Parliament v. The Army

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 256, 27 March 1914, Page 5

Parliament v. The Army

The my against the People Or*ij(Hsi Outburst 67Mr. Churchill. | ' - A C|ea*: i nss Struggle Developing, J ■' —Press Associ»i :uu—Copyright

THE ATTITUDE. OFFICIAL Ai-* .ESENTED TO i'ARLIA ,:NT. A GENUIN E. Ml-. NDERSTANDING. _ MlSLiAi>m; TlijC CABINET. COLONEL -E.ELV\- 1 > DISCRETION. London, March 25. The White Paper presented to Parliament stiittd that when the Army Council learned that the resignations were imminent its ordered the suspension of the seniors.; Brigade-General Gough demanded a.'cleifr definition of the duty required. All were prepared to assist the civil power but not in military operations again&t-jUj&wr. lie also enquired, if Home Rule became law, whether the maintenance might be construto mean ; enforcement of Home Kule. The Council' Replied that it was satisfied there was a mis understandings T t was not to crush political opposition to V, 1 The Council replied that it was satis, fied there was a miunderstanding. It was not intended to crush political opposition to Home Rule. Brigadier-Geneml Gough reported that his officers were unanimously of opinion that further inform;!t ion was essential before they wer>' billed upon at sucii short notice to turn deoi.sions vitally affecting their future. Especially was » clear definition needed regarding the duty required in Ulster. If it .consisted of the preservation of property and

couid not shelter hhnself from the civil law behind a superior's orders. If that order were unreasonable and outrageous —for instance, if the Army were called upon to massacre a demonstration of Orangemen who were ryot endangering their neighbors' lives—the soldiers would be justified in refusing to obey. What they were required to face at present was the possibility of the troops being called on to support the civil power and protect life and property when the police were usable to do so, Colonel Seely declared that he would hold officers individually responsible that nothing in their commands was subversive of discipline', | OFFICERS' RESIGNATIONS. The Army Council on Marcfi 14, believing Armagh, Omagh, Carrickfergus and Enniskillen were liable to' attack, instructed Lieutenant-General Paget to take special precautions, LieutenantGeneral Paget telegraphed that all the officers of the sth Lancers, except two, were resigning their commissions, and he feared the same condition prevailed in the 10th Lancers. He also feared the men would refuse to move. Lieutenant-General Paget telegraphed on the 20th that the Brigadier and 57 officers of the Third Cavalry Brigade preferred dismissal if they were ordered north. The Army Council replied authorising the suspension of the seniors and informed Brigadier-General Gough and the officers commanding the sth and 16th Lancers that officers were being sent to relieve them forthwith. The resignations of all officers should be refused. MOVEMENTS OF THE FLEET. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. London, March 25.

maintenance of order all were prepared to carry out orders. If it involved military operations against Ulster they

Would prefer dismissal. On the twenty-thin! Brigadier-General Gough asked whether, in the event of Home Rule becoming- law, they would be called upon under the expression, "maintaining ami order" to enforce Home Rule. He insisted on thi3 point being made clear.

Major-General Sir C. Macßeady, whom the War Office sent to Belfast to confer with Count Gleichen, visited Sir Edward Carson at Craigavon in uniform, intimating that he wished to pay his respects to the Unionist leader. General Richardson was present. The Manchester Guardian states thai, the W:-r Office staff, with two exceptions, intended resigning, but for Mr. Asquith's statement declaring- there was a misunderstanding. The Westminster Gazette (Liber.il) says it wouldvrathcr it should go on record that the Army had won the victory than the Government. "We would cheerfully Bee the Government out of. office and the Liberal Party in the wilde»w.Sß. What Messrs Ward and Thomas said yesterday the whole working class is thinking to-day." A miners' agent addressing the colliers in Cumberland said the time wjjp ripe for the formation of a trade union defence league ready to take up arms to resist opposition from any source. Mr. Churchill, in reply to Lord Charles Bercsford, said that the squadron was ordered to Lamlash, to deal with possible nervous disorders on Saturday night, but the precautionary movements of troops were .carried out without opposition, therefore he cancelled the movement of ships. (Ministerial cheers). The Admiral in command asked for Held guns in order to exercise the men ashore if the weather were bad. (Opposition laughter). Mr. Balfour formally moved the re jeetion of the Consolidated Fund Bill. Mr. Asquith said the coercion of }JI- - could never happen, and never would happen if Ulster took adva.iU.",,; ot' the Government's offer, When Cabinet met uoa'l with Brigadier[ieiieral Gough it authorised the Army Council to supply him with a document explicitly setting out the Army's duty, without giving an assurance of any sort. Afterwards Colonel Seely, without the Cabinet's knowledge, added a paragraph giving the assurance. The Premier, in conclusion, emphasised the fact that the Cabinet would never place the Government and the House of Commons at the mercy of the Navy and the military. lie declined to accept Colonel Seck's resignation, as it would be ungenerous and unjust to do so.

