Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-01-24
Optimism of Asquith Has Dried
Tears and Silenced Tory
Papers.
These Movements Looked On
With Interest Rather Than
Anxiety.
NO OBSTACLE TO HOME RULE

Not until Parliament meets next
month can much news be expected
concerning home rule for Ireland.
The cables of the past week contain
only the conclusions of the corre-
spondents, which are somewhat
divergent but not discouraging.
From London Phillip Everett cables
that the optimistic tone of Asuuith's
New Years message issued through
the Liberal Monthly has at least
temporarily silenced the Tory papers
which recently wept on assuring
their readers that the Government
was about to fall out over home
rule and Lloyd Georges land reform.
In reality the Cabinet has never
been better satisfied with the
political situation than at present or
more confident of future success.
No one doubts that a satisfactory
way of dealing with Ulster will be
found as soon as Parliament meets
again. and the popularity of Lord
George with the masses has been
growing immensely since II has be-
come evident that the great estate
owners are to be forced to bear their
share of the burdens of taxation.
Hon. t. P. O'Connor, NJ. p, on the
other hand, declares that the situa-
ton at home is critical 1t is GER
tain that the moment has come
when the Cabinet can no longer con-
hnue to accept Churchill's mounting
demands for a continual increase in
the naval appropriations. Lloyd
George is put forward in the Tory
papers of England and the lingo
papers of France as the sole OBJ
stacle and opponent of Churchill.
and all kinds of ridiculous nersonal
seasons are given as explanation, AS
matter Of fact, SHloyd-George, who
has something of the easy goiSan
good nature of the Celt about hifI
and who feels grateful to Churchi
for his stanch standing by him dur1v
ing the Marconi trouble, is one OF y
Churchill's few friends in the Cab
met and has stood by him many
times as Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer when other Ministers
would have been much less in
dulgent. Lloyd-George also is
determined If possible to prevent
Churchill leaving the Ministry and
party at this critical moment, and
It is not he, but Churchill, who now
occupies an isolated position in the
Cabinet. Every Minister is against
Churchill's exaggerated demands,
some even fiercely.
There is another, though less
avowed, reason for the growing hos
tility to Churchill. II is believed
that he occasionally contemplates
going back to his old party. The
breakdown of Bonar Law, the alb
sence of all serious competition, and
the general despair of the Tories
through the want of any striking
leader, open a prospect to such a
daring genius as Churchill. His
violent personal ambition could
never be satisfied with any position
short of leadership, and as leader
ship in the Liberal party now is
impossible to him, it is suspected
that he looks for it elsewhere. This
Idea gives a clew to many per-
tormances which otherwise would
have remained inexplicable.
III the Ministry and the Irish party
should finally fail to come to terms
with Ulster, Churchill's utterances
would enable him to take up the
ULSTER cause anu give tHe lOTce Oh
his brilliant gifts to the Tories, and
thus impose himself on them
whether they were willing to take
him or not. Thus some of Churc-
hills colleagues probably would be
glad II he should leave now rather
than later. when his desertion
might be more injurious. Thus the
situation is much involved and
next week may see big develop
ments, though II is possible that the
natural hesitation of men facing
such big possibility as the de-
parture of a leading member of the
Cabinet on the one side and
Churchill's equally natural shrinking
from taking the final plunge may
postpone the crisis some time longer.
Irishmen look on these move
ments with interest rather than
anxiety. They believe that even
Churchill's transference. though not
negligible. would not be important
enough to put any serious obstacle