The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-03-19
PRINCE ARTHUR MAY
BE FIRST HOME RULE
WCEROY OF IRELAND
Believed Fight Will Drag Through tho
Summer-Lord Derby Is Ozark
Horse" in Premier
ship Race.

NH hheSSs
London. Special: 1t is almost def
initeIy decided that Prince Arthur OF
Connaught is to be the first home rule
viceroy Of Ireland. There was some
ak of his succeeding his father, the
duke of Connaught, as governor-gen-
eral of Canada, but this will not now
take place, unless the unionists are sue
cessful in preventing the government
from establishing a parliament in Ire
land.
Like all members of the Connaught
family Prince Arthur is extremely pop
ular. and besides 1t is considered that
he would be an able and
viceroy. while his nearness to the
throne and his personal intimacy with
the king would have a great effect In
soothing unionist susceptibilities In
Ireland. 1t would be difficult for Irish
society to boycott a viceregal court held
by the first cousin and the niece OF
the sovereign. especially after the lat
ter had visited Dublin in person to open
the first Irish parliament, which he viii
do if that parliament Is ever sum-
moned.
There Is little prospect. however. Of
the home rule bill becoming law early
the coming summer, as ~nationalists and
liberals have often declared would be
the case. 1t is now predicted that Ire
land's fight for self government will
not be over before next fall.
At best nothing can be don with the
home rule bill until April. for financial
affairs will take up all of March. and
now that Premier Asquith has prom
Used to make liberal concessions to
overcome the objections of Ulster. 1t
will probably take most Of the summer
to reframe the bill. No one is serious
ly displeased at the delay, for 1t is be-
lieved it will work to a better under
standing. The government will have
time to consider thoroughly its pro-
posed amendments and to determine
whether they will ave the desired eff
feet Of promoting peace.
The alterations involved in the pres
ent bill would be enormous. and some
portions would have to be ~redrafted.
II any of the amendments are adopted.
The exclusion of Ulster would require a
clause, and home rule within home
rule would be quite as complicated.
Premier Asquith will be very sure Of
his ground before placing my of his
suggestions on paper, but during the
next few weeks various suggestions
will be submitted to the unionist lead
ers. If no agreement results the gov
eminent will simply introduce it's mod
ifications and let the house and public
opinion judge. Even when the sugges-
tons come before the heuse progress
will not be rapid. There are some ir-
~reconcilables who will fight the bill to
the bitter end. while from other quar-
tiers there will come very severe crtti-
cisms Of details. The irreconcilables
hope the government will produce g
scheme which will be satisfactory tc
the majority of unionists and liberals
but which will meet with the disap-
prevail Of the nationalists. Mr.. AS
quith is not at all likely to do hat. FL
has Staked the political fortunes o
himself and his party on the home ruiz
bill. and it is very we'll known that hi.
great ambition is to carry out the de.
sires of his old chief, Gladstone, ans
bring contentment to the majority O
Irishmen.
The procedure to be followed is yer,
clearly stated in the parliament ACT
After the bill has been read a secon,
time the government will come for
ward with their suggestions, and a Ion,
series of debates may be expected il
the The u%nionists will doubt
less oppose them, but it may be in
ferred from what Lloyd George sal
in the debate on the speech from tn
throne that the government will per
sist in them, and will send them t
the lords. 1t is then that the real fgh
will begin, and it may be weeks be
fore the struggle is finally decided.
Lord Derby Is being picked by man
political observers as likely to prove
dark horse" in the contest for the pre-
miership when the unionfsts return t
power.
Those who most ardently