An Anxious Time.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 75, 20 July 1914, Page 5

An Anxious Time.

HOME RULE FOB IRELAND.

QUESTION OF A TIME LIMIT.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright]

[United Press Association.] London, July 18

Cabinet has decided tentatively to move towards the abandonment of the time limit for Ulster, and resolved to; offer to allow Antrim, Down, Londonderry and Armagh to vote as a whole for or against exclusion. The ‘Government is prepared to consider grouping with this area certain Protestant portions of Tyrone and Fermanagh, but the Nationalists are insistent on the retention of the whole of Tyrone.

The Daily News confirms the Government’s offer to abandon the time limit if the Unionists will abandon their demand for the clean cut. A deadlock ha 8 been reached over Tyrone.

GRAVEST FOR CENTURIES.

London; July 18

Mr Lloyd George, speaking at a dinner at the Mansion House, said the prospect of equitable settlement of the industrial disputes was darkened by the situation in Ireland. He remarked that in the event of civil strife in Ireland when industrial trouble in Great Britain was maturing, the situation would be the gravest that any Government had had to deal with for genturies. The responsible men of all parties should strive, and are striving, for reasonable accommodation, and all having the country’s well-being at heart would hope that such efforts would be crowned with success. DIVISION IN THE CABINET. Tiie Morning Post says that ' a minority,, consisting of Mr Winston Churchill, Sir Edward Grey, Mr Harcourt and Lord Crewe, and possibly one of two other influential members of the Cabinet, favor a clean cut of six counties. The majority, including Mr Asquith and Mr Lloyd George, refuse to consider the concessions to which Mr Redmond has not agreed. Mr Redmond refuses to .consider any terms that do not include county option. GENERAL NEWS. The Unionist leaders .are as determined as ever, insisting on a clean cut. . The Irish Nationalist Press is more cheerful than for weeks past. It is assumed that Mr Redmond lias received a promise from the Ministry that a clean cut will not be conceded. The Nationalists are still gun-run-ning on the western, coast. After the second Cabinet meeting the Government’s views on the demand for Ulster’s exclusion were submitted to the Unionists’ front-ben-chers in the form of a counter-pro-posal. The front-rankers’ reply showed that no agreement had been reached, and the situation is unchanged. The Premier had a half-hour’s audience with the King. The Daily Mail says some American army offieers are training the Nationalist volunteers, in co-opera-tion with several ex-British officers, officers. Replying to the Irish-Americans’ offer to send fifteen hundred welldrilled and equipped ex-soldiers, the .Dublin committee stated that they are not wanted at the present stage, but suggested that each should contribute a dollar to the arms fund. Other accounts state that the Nationalist volunteers are organising on a war basis, with Major-General Moore as Comraander-in-Chief, and a systematic staff engaged in organisation. Many despatches were exchanged between the Palace and Downing Street on Saturday. The King delayed his departure for Portsmouth till late in the afternoon, when Mr Asquith accompanied him. Sir Henry Lucy, in the Observer, says the Government will decline the dean cut and will seek to restore the Amending Bill to something like its original shape. He predicts the possibility of a conference of both Houses over the amendments.

.Mi* Rhnciman, President of the Board of Agriculture, speaking at Batley, said Home Rule was assured. It was impossible, lie said, for either a Liberal or a Conservative Government to withhold it. The Government would not surrender under any pressure. Some of those who participated in the House of Lords’ debate spoke as though they were still “cocks o’ the midden,” whereas they ought to have realised that their supremacy was over.

FURTHER GUN-RUNNING. (Received 8.30 a.in.) London, July 20. A consignment of arms labelled saddlery and harness was seized at Dublin aboard a steamer. It is reported that four cruisers captured a cargo of rifles which were being landed from an American yacht near Teel in.