Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-24
A BaCkdoWn by
 the Government
OFFICERS WON'T HAVE TO FIGHT
 ULSTER MEN.
A "COLOSSAL BLUNDER"
Unionsts So Stigmatize Government Action and Contend That General Paget Is Being Made Scapegeat.

London, March 23-The defection of the army officers who refused to serve in Ulster is g. closed incident but its consequences are likely to prove far reaching. Premier Asquith and Colonel Seeley, secretary of state for war, made explanations before an ex- cited and turbulent house today that the whole affair was the result of a misunderstanding.
 This misunderstanding, it was infer red, although they did not directly say so, was due to misconstructton Of the governments plans by the command ing general, Sir Arthur Paget, whereby he informed the officers in Ireland that they were to move on Ulster for a re- pressive campaign. General Paget and three senior officers from the Cur ragh camp, General Cough, Colonel McEwan and Colonel Parker were summoned to London for a conference According to official statements the misunderstanding has been cleared away, and these officers returned to Ireland tonight Prior to their de- parture they said they were entirely satisfied with the results of their visit
 Surrender by Government.
 The terms on which the officers re- main at their posts were not disclosed but the general belief is that they were assured that they would not be com
 
 This is considered a distinct surrend- CT by the government.
 Lord Morley of Blackburn explained in the house of lords significantly that he did not think, in the interests of the efficiency of the army, that all that Transpired in the army council should be made public and that the king ap- proved the orders to the officers to return.
 The part the king played in the crisis has not been disclosed. Army officers address their resignations to His Majesty and the report is that the king insisted that the resignations in the present instance should not be ac- cepted and used his influence with the cabinet for a compromise with the army.
 Paget Made Scapegoat.
 The Unionists firmly believe that the government has participated in a f1aSco. They think that the two most enterprising spirits of the cabinet, David Lloyd George and Winston H. Churchill were the chief movers in the plan and that the government proposed wholesale movement of troops into Ulster to overcome the covenanters by the display of superior force and the arrest of their leaders and that the plan was frustrated only by the oppo- sition of the officers. Some of the Unlon1stS members assert that Andrew Bonar Law recently received a letter quoting one of the highest officers in Ireland as saying: By Saturday there will be hundreds of dead in UISter.'
 The Unionists also accuse the gov efhment of making a scapegoat of General Paget for their own colossal blunder."
 Liberal Speeches Are Conservative,
 The future of the home rule bill is wrapped in clouds. No declarations of full steam ahead" or meeting force with force" were heard from the Lib- erals in the debate in the house of commons today, None of the fire and speeches of the ministers only last week was in evidence. The army has checkmated the government, accord ing to the Unionist view and the cov- enantefs of Ulster have won their fight.
 No one will be surprised if the gov erhnent soon reIinquishes armed force as it's action had the immediate re- suit of striking a shower of sparks of class jealousies.
 The Army Under Fire.
 Several newspapers of high stand ing and influence, like the Daily Chronicle and the Daily News, print bitter denunciationS of the differences as part of the Tory aristocracy which tIiSAoeS uPOl lliO pC1eIo5dllNc O1 ruling the country against the will of the people and demand the democratiza- ton of the army and that the system of oflcering it from the sons of the rich be superseded by a system where by officers may be promoted from the ranks. The labor papers are equally bitter and demand to know why pri- yates should not have the same priv ilege of refusing to fire upon working men when called upon to suppress strike riots.
 What about the strikers 2" was the shout with which the labor members tried to drown Mir. Bonar Laws de- fence of the rights of the officers to re- fuse to obey orders against their con-