THE KING AND ULSTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 7

THE KING AND ULSTER.

INTERVENTION RESENTED. ON THE BRINK OF FRATRICIDAL STRIFE. HIS MAJESTY'S ADDRESS. INFLUENCED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE TORY VIEW. FAILURE OF CONFERENCE PREDICTED. LIBERALS AND UNIONISTS ANTICIPATE AN EARLY DISSOLUTION.

By Telegraph-Precis Aesociation-rjopyrieht London, July 21. The conference of party leaders, on the invitation of the King, to discuss the Irish question with a view to a settlement, has commenced at Buckingham Palace. Dense crowds cheered the members of the conference—Mr. Asquith and" Mr. Lloyd Georce (Government), Lord Laiisdowne and Mr. Bonar Law (Opposition), Mr. Redmond and Mr. Dillon (Nationalists), and Sir Edward Carson and Captain Craig (Irish Unionists) —on their arrival at the Palace. The delegates were receive 3 by Hi* Majesty. . - ' Thp • King addressing the delegates said:— .-_■"' "It is with feelings of satisfaction and hopefulness that I receive you, and I thank you for responding to the summons. It is a.matter for. congratulations that the speaker presides. • 1 "My intervention at tho moment may bo regarded as a new departure, but the exceptional circumstances justify my action. - ."For months we have watched ' with deep misgivings the course of events in Ireland, the trend of which has been surely and steadily towards an-apnea! to force, and today the i cry; of civil war is on the lips of the most responsible and', sober-minded of.my people "We in the'past have ondeavoured to' act as a civilising oxamplo to the world, and to me it is unthinkable, as it must bo to you, that we should bo brought to the brink of fratricidal strife upon . issues, apparently so capable of adjustment, as those you arc now : asked to consider, if handled in a spirit of generous, compromise. "My apprehension in contemplating such a dire calamity is intensified bv my feelings of attachment to Ireland and my. sympathy with her people, who have always welcomed, me with warm-hearted affection. "Gentlemen, you represent in one -. form or another the vast majority'' of my' subjects at Homo, and you , also have the deep interest of the ■ people of nyy Dominions oversea, who aro scarcely, less -concerned in the prompt and friendly settlement ; of the question. lc l regard you in this matter as trustees for the honour and peace of all. '.-••■..■ "Your responsibilities aro indeed great. "The time is short, and you will, I know, emplov it to the 'fullest ad-' vantage, and bo patient, earnest, ~ and conciliatory in view of the magnitude of the interests at stake., "I pray God in His infinite wisdom , to cruide your deliberations, so that the result may bo joy, peace, and an honourable' settlement." . ~ . '. The proceedings were in private, and after an hour and a half were adjourned till to-morrow. _ . . : .. _ It has been pointed out that this was Mr.- Redmond's and Mr. .Dillon's first meetinc with the-King, in pursuance'of the Nationalists' lone-established uractice of not meeting Royalty until Homo Rnlq was granted. The "Daily _ Telegraph'' (Unionist) claims authority for stating that the suggestion regarding thpcbnferoncc was Mr. Asquith's, not the King's. GOVERNMENT URGED .NOT TO MAKE CONCESSIONS. London, July 21. One 'hundred Liberal M'.P.'s met and urged the Government not to make any concessions that would not be acceptable to the Nationalists, nor to arereo to a settlement involving a dissolution before the Plural Voting Bill has been passed. NO DEPARTURE FROM CONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE. London, July 21. The Marquis of Crewo (Secrotarv of State for India), speaking.in the House of Lords, declared thai thero would be no departure from Ministerial responsibility or constitutional practic.e. COMMENT ON THE KING'S SPEECH (Rec. July 22, 10 p.m.)' London, July 22. Tlie "Daily Ohroiiicle" says the Speech was jll inspired, for the cry of civil'war is nothing more or less than tlio Unionist party cry. Tlio Speech can only leave one impression on the niinds of Liberals. It is as if the King had spoken of tho -Unionist Party as "we," and of the Liberal Party as, "they,"' and the obviously personal oharacter of the Speech was quito unlike an ordinary document dictated by Ministers,- and makes tho impression still more painful. The least that can be inferred is that outsido official conversations tho King cannot be in tho habit of talking familiarly with Literals, otherwise he would not suffer from the illusion that a world of Tory ideas is tho whole world. Ho cannot bo so naive. Tho "Daily News" says it is impossible to conceal the mistrust aroused by the King's intervention to dissociate the episode from tho Parliament Act. "We do not know .who the responsible sober-minded people may be, but we do know tho cry of civil war raised in the Tory Press and tho platform." The lianWtary correspondent of the paper says tho Government must be identified with, tho utterances of the .Monarch. The "Irish Independent" Bays tho King, however desirous of peace, has gone the worst way of achieving his object, and lias, exposed himself to the suspicion of being influenced almost exclusively by the Tory view, and should have handled the-situation more tactfully and judiciously. The "Daily Mail" says the Speech is deeply moving as a personal effort. Itis of immense -importance, politically, as the King acted on his Ministers' advice, and it may be talfon that he speaks with their concurrence, and this is proof that they now' realise Ulster's hostility and ■ strength to resist. The ' "Daily Telegraph" says tho. straightforward appeal is a. tribute to the King's single-hearted patriotism. "The Times" says the Speech will nppeu.l to the nation at large, and -com* maud respect, The Kks realised the

