The Washington times., 1914-03-25
KING GGEoRGE.

KING GEORGE.
When King George and Queen
Mary came to the throne, there were
many Britishers to fear lest the
omen of their names might prove
significant of the manner Of their
reign. England's Georges haye
seemed fated to a painful incapacity
to understand what constitutional
rule means. George III and George
w, with whose careers Americans
are most familiar, lived through
turbulent careers Of quarreling with
the national purpose and the peo-
ple's ministers. The present King
Vat least lacks the diplomacy and
skill of his distinguished father, and
it is no secret that he, and perhaps
even more Queen Mary, strongly
sympathizes with the aristocracy in
the present social struggle that
seethes throughout the United King
dom. There is no public figure
more disliked by her majesty, if
common report may be believed,
than David Lloyd George, who, how
ever, comes near to being the idol
of the intelligent middle and work
ing classes. =, o..
Not in many decades has criticism
of the throne approached SO close to
the plane of open attack. as since
the army's revolt palsied the arm Of
the liberal government in Ulster.
For the moment, as was inevitable,
the government is criticised by some
of its own allies for being weak and
incompetent in yielding to pressure
from the throne, the army, and the
tories. In the passion Of the mo-
ment, Asquith is denounced for
yielding up the prerogatives Of the
commons and the parliamentary
government. But that will pass.
Every development will demonstrate
that it is more important than ever
for all true friends Of constitutional
government to stand together. Mr..
Gladstone used to be accustomed to
all this difficulty in maintaining his
coalitions; but the very necessities
of the case held his forces together
because it was so manifest that if
they divided, they would wreck their
whole cause. That lesson was not
so well learned then as it is now.
Mr.. Asquith will succeed where
Gladstone failed, because the lesson
is better understood today. He will
pass the home rule measure and it
will go into effect. Ulster will not
revolt, Che throne will not topple.
Things have proceeded just far
enough to warn all elements of the
danger of going too far, and that
will be the salvation of the situation.
The Asquith ministry probably
will not long remain in Office after
the home rule measure becomes law.
1t would better go to the country Of
its own motion; if it does not do SO
it will presently be defeated. But
that is only an incident. A great
campaign would restore the enthusi-
asm of the British masses, relight
the fires Of enthusiasm for the pro-
gram Of progress and social reform,
and force the tories, even if they
should come back into power, to
carry forward much of the liberal
program.
That has ever been the way OF
parliamentary progress in Great
Britain. The liberals fight through
the years when progressive meas
ure or set of measures is misunder-
stood, educate the country to under
stand it-and then have their thun-
der taken from them by an uplifted
toryism that finds itself compelled
tc make that much concession to
progress. But it isn't so material
which party does the actual passing
of the law. The country as whole
progresses.