The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-26
GOVERNMENTMAKES PUBLIC FACTS ON
 ULSTER SITUATION
Vital Facts of Affair Made Clear in Statement-Col. Seely Admits Gross
 Mistake

, London, March 25-The government to- day published it's promised statement of it's dealings with the revolting officers of the Third cavalry brigade and the House of Commons held another heated and disorderly session. Between the docu-
 ments presented and the various state-
 ments drawn from cabinet ministers vital
 facts of the affair were made clear. They
 revealed comedy or tragedy. or errors perpetrated by Colonel Seely, Secretary of State for War. and Sir Arthur Paget, commanding the troops in Ireland. Colonel Seely took all the blame on him self He frankly declared he had made
 a great mistake. His written assurance to General Hubert Cough that the gov ernment must retain it's right to use all the forces of the crown in Ireland or else where to maintain order and support the civil powers in the ordinary execution of l their duty, and has no intention whatever of taking advantage of this right to crush l political opposition to the policy or the principles of the home rule bill'' was given without the knowledge of the cabi- 1 net, and contrary to it's policy.
 Resignation Refused
 l The war secretary rendered his resigna- | tion to MT. Asquith, but the premier re- | fused to accept it. The government has withdrawn Colonel Seelys Guarantees, according to a statement by Viscount | Morley in the House of Lords and Sir | Edward Grey told the House of Com mons that the governments decision would be made known to General Cough | tomorrow. Thus the situation with re- spect to General Cough and his 59 com | rades, who sent in their papers, Is still | in a state of suspense
 The most important revelations of the l day were that the government did plan an important military and naval demon stration on Ulster. Winston Spencer l Churchill. first lord of admiralty. con | firmed reports that he had ordered the | third battle squadron and torpedo l flotilla to Irish waters but explained | that when the military arrangements Lad 1 been carried out he countermanded the | orders by wireless--an explanation which | the unionists received with jeers
 | The blunder General Paget made ap- pears to have been in giving practical ultimatum to officers of the cavalry ! brigade, to say whether they would take active service in Ulster or accept dis missal.
 l The cabinet Monday framed a general statement of the officers position and duty under the law, and Colonel Seely I freely admitted that his error was in yielding to General Coughs demand for
 a written. assurance that the army would
 not be used to suppress the covanenters. l Asquith's Statement,
 l Premier Asquith's statement that the of l ficers should return to duty uncondition- ally it is declared, were made in good faith, since he learned of Colonel Seely E amendments to the cabinet memorandum only yesterday afternoon. The prime min- 1 ister made plain to the House of Com mons the governments position regarding 1 the army, declaring he would not assent Ito the claim of any body of men in the service of the crown to demand assur- ances of what they would be required to do in circumstances which had not arisen l Sir Edward Grey spoke even more
 strongly He said:
 ''The government is prepared to use force to whatever extent Is required to
 make the will of the country prevail. That l is a contingency which cannot arise for
 a long time, and we will labor to avoid 1t"
 I Commons tonight consisted of fiery denun- l citations of the military aristocracy. Gov ernment members were placated by to- days revelations. but there, remains among radical and laborites strong anc
 4COnt1nued on Page NAne)