darken the prospects of Irish home
rule, yet the home rule idea, espe-
cially home rule all round, made a
big step in advance this very week.
The resolution in favor of home
rule for Scotland was carried by the
big majority of ninety-eight in the
House of Commons, and the opposi-
ton to it from the Tories was half
hearted.
The by-elections, however. still
show a diminution of the Liberal
strength, and the reduction of the
Liberal majority in the st. Rollox
constituency in Glasgow by rs per
cent. adds to the Liberal depression.
These mishaps are almost entirely
due to the temporary unpopularity
of the insurance act and the reckless
misstatements of the effects of that
measure by the Tory speakers. In
Manchester, where another by-elec-
tion now is proceeding, similar tao
tics probably will produce a reduc-
tion in the Liberal majority, as the
constituency consists largely OF
clerks who dread the loss of the al.
lowances during the illness hitherto
given by a certain section of good
hearted employers.
Otherwise the Liberals and Irish
remain in the highest spirits, for
cordial cooperation between the
Liberals and Irish on the new home
rule bill now is assured and the Irish
leaders have no doubt OF the accept
ance OF the bill and their policy at
the Irish convention. The date OF
the introduction OF the bill is not
yet settled, as 1t is impossible to
opPAOaCh Inc miuibloiS on lulS Oi
any other subject while the coal
controversy and the negotiations
with Berlin occupy their whole at
tention.
The Irish leaders win press
strongly for the introduction of this
measure before Easter so as to have
the Irish convention during the Eas-
; ter vacation, and they probably viii
have their way unless the mine
strike upsets everything. Rousing
home rule meetings still take place
, all over England.
Ireland shows signs of feverish
} hope and 1t is expected. In spite OF
: the payment of members, TO send
the biggest subscription to the ma
> tional movement since the greatest
! days of Parnell.