New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-15

e
The first OF them was the meeting be-
tween the Prime Minister and the
Leader OF the Opposition on the floor of
the House. In full view OF both parties
they shook hands cordially. There was
no reason why they should not. since Il
- not the custom here 10 carry politi-
cal animositieS into private life. But
in this case n seemed and TO some ex-
tent was an omen OF peace, For
weeks before the House met there had
been rumors of scenes; perhaps OF vio-
ltnce. The expected seldom happens.
and this did not happen. The debate
on the Unionist demand for a General
Election has run its course The
division has Welded majority OF IS TO
the Ministry. whose normal ma jority is
lOl; not a blow has been struck: there
has been no Interruption; deep feeling
rather than passion has been shown on
both sides; and, on the whole. the
prospects Of peace have improved.
They have improved because for the
first time the Prime Minister has ad-
mitted the gravity of the crisis. and
his own obligation TO take the initia-
tive i'm proposing terms Of compromise.
He withholds the terms, but that Gre
ates a new situation and makes pos
sible a settlement which Of late had
grown day by day to seem impossible.
In the Kings speech itself there was
a human touch; which is unusual If
not without precedent. The King 5
Apeech is. of course, now as always, the
a Iinistrys speech. The King has moth
Ting TO do with it but to read it. or allow
I, shall be colorlesS, emotionless. non
human; just an official, bald statement
Of facts and Ministerial intentions.
But this time the Prime Minister has
put into the mouth of the King a re-
gret that the efforts to arrive at a solu-
ton by agreement of the problems con-
nected with the Government Of Ireland
have so far not succeeded. He adds the
expression Of his most earnest wish
- that the goodwill and cooperation of
men Of all parties and creeds may heal
dissension and lay the foundations of
a lasting settlement.
No doubt those really are the senti-
ments and wishes of the King himself;
and they are worthy of a King; and
he expression of them as his still has
inGuence with his people. But practi-
cally il is far more important that they
are the sentiments and wishes OF the
Prime Minister and Of the Ministry as
whole. For Ministers have power to
give effect TO them; which the King no
longer has; and Ministers and the
Government as a whole and the Min
isterial majority in the House, coalition
and all, are bound by them.
Still another human note was struck
when Mr. Asquith, referring Tegretfully
10 the failure Of the conversations be-
tween himself and Mr. Bonar Law, re-
marked:
There was. at any rate, one salts
factory feature am not sure that the
Leader Of the Opposition viii not agree
with me-of those conversations; and
it was this: that the Press Of this coun-
try was, without a single exception,
absolutely and entirely at sea from be-
ginning TO end as to what was and
was not going on"
You can imagine Mr.. Asquith's face,
with its hooking, Mona Lisa smile, as
he flung that gentle jest at the news
o.
of them Once again it is seen how
clever they all are in the intelligent an
ticipation Of events that never occur.
There was another instance this week.
IN a series Of profoundly interesting
articles on Ulster i'm one Of the really
great journals Of this country occurred
this passage:
Within half an hour of Mr.. BOnsr
Laws opening, d definite statement
will be made by him which will put any
danger OF civil war out of the ques-
ton"
1t was to be "a desperate remedy for
a desperate disease" But Mr.. Bonar
Laws speech has been made and in it
there was no definite or indefinite
statement which put civil war out OF
the question. In other speeches there
were statements which. if they do not
put civil war out of the question. have
made it less probable, or less imminent,
than il was. There have been two
such speeches. one was the Prime
Minister'S The other was Sir Edward
Carson's There were, on both sides.
other speeches Of mark. Mr.. Walter
Longs, in moving the amendment for
General Election. was full of vigOg
and courage and point. Mr.. Austen
,-hamberlain's was another. and the
Attorney Generals was a masterpiece
of forensic ingenuity.
Mr.. Redmond. who found himself IN
q new and difficult position, extricated
himself adroitly He had TO answer
not merely or mainly the Unionist case,
hut the Prime Minister. He could not
openly oppose his ally nor reject his
new and still unknown proposals
What he did was. with cautious SEN
fences. TO indicate his discomfort with
The solution which Mr.. Asquith had re-
fused wholly TO reject-namely, the eX-
clusion Of Ulster from the Home Rule