The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-31
Consults No One But
King Before Making
Bold Move.
ASSUMES BURDEN
OF w AR OFFICE
Takes Up Duties Laid Down by
Colonel Seely, as Solution of
Government Crisis Following
Ulster Fiasco-Will Re-
sign From House and
Seek Reelection.

Lonuon' March So.--After all the
crisis. which had been proposed and
discussed. Premier Asquith announced
solution to the House of Commons
to-day. which none of tho prophets had
even suspected The Premier. himself.
VIII assume the burden OF the War
Office. in addition to his other and al
most crushing duties; lie will resign
from the House at this critical stage,
when the second reading of the home
rule bill il about to be taken up. and
stituents in East Fife. Scotland, within
a few days.
No member OF the irish Nationalist
head, uttered a word in the House.
The Irishmen are letting the English
mflno, hght it oqt I-, alone: Premier A,squith;;
Generals French and Ewart. all visited
the King during the day.
Field Marshal Sir John French. chief
OF the Imperial General .Staff. and Cen
erai Sir John Ewart. adJutant general.
declined to withdraw their designations
in spite OF the army order Issued on
Friday. which Niscount Iialdane clcv-
crly framed as platform on which the
generals might stand with consistency
seeiy I, Forced Ont.
IT thus became impossible for Col
onel j. L. B.. Secly, who was cosigner
with them Of the assurances to Briga-
would not be used to suppress the III
ster opposition to home rule. to retain
T..
nation, therefore, was accepted. after
he had been for some days under fire
from the newspapers of his own party.
"Hifn Mora of isnsi lord
! president of the council, who was part
nor with Colonel Scely In drafting tho
stands in the same position, and his
withdrawal from Office is expected
| TO. morrow.
! These were the events in 10 days
/ al n n I'M ern p.h iNt,
! is keeping the country at the highes,
! pitch Of excitement and suspense. The
| present situation is remarka BILE in that
the government nominally will be with
| out Prime Minister and without a
| leader in the House OF Commons until
| the by-election is held In East Fife.
| The writ for the election must give
! eight days notice, and probably will be
| issued tomorrow.
The only practical loss 10 the party
Mr.. Asquiths voice from the debates.
tie will preside over the Cabinet meet
ings and direct manoeuvres In the
seat. while Reginald Nick emma, the
Home Secretary. and Winston Spencer
Churchill First LORD of the Admiralty,
VIII unuerStudy him as House leader
Handy, If Wanted.
"Oh. I'll be handy If I'm wanted"
Mr.. Asquith remarked to Andrew Bonar
| Law, the opposition leader who
Thought that the home rule bin could
not be proceeded with in the absence Of
! the Premier.
| Mr.. Asquith apparently consulted no
| one except the King before his bold
| decision. HIS colleagues in the Cabinet
seemed to he as surprised as the other
members OF the House when he re-
Mr.: AsQuith is already First Lord OF
the Treasury. which office h will con-
/ tinue to hold.
The political seers gather that Mr..
| Asquith is in fighting mood. It looks
[ AT the present moment as If he pro-
poses TO make the reorganization of
| the army "A ighting issue
10 be recast, Colonel Secly remarked
signiiicantly to-day. The first bust
Sir John French. whose withdrawal
leaves great void at the War Once.
The name of General Sir Ian Hamii-
| Hamilton holds the position of in
spector of the overseas forces at n
salary S.daryy of of $4,000. and the government
! Both houses to-day debated the
| situation at great length, but the de-
| bates simmered down into more as
sertions. on the one side, of the plot
to, scducc the army, and on the other
| side OF plot to crush the Ulster
covenanters, with denials and counter
denials, and heated personalities
The debate to-day in the Commons.
following Premier Asquiths' with
| drawal. was tame.
W., Plotting Done by Opposition.
Winston Spencer Churchill First
Lord of the Admiralty. said that the
plotting had all been done by the op-
| position, who tried to seduce the army
In the House of Lords. the Earl of
Selborne spoke with n warmth seldom
heard in that house. He termed Mr.
Churchills charges foul falsehoods /"
Field Marshal Lord Roberts appealed
to the country to dismiss the idle but
dangerous and mischicvous assertions
that the army was implicated in a po-
litical conspiracy and the ridiculous
fallacy that the officers are wealthy
and privileged class. The governments $
ultimatum. hc said. was like springing
mine on the army He wished to nail
TO the counter the lie that any officers
had disobeyed orders.
Niscount Haldane rejoiced that the
| Lords were beginning to realize the
seriousness of the situation raised by
the issue of the army versus the peo-
pie"