The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1914. STILL IN SUSPENSE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2174, 12 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1914. STILL IN SUSPENSE

Mn. AsquiTs's 4-ol.ay in aanouticing the details of hh proposals for thc > modification c?f the Home Bute difficulty, which are to be effiliediec! in the amending Bijl, is do doubt due to the fact that he is still unable to devise a settlement- which will bo acceptable to boi.li paftjes. There are now two volunteer armies in existence in Ireland, att<3 the Government aiieias to be quite yfc able to grafpfe effectively with' a situation which is in a- groat measure the result oi its own weal? and' vacillating methods. Mb. AsqCith and his colleagues have shown a deplorable lack of statesmanship, and are now trembling on the edgd of a precipice,, white 'Ireland is on the verge of civil war, The GoWB-meafc knows that anlssg Ulster is excluded from the Home Rufe S ch«ffle serious trouble is inevitable, and it also realises that if oicl'&sk'ii is provided; for in the amending .Bill it may lose the support of tfco Nationalists in the House of CohMnous, and be f&ead with trouble in other directions. We are now told that Mb. &EostoNo'3 pointed recognition ©f the Natkwnlist Volunteer's is intended! to let the Government know that there will bo trouble if the propßSed concessions to Ulster go further than the Nationalists are prepared h> agree to. ffliisi it is said, explains Mr. AsqoiMTS inability to announce any progress. On the other band, thij seriiss of defeats wliicli the Cloversmftnt has experienced at t)\p. lias warned the Ministry that the people of England will Hot approve of any sebenift tlijjt would involve the forcing of Ulster at the point of the bayonet tn submit to Win jurisdiction of a Dublin Parliament. Mr. Asquith is no doubt trying to find a way out which will hircD withthe approval of botli Sib EmvApn Cabsox and Mn. RupjioSfi. P,v.i this would seem to he more difficult tlinn : ever, and the. awkwardness of the '< position is iiimvisnc! by ihr, Kiel that] a section of tin; Lilienil Party is b,v , no means nnxions U> figlif fin election with tlw coercion of Ulster as (he principal issue, Thh group is probably bringing prcssvu-o to beaiin {e.vQuv of % ■peaceful i ; ctt.ktts6s3l, aven it it oaut«g a gevero stiain OS,

the allegiance of the Nationalist member*. ..

■ In a recent article entitled "Stocktaking in the homo Ride Crisis," the London S/Hv.later Mts out tlio varions possibilities as follow: —

ii) Tlie itroppius of the ■ Bill and the confession Uant Ireland cannot liave ikime IStilo, owing (0 flie csifiT-jici? oi' two li-c----innds, and tlmt thersforo the Virion .is Hie test, or, ratlwi , , the oufj", wej- of rognlnting lbs velations betiveeii th;' tsvo Irslands.

(2) The referring of the Bill to a poil ©f the I'seojfle. (Si A general etectien. H) The exclusion of Hi? liemogeueoas Ul*tei' wil.dei.it a time iijuit, iMut Hie rtpjiiicrttieu of the Bi!l to the rest cif Iceland.

{The. first possibility must be imled out, for it is no* too late in the day to abandon the whole idea of Home Rule, it is generally admitted that tonic form of !oi' Ireland is aow inevitable. A poll of the people or a referendum is obviously the prdper sotutton of the problem. The country sever been given the opportunity' of expressieg its wishes Til a deeisjte, aantm.T on the pjresent Home- Bule scheme, and the recent by-etections ifidieflito _ that the- electors are far from satisfied with ii The QoveJftBient, however, absohiteiy refuse to obtain a mandate from "the pcaple before placing the- Bill upon the Statute Book. The exclusion of. i[l.&ter is tie finly other course if , civil war is to be'avoided, and this road apparently l s blocted by tho tinderstanding bctweea the Minktry aiid the Natfonalists, the contents, of the amending Bill will show: whether Mb. and his > friends' can. be induced to assent to exclusion on the. principle thftt ftrectiaarters of a loaf is tetter than no I broad, .of whether the Gov-erniuont! will have the courage to cleitutely Mceludfl Ulster aad take the ■consequences. People are now ivcrndetnig what the House of Lords will do with the Bill If tljp Lords reject the measure it will still pass in accordance with the- provisions of the Parliament Act. Il is, however, possible that they raaj* to its second ¥ reading, nflcl amend ifc in dommsttee by cutting Ulster out. This would throw the , ' responsibility of rejecting this compromise ujkmi the Minktcfial 'majority in the House of Coinowna/and woiild give tlio moderate Liberals, \tk& are vmv uncomfortahlfi ovel- ifche trend of events, a final oppprt-ufiity of assevting themselves with th 6 object of ■savirtg tils poiuitry froiii a great' .disaster, The Souse of Lords may entto-arauv to iwstpoße the awsidemtioß of the principal measure until they him tiie. contents of tJso njiwiulIttg Bill. The unwillingness ef the Governmoflfc to dtsotosa' fully antt frankly the nature of its settlement proposals is causing extreme irvitation; which can only increase the chmcHlty .of reaohiftg a friendly agreffmant. ' ;