Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-31
Irish Resting
 on Their Oars
ARE ALLOWING THE ENGLISH TO
 FIGHT IT OUT.
IN COMMONS DEBATES
Premier Asquith Creates Surprise by
 Assuming Post of War Secretary To Resign from House of Commons.

London, March so-After all the many solutions of the government crisis which has been proposed and discussed, Premier ASquith announced today which none of the prophets had expected, or even suggested. The prime minister himself will assume the bur den of the war office, in addition to his other and almost crushing duties. He will resign from the house at this critical stage, when the second reading of the home rule bill is about to be taken up. and will appeal for re-elec- tion to his constituents in East Fife, Scotland, within a few days
 French and Ewart Persistent.
 Field Marshal Sir John French, chief of the imperial general staff, and Gen eral Sir John Ewart, adjutant general, declined to withdraw their resignations in spite Of the army order issued on Friday, which Viscount Haldane clev- erly framed as @ platform on which the generals might stand with consist ency and honor.
 It thus became impossible for Colonel J. E. E. Seely, who was co-signer with them of the assurances to Brigadier General Cough that the army would not be used to suppress the Ulster op- position to home rule, to retain the secretaryship of war. His resigna- ton, therefore, was accepted after he
 
 from the newspapers of his own party, which insisted he must go.
 A Unique Situation.
 Viseount Morley of Blackburn, lord president of the counci, who was part ner with Colonel Seely in drafting the offending paragraphs of the document, stands in the same position, and his withdrawal from office is expected to- morrow.
 These were the events in today's chapter of the continued story which Is keeping the country at the highest pitch of excitement and suspense. The present situation is remarkable in that the government nominally will Do without a prime minister and without a leader in the house of commons un- til the bye-election is held in East Fife. The writ for the election must give eight days notice and 1t will probably be issued tomorrow.
 The only practical loss to the party meantime will be the withdrawal of MT. Asquith'S voice from the debates. He will preside over the cabinet meet ings and direct manoedvres iu the house of commons, from an unofficial seat, while Reginald McKenna, the home secretary, and Winston Spencer Churchill, first lord of the admiralty, will understudy him as house leader.
 "Oh, I'll be handy if I'm wanted" MT. Asquith remarked to Andrew 6Onar Law Ilo OppOSlIlOn leaOef, WnO thought that the home rule bill could not be proceeded with in the absence of the premier.
 sWiiI Have Salary of S25,0o0.
 MT. AsQuith apparently corsu,ted no one except the king before his bold de- cision- His colleagues in the cabinet seemed to be as surprised as the other members of the house when he reveal ed his plans. MT. AsQuith Is already first lord of the treasury, which office he will continue to hold. If he had merely shifted from one office to an other, the resignation of his seat In the house of commons would not have been necessary, but he said that he had been legally advised that the accept ance of ''an office of profit under the crown in the words of the statute, necessitated a new election, although he will take only one salary $25, 900.
 The political seers gather that Mir. Asquith is in fighting mood.
 Letting the English Fight.
 Both houses today debated the sit ITation at great length, but the debates simmered down into merely assertions on the one side of q plot to seduce the army and on the other side or plot to crush the Ulster covenanters, with de- nials and counter-denials and heated personalities.
 No member of the Irish nationalist party, of which John F.. Redmond is the head, uttered a word in the house.
 The IrishInen are letting the English fight if out alone