Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-26
LSH PROBLEMS
BAFFLE PREMIER
Tome Rule and Draft in
Abeyance by New Ad.
ministration
POPULAR RULE FIRST
n 6 land Hopes Original
Policy Can Be Fulfilled
During War
POPULAR RULE FIRST
special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
GoDuyiOhf. bu Nr,s y-o,I T;n,r,

special Cable to EUening Public Ledger
+ Copvyioht. 1918, bp. Nc,o York Times Co.
London, June 25
Premier Lloyd George. addressing
the House of Commons on what he
called the battling problem of the
irish situation. said that it was caus.
ing perplexity to the Government.
which was now charged with the most
tremendous responsibility that had
ever been cast upon any in this coun-
try. 1t was dealing. he said, with
the problem of governing a country
without having the full assent of its
people, the most difficult problem in
the world. .
The Government, he said. had first
decided. both in the interests of the
war and those of equity and fair play
as between one part of the United
Kingdom and another, that the time
! had come when conscription ought to
be applied to ireland.
Change Irish Government
The next step which it took was to
make complete change in the gov.
ernment of Ireland. 1t came to the
conclusion that in the interests of eff.
cient administration it was desirable
that there should be a change. He
laid that the Government had dele
gated Lord French and the chief secre-
tary to advise it in regard to Ireland.
( and that they had reported that an
essential preliminary to the applica-
. ton of conscription was to adopt the
same process which had preceded CON
scription in the remainder of the
United Kingdom. They had advised
the Government. in the first place,
before putting conscription in opera
ton to enforce the law throughout the
whole of Ireland
The second step which they had ad
vised the Government to take was to
set up scheme of voluntary recruit
ing, more or less on the same palm as
that adopted before conscription was
enforced in Great Britain.
Seeks Assent of People
Another part of the policy was to at
ment In Ireland that would secure the
assent of the majority of the popula-
tfon. Mr.. Lloyd George said he agreed
that the Government could not force
through, In the middle of great war. a
measure which was regarded as highly
t(otentious by powerful bodies in this
y ntry. In his judgment, when the pol
1ey of the Government was proclaimed
thtre was fair degree of assent to the
thnt off l.
carry through a measure of self-govern-
ment in Ireland. He did not believe it
was beyond the capacity of the oHuse
~ carry through such measure. which
would deal wisely and equitably with
legitimate objections.
ell was sorry it had not been carried
through. 1t was a most fatal blunder
committed by those who believed in
home rule that they did not put it
through at the time.
Plot Was Deadly Blow
He referred to the conspiracy in Ire
land. in which, he said, powerful per-
senalities were engaged with the Ger
mans to subvert British rule in Ireland
Mr.. Lloyd George said that under
theseconditions 1t was impossible for a
moment to attempt to legislate, at any
I rate until these misunderstanding had
been removed. The cation of the Sim
Ee1ners with regard to the plot with
Germany was a deadly blow at the
peOpte Of Great Britain and at the
Dritish Empire at the moment of its
Greatest peril.
He said he was still hopeful that nor
NAL conditions would be restored in
G Ireland and that a settlement of the
irish problem would be practicable even
during the war. The Government he
lxv thA 1Alt had
claimed. but in the methods of admins.
tfation it must be advised by the mer
TO whom it had intrusted the admins
traitor in Ireland.
He hoped the House would not allow
the temporary bitterness arising out Of
the incidents of the last few weeks ir
iceland to interfere with the progress ot
that policy. Ireland ought to take hel
ehare In the war. 1t was the duty of the
aoyernment, first of all. before it tool
any further action in this matter to Sc,
that Ireland had opportunities to come
Voluntarily into the struggle.
< Asquith Agrees
Former Premier Asquith following
Lloyd George, said that he agreed wit
everything that was said in the latte
part of the Prime Minister'S speech re
garding the urgency of an Irish settle
ment as a necessity of war. The wa
would be seriously hampered by the ex
iatence of this outstanding and unset
tied Irish problem.
There were masses of Irish subject
n all the great communities of tn
crown. There was In the United State
"a Irish population far greater thai
to be found In Ireland itself So lon
~ the predominant feeling of those pop
Nations was one of unsettlement an,
6ven resentment against the existing
nxstems of government in Ireland. s.
fouG would the British armies. If no
s paralyzed. be hampered in the prose
eution of the common interests of tn
Allies