The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1910. BRITISH POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1910. BRITISH POLITICS.

Few political secrets of modern days have been better kept than those of the Veto Conference. Even now, although it is some months since its. first sitting, nothing, even remotely definite is known ■ by the outside world of what has been done,', or what is the present position of affairs. Certainly a speech by Mr. Birrell was made, to furnish ground for a suggestion that the Conference had extended its objects so as to include; ''Home Rule all round." But the cables negative 'any idea that the suggestion has found support, From one, point of view it is not, perhaps, surprising that the secret has been so: well, kept, for in English politics'" personal, honour and political honour are. rightly, held to be inseparable. But yet it would not have been a matter of surprise if one of .the principals, in an unguarded moment, or by an unhappy choice of words, had given some small clue to the trend of the discussions. Nothing- of. the kind has happened, however, arid, incidentally, another striking proof of the high 'standard of- English political integrity is given, to ' other countries. We have never been sanguine of - startling results from the Conference, and we . still do not expect thorn.- The views-of the' two' parties on the subjects of Veto and House of Lords reform are too hopelessly divergent for either : party to be able to givo way on any important point. An ultimate decision can only. be given by the electorate. When the inner history of the' negotiations which led up to the 'Conference comes to bo written, it may be found that the leaders chose it partly as a means ,of "marking time" whilst King George was grappling , with 'the, huge mass .of work', thrown on him by his accession to the Throne, and partly, because neither' 'party -was sufficiently confident of success at the polls to' be desirous of a general election at present. Neither party, indeed; 1 seems to be in possession of a. convincing battle-cry at the moment. "But the Conference cannot continue to confer .indefinitely. When ,itß results .are announced the trouble may. be expected to begin.

If .we aro to believe one section of the press ; at Home, Me. Asquith 'will succeed in his manoeuvre, and there will not be a general election this 'year or; next, which is a - somewhat bold . prophecy -to make.' It seems to us that one subject of national importance, defence, might, bring on a crisis at any momenta : It has recently been admitted in ,the House that the Forces are 60,000 short, of. their intended strength, - and that there is no likelihood -of this shortage -being yovercome/ ' -It is beginning to' be realised 'that so far. as serious -training goes the new system is no better than the old, because serious training is expressly prohibited until the, war has begun. And the deliberate manner -in which Lord Kitchener has been shelved is; causing an increasing amount of unfavourable comment. The effect of these things on the public mind is strikingly shown in the. last annual report of the National Service League. From it we extract the following table of annual increases of membership : — March; lt»03 ' 550 March,' IDO4 810 ■ March, i 905 675 March, 190G 2.255 March, 1907 6,180 March, 1908 ■ ...;. 6,250 March,-1909 15,029 March, 1910 30,140 . In the year ending March, 1909, the League had 19 organising Secretaries, Twelve months later it had 45, and it now has, 50. Its total. membership is over 60,000, and its iricoriie nearly £21,000. But perhaps the most striking- figures of all are those relating to its adherents in the elected Chamber. In 1903, it had three members in the Commons. In 1906 the number had risen to 43. In the recently-elected House it is 163. Such extraordinary progress points to the fact that the nation is becoming -uneasy, and almost alarmed. The steady, even rapid,' spread of this feeling seems to be certain, for tho present Government is not likely to take any satisfactory steps to remove its With the nation,in tho frame of mind that it appears to be getting into, a chance word from the Continent, a tactless answer in tho House, or a damaging admission of unpr'eparedness . may _ at any moment set tho country in a blaze of indignation from John o''Groats House to tho Land's End. The Government would be routed,, and Lord Roberts's Bill for _ universal compulsory, military training would reach the Statute Book'.