El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-05-16
ARMY
STILL ACTIVE IN
NATION SPOUTIGS
Bonar Law Urges That MI
tiny Would Be Justified
in Ulster Matter.

(Continusd From Page One)
other hand, the Labor members have
supported, or have refrained from at
facItinF. both legislative and admins
trative deeds OF the governmen tnat
in other circumstances they Would nave
denounced with wrathful 1ury. Inc
labor members have justified their ad-
herence on the ground that the mousse
Of lords must be abolished.
Government Gave In.
This has been the situation for the
last four years It was the situation
a few weeks ago, when the army Crisis
in Ulster was precipitated- army o.
ficers on duty IN Ireland were gwen an
optfon TO serve in Ulster 70 protect
army stores, # need be, even against
! sir Edward Carson's anti-home rule
volunteers, or else to be dismissed from
the army.
An oVerTT hellnlnS majority OF them
the government, thoroughly alarmed
and not quite sure Of the ground under
its feet. thereupOn explained that the
matter was a misunderstanding The
army officers demanded a guarantee
that they would not be required to take
the initiative in Ulster. Some para
graphs were added to this guarantee
by a few members OF the cabinet a1ter
without the knowledge Of the prime
minister.
Asquith Cabinet TOttered.
The fact that this guarantee was
given. presumably on the advice Of the
king. became public. The Asqulth gov
eminent tOttered- Liberals were in
censed and the Labor men were furious.
The cabinet was in a state Of panic.
Only the astute and unruffled Asquith
remained calm. But even he could not
have turned rout into triumph, with
all his cool skill, had II not been for
Incarceration of the ANYTHING nTIL
cool, the anything but calm, John
Ward
Enter John Ward.
John Ward is q Labor member from
StOke-on-Trent- he is a giant Of a
man. standing well over six feet and
looking a fit match for Jim Jeffries.
His mustaches are waXed and pointed
at the end, his collar is soft and his
hat IS a sOmbrero that surely must
have been imported from san Antonio
or FL PasO- A striking figure, he was
well cast for the part he was TO play.
The Conservative benches made the
mistake OF Haunting the guarantee
given to Gen. Cough and the army Of
ficers that they would not be expected
to attack the Ulster volunteers, and OF
praising the officers for the refusal TO
participate in the coercion OF Ulster
for political purposes"
Liberals sat sullen on their benches,
Laborites were boiling with anger. The
government would fall, said the wise
ones. 1t could not last out the week,
probably not the night. Then John Ward
stepped IN the breach. shaking ms
] fist at the Conservative benches he
I Numbered:
Tide Is Turned.
I'VE rejoice that you Cthe Tory party
have made the issue plain 1t is. Are
the people of this country free to make
their laws absolutely without inter
ference from either king or army'"
Not for centuries had the challenge
Of the democracy to the 2ristocracy
been put in palmer words with more
fervent spirit
Asquith heard He saw his way. The
government was saved. II there were
10 be an election now, the issue would
4 be the army vs.. the people
The king heard. He was in the
country, but he sent q messenger post
1 haste to London to ask the prime min
lister to set him right with the country.
I The truth is that George V was fright
ened out Of his boots. But it is bad
form in England to acknowledge by
word, look or deed that the king has
any thoughts, any opinions, or any
emotions So the prime minister denied
/ that the king had had anything to do
with the Ulster crisis; asserted that he
had acted only in a constitutional way;
as advised by his constitutional adj
visers- That definitely removed the
4 king once more from the realm OF
active, even If amateur, politics
Army still In Politics.
But It left the army in politics. which
is a bad thing for any country. whether
a monarchy or a republic. 1t was the
rock that wrecked Rome
Mr.. Amery, a Unionist member of
parliament. on that same fatefUl night
said that the officers had refused to
serve in Ulster because their con-
sciences forbade Mr.. Ward retorted:
HAS the private soldier no con-
science2 Do you agree that for the
the military men are called upon 20 as
soldier has the right TO disObey orders
If he had a conscientious Objection?'
Advocating Mutiny.
Bonar Law. the leader Of his males
tvs opposition. who presumably would
be prime minister If the Conservatives
are returned to power, said:
I'VE hold that the government under
existing circumstances has no right to
coerce Ulster, and that any officer who
refuses is only fulfilling his duty"
What about strikes?" yelled the La
Dor members
should great strikes be called. or q
series Of Industrial riots occur. and the
army be used to interfere with the labor
men in any way, the echoes Of this de-
bate will waken and deepen into the
thunder Of civil war-Ulster OF no
Ulster.
That the labor men are determined
that the army shall be disciplined is
proved by events that occurred later.
swEENEY CHOSEN ASSISTANT
SECRETARY or INTERIOR