The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-26
COMP PROMISE MAY
THE IRISH
HOME RULE PROBLEM
Asquith Declares England's
Pledge to Ireland Will Be
Redeemed i'm Funda-
mental Parts

Ladybanl, Scotland. October 25.-Pre-
mier Asquith, straight from the recent
meetings of the British cabinet, gave to
the country tonight the eagerly awaited
decision of the government on the Irish
problem, which recently has become be-
fogged by various proposals for confer
ences of the political parties and by di-
yergent utterances Of the members of the
cabinet.
Mr.. Asquith came out emphatically
against the suggested formal round table
conference, but betrayed a leaning tow
ards a compromise on the lines sug-
gested by the First Lord OF the Adj
miralty, Winston Spencer Churchill,
namely, leaving the northeast corner of
for a limited period.
Must Not Threaten Unity
The premier intimated that there must
not be an insuperable barrier erected
which might permanently sever the
unity of Ireland or might prevent the
protestant minority from ultimately
throwing in their lot with the rest of
their fellow countrymen. The speech
is taken to indicate that if the exclusion
of Ulster was the only means of a set
tlement by consent he would be pre-
pared TO agree to that temporary ar
rangement.
Anxious for a friendly settlement. Pre-
mier Asquith unhestatingly announced
his decision to establish a parliament
in ireland in accordance with his prom
ise and also. il the opposition declined
his suggested adjustment of the Ulster
problem. to use the armed forces of the
nation in Carrying the law into effect.
Premier Asquith said the government
could not be false to its trust and would
not be intimidated, but was prepared to
consider proposals with an open mind.
If the statutes passed by Parliament
are met by organized and armed re-
sistance it would clearly be the duty
of the executive, according to the pre-
mier. to assert the authority of the law
by every appropriate and adequate
measure.
Duty of Government
Premier Asquith admitted 1t was the
duty of the government to deal respect
fully with the deep seated and genuine
sentiment of the minority in Ireland,
even though it believed that apprehen-
sion was groundless.
There are two reasons, the premier
said, for settlement by consent. The
first of these is that 1t is of supreme
Importance for the new system of gov
ernment not to start with the apparent
triumph of one section and the humil-
iation of another. The second is that
parties as resting on a solid foundation
without the risk of further parliament
tary and electoral vicissitudes.
ireland has for too long been the
cockpit of British politics." said the
premier. "The proposal for confer
ence of party leaders Is not helpful, as
without an agreed basis of discussion and
defined limits, it would be certainly
abortive. Moreover, there is no need
for all the machinery of such a con-
ference. If there was a general dis
position to exchange views and sugges-
tions, I and my colleagues are per-
fectly ready to participate, subject to
certain simple governing considerations,
! namely. that nothing must interfere with
the establishment in Dublin of subor-
dinate Irish legislature with an execu-
tive responsible to it. That Is the root
principle of the bill from which the cab
met cannot depart. In the second place,
nothing must be done to erect a perma-
nent and insuperable barrier in the way
of Irish unity.
lone thing is certain-the government
Is not going to be false to the trust the
majority of the Irish has reposed in it.
1t is not going to betray their cause,
which carried with it the best and only
enduring prospects of a happy and pros
porous future for Ireland"