danger of the State drifting into disaster of the first magnitude, and the cry about defeating the Parliament Act is absurd. LABOUR. MEMBER'S VIEWS. (Ree. July 22, 11.10 p.m.) . London, July 22. Mr. Ramsay Macdouald, interviewed, said the King's extraordinary Speech makes on© nib one's eyes and wonder whether bo was dreaming. The remark about civil war might with grace be the speech of a Unionist candidate .for Parliament. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Labour . member for Derby, commenting on two rebels being invited, and no LabourUeaders, to the Palace- Conference, said had lie used language similar to that need bv Sir Edward Carson and Captain Craig ho would have been in the Old Bailey instead of 'Buckingham Palace. If 'it is permissible for the wealthy classes to maintain such attitude ho would . not hesitate to tako.the same stand among his own people when placed in a similar, position of trial. " ■■■■.'

REDMOND SAID TO BE FIRM. (Rec. July 22, 9.45 p.m.) London, July 22. Little progress is being made at the Conference, due.apparently to the necessity of private consultation between tho members of the separate groups. The' Conference to-day is expected to discuss tlie area exclusion, which is ,'tho crux of the situation. ' Those in closo touch with negotiations are not hopeful of the Conference's's\iccess. " . > '■ Opinion in Ireland regards'failure as a foregone conclusion. It is reported that Mr. Redmond in-. formed his followers that ho would resolutely decline to yield one inch of the counties whero thore is a Homo Rulo majority, and on tho Unionist side they are equally firm in their resolve to claim the whole of Tyrone and Fermanagh. _Mr. Devlin, in an, interview, /said he did not expect any result from the Conference, and ho'did hot care what the Conference did or; failed to do, for tho ultimate result of the Conferenco must bo the complete . independence of Ireland., ■' ••: •" ; . EARLY DISSOLUTION EXPECTED.' • (Roc. July 22, 11.10 p.m.) : London, July 22. The Radical and Independent Liberals who promoted a meeting of Liberals dfr sired that the meeting should express its anxiety about the sovereignty of Parliament and its suspicion of tho Palace Conference, but 1 the largo attendance of Moderates carried a resolution in favour of the Government completing its programme under the Parliament Act before the' General Election. There aro renewed ' lobby rumours that, a General Election is imminent. Both Liberals and Unionists'share-' tho belief of an early dissolution.