ULSTER PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2210, 24 July 1914, Page 7

ULSTER PROBLEM

KING'S ACTION

ENDORSED IN IRELAND

' NO PARTY BIAS DISCREDITABLE TACTICS CRUSHED. By Telegraph—Press Association— Oopyrieht (Rec. July 23, 10 p.m.) . . . London, July 23. • Cabinet sat last night, and 1 there were also conferences between tho party loaders and the Speaker. It is believed they considered the exclusion of the six counties.

NATIONALISTS' MEETING. . London, July 22. \A meeting of Nationalists at Ennisiuilen passed a resolution to the effect that Fermanagh would nevor agrco to any sort of exclusion.

. „ London, July 23. ■ A conference at Omagah of Nationalists from Tyrone, Fermanagh, and iJerry City passed a resolution that at' the nsk of their lives they would never constant to be separated from the Irish nation.

CONDITIONAL OR. UNCONDITIONAL. •'«, T „ , „London, July 23.. Mr. J. Hodge (Labour M.P.), on a motion for adjournment, desired ■ to hnow whether the conference' was held C ? ii 10 n or ■unconditionally. It should have been dissociated from the 1 alace, and held in Parliament instead; Ii ? s have been niado clear tiiat tho conference did not supersede Parliament. • ■ Sir John Simon, in the absence of tho Prime Minister, promised to ask Mr. Asqmth to deal with Mr. Hodgo's suggestions.

KING FOLLOWED THE STRICTEST CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURE. . T .1 „ London, July 22. House of Commons, Mr. A. A. Ponsonby (Liberal) asked the Prime Minister whether the King's speech to delegates to the conference on the Home H P. question ]i,id been drawn up and published on the advice of His Majesty s Ministers, in accordance with custom and precedent. ■ Mr- Asquith. replied that the.speech had been sent to hiin in the ordinary way the day before, and ho took the whole responsibility. The King had. left the conference to determine whether the speech should be published, and the conference had unanimously favoured publication.

a. Robert Cecil (Unionist) tasked if the conference had been entriinoned upon Cabinet's advice.

Mr. Asquitli replied that, the King throughout had followed' tho strictest constitutional procedure, and had taken no step except in consultation with and upon tho advice of his Ministers.

COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS. (Rec. July 23, 10.30 p.m.) ' London, July 23. The Daily Chronicle" says Mr.' Asquith accepted responsibility for the King a speech with unreserved and al-. most aggressive loyalty, which does him more credit because it can be used to discredit liim and his party. The episodo illustrates tho difficulty of tho King entering the political arena. 1 In the present caso'tho fault is less m the speechthan in the publication, and Mr. _ Asquitli and Mr. Lloyd George lacked vigilance and judgment in agreeing to its publication. The "Daily. Telegraph's" Parliamencorrespondent. says Mr. Asquith's explicit'statement has .destroyed tlio 'flimsy foundations whereon- the legend was based that the King's , speech betrayed party bias. "The Times" says Mr. Asquith crushed with swift directness .the extraordinary attacks on the King by certain of his own followers and tho entire Liberal Press. "The Times" hopes also that it ends one of the most discreditable' episodes in the history of Radicalism.

Tho "Morning Post" says it has reason to believe that ono of the causes leading to. the conference was that tho Army Council l advised tho Government that'in tho event of civil war it would bo necessary to strengthen tho forces' in Egypt, India, and some of the Homo stations.

Most, of the Irish Nationalist newsgapers welcome the sincerity of, the .ing's speech. Tho "Freeman's Journal'' asserts that it exhibits no bias against Nationalist aspirations; but, on the contrary, desires a peaceful settlement.

Mr. A. J. Kettle, a leading figure in Mr. Parnell's (a former leader of the Irish Party) day, in a letter to the "Freeman's Journal," says he has given 'up hope of getting a real Homo Rule settlement from the Liberal Party. Ireland'is nearly done for the present with the party of words, and must soon hook on to the party of works—tho Tories. SHOTS FIRED AT VOLUNTEERS. (Rec. July 23, 10 p.m.) ; London, July 23. • Two thousand Ulster volunteers ilnd a Mid-Tyrone battalion paraded and received rifles'and bayonets. A company of Ulster Volunteers, while marching to Gleshcy, Tyrone, had three shots fired over their heads from the vicinity of a labourer's cottago. NO PROGRESS MADE. London, July 22. Reports are current in the' Parliamentary lobby, that tho conference has not progressed, and a breakdown is feared. IF THE CONFERENCE FAILS. "Times" and Bidnoy "Sun" Bervlcoe. London, July 22. The "Westminster Gazotto" says what has happenfed this week should warn all parties that failure may land us not only in Irish difficulties,' but' also in grave constitutional difficulties affecting the whole kingdom. . The respoiisiblo and sober-minded members of the confcrencc niay be expected to especially bear iii mind the supreme- importance of not exposing the King to public controversy and therefore making any reasonable sacriliee to reach an agreed settlement. CHEERED BY THE GUARDS. London, July 22. The conference of political party leaders on the invitation of the King has been adjoarned until to-morrow. Sir. John Redmond and Mr. John Dillon (the Nationalist delegates to tho conference) were passing the Wellington Barracks, when a number of the Irish Guards cheered them enthusiastically.