Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-26
FEAR DISRUPTION
Of BRITISH ARMY
OVER NEW CRISIS
Assert "Officers Will Quit in
Earnest When Guarantees
Are Withdrawn"
ASQUlTH WINS BACK
SUPPORT BY SPEECH
Reputation of War Secretary's
Promise Results in Further
Anxiety, However.

LONDON, March 26.-Although il
IA generally conceded today that
premier Asquith had regained the
upper hand in parliament, the gov
ernment is by no means altogether
out Of trouble. 1t has still to deal
with the army officers in Ireland
Under the new conditions established
by the premier's speech in the House
of Commons yesterday. Brigadier-
General Cough declares that this will
mean wholesale designations and the
disruption of the array.
The premier's speech won back the
support not only of the Liberals but
Of the Irish and labor members of
Parliament by the stand it took In
ropudiating the guarantee given to
the mutinous army officers in Ire
land that they might decide whether
on not they would serve against the
Ulster Unionists.
'WiII Resign in Earnest"
1t is now asserted that as soon az
the government formally withdraws
the guarantees given by Colonel
Scely, secretary for war, and Field
Marshal Sir John French, the Off
GERS will again resign their commits
sions and as one of them said, this
time in earnest"
There is also to be settled the ques-
tion of what the army council will
dc
Brigadier- General Cough, COM
nlander of the Third Cavalry Brigade,
in the course of an interview said:
If Premier Asquith withdraws the
guarantees he will have to throw
over the army council and the gov
ernment will be faced practically with
disruption of the army"
The Liberal press in the provinces,
while endorsing what Premier As
quith has already done, insists that
he must go farther and actually
withdraw the guarantee given to the
officers. These newspapers say the
premier must make it quite plain to
all officers of the army and navy
that they must under all circum-
stnaces obey the orders given them.
Many Liberals too think Premier
Asquith should have accepted the
resignation of Colonel Seely, for he
always has been suspected of being
really more Unionist than Liberal in
his sympathies.
Elections in June?
~ ifie Liverpool Post, a Liberal news.
paper, says that the month OF June
Is given as the latest date for a gem
eral election. 1t intimates that as
a result of the intervention OF King
George, an agreement has been reach
ed by the Unionists and the Liberals
under the terms of which the home
rule bill and the Welsh disestablish-
ment bill shall be passed with the
understanding that a general election
shall follow. THE only thing not
absolutely settled in the agreement
Between the parties says the news
paper, was whether the plural voting
bill also should be passed. The diff
culties in regard to this latter bill are
likely to be surmounted, however
The opinion prevailed in military
circles today that the designations
were imminent of Field Marshal Sir
John French chief of the imperial
general staff, and Lieutenant-Gene
Sir John Speyer Ewart, adjutant-gen-
eral to the forces.
This was regarded as the most like
Is consequence of the reputation by
the government of the memorandum
TO General Hubert Cough. comma nder
Of the Third Cavalry Brigade in Ire
land which the two generals had been
led to believe was approved by the
cabinet.
Commanding Generals Confer.
Field Marshal French and General
EWart We're joint signers with Colonel
Seeiy, secretary for war, of the two
repudiated paragraphs that brought
about the resignation yesterday of
Colonel Seely.
Much comment was aroused today
By conference at the war Office of
all the principal commanding generals
Of the British army. Those present
included Field Marshal French, Lieu
tenant-General Ewart. General Sir
Horace Lockwood Smith Dorrien. aide
de camp general to the king. and
Lieutenant-General Sir James Mon
crieff Grierson, general in command
OF the eastern district of England,
with headquarters in London.
Colonel Seely and Winston Spencer
AChurchill, first lord of the admiralty,
ihad a long conference with Premier