The reply, initialled by Colonel Seel/, General Sir John French and General Sir J. S. Ewart, on th-i '23 rd, authorised Brigadier-General <iuir:h to inform the brigade that the Council was satisfied there had been a misunderstanding. The duty of all soliders was to obey the Council's comma nds for the protection of property, tin support of the .civil power in the event of disturbances ; a,nd the protection »f lives. This was the only point the Council intended. lieutenant-General Paget put it to tSf- officers that Iho Government must retain the right to me troops in support of the civil power and for the maintenance of order. It did not intend to take advantage of it to crush political opposition to the policy and principles of Home Rule. COLONEL SF.ELY'S EXPLANATION.

Sir. Bonar Law there were many gaps in the White Kiper, which reijuir- ( ed flllftig before adequate discussion wag r possible. v Colonel Seely said he would conceal i nothing. The V»"l.i{<- Paper included r all the instructions given to Lieutenant- \ General Paget, but there were oral in- c structiong respecting the movements of t troops, also numerous consultations of which no memoranda were kept. f "A HELLISH INSINUATION"." a Mr. Amery (Birmingham South) ask- ' ed: "Will Mr. Churchill state whether he hoped purely precautionary measures would lead to fight ing and bloodshed J'' Mr. Churchill said he repudiated the * hellish insinuation. , | . Amid uproar, the Speaker ordered Mr. | 1 Churchill to withdraw the epithet, * Mr. Churchill reluctantly withdraw the 1 remarki "OVERWHELMING ULSTER." Colonel Seelv added that LieutenantG.ncral Paget's oflicers honestly belio*. Ed that a plan existed to overwhelm Ulster by a surprise attack. They were unaware that they were only being asked to support the civil poewr. LieutenantGeneral Paget denied the accuracy of the letter purporting to gwe his phrase "the country in a blaze." He said he meant a blaze in the press. Colonel Seely accepted the responsibility for granting conditions to BrigadierGeneral Gough. He admitted that he had misled the Cabinet inadvertently. He was honest in intent, therefore he tendered his resignation. The suggestion that the King took any initiative was absolutely unfounded. Mr. Greenwood said there was not a colonial in the Empire who would not be shocked by the events of the last few days. , ~ Oa CnVs«' -.••••"< t.ie .li - cussion »•» •' ' ,: l 0:1 t "° h . lacts WII IT K T IU'IY ELATION?. The Wiiie l'ijs« state 3 thilt on De ' cembcr Hi "» : took place bewn Colone' re* g'*en.! officers commanding, when the possibility of resignations was brought to Colonel Seely's notice. Colonel Seely dealt with the legal P qnestroa nr.d kid A** that a soldier

SOME OP TIIE RUMORS. VOLUNTEERS TO BE SURPRISED. UNIONISTS PREACHING SEDITION IN THE ARMY. London, March 25. The Daily Telegraph, the Times and other newspapers state that amazing rumors are in circulation to the effect that the Government, impressed by reports of the increasing efficiency of the I'hler volunteers, determined that the volunteers should be surprised and disarmed. Mr. Churchill suggested that the I troops should be moved secretly and rapidly and warship 3 stationed in the Liffey. The third battle squadron wa.s ordered to Lamlash, and the fourth division sailed from Southamp-

ton for an unknown destination. Lieutenant-General Paget, by his blunt conference with his officers, revealed the scheme and wireless messages stopped the movements of battleships. On Saturday the destrover division returned to Southampton. In the House of Commons, on the Army Estimates, Mr. Amery moved a resolution to emphasise the view that the Government was not entitled to use the army for party purposes. He said officers were prepared to support the civil powers against riots or disorder, but had the right to act as their consciences dictated, when the Government, for party ends, was risking civil war. Mr. John Ward (Liberal ) seconded the motion from a different standpoint. The House, he said, had to decide whether Parliament in future would have to go into committee with military men to ask if they would allow this or that Bill to be passed into law. Mr. Ward read syndicalist leaflets pleading with the Army not to shiot strikers. Mr. Ward accused the Unionists of spreading similar sedition in the Army. If wealthy folk wanted to employ such means to decide political problems the Labor Party was willing. "My class," he said, "will fight you to-morrow." He concluded, "What we demand is the right to make the laws absolutely without interference either from the King or the Army." The speech was followed by a remarkable demonstration, Ministerialists and Nationalists cheering for two minutes. Mr. Beck said many Lberals would resign to-morrow rather than sit in a House dictated to by Army officers. Colonel Seely had shown deplorable weakness. Mr. Amery said that Colonel Seely, with characteristic optimism, assured the Government that it might always reckon on the Army as a blind tool for any crime it meant to perpetrate.

Colonel Seely continued: "I said the Government must retain the right to use the forces of the Crown, but it is proper to tell you clearly that the Government has no intention of taking advantage of the right to protect civil power in order to crush political opposition." General Gough then said: "You had better put this clear statement in writing," to which Colonel Seely assented. The Adjutant-General prepared a draft of the first three clauses. Cabinet discussed the document, and Colonel Seely's conversation with the officers. During the Cabinet meeting Colonel Seely went to Buckingham Palace and returned as the Cabinet was breaking up. Colonel Seely concluded by saying he did not know that Cabinet had seriously considered the document and regarded it as final.

A PREDICTION AND A PRECEDENT. Received 26, 5.30 p.m. London, March 25. Mr. J. Ward, Labor M.P., speaking at Stoke-on-Trent, prophesied that in the next turbulent strike soldiers, following the precedent of the officers, would decline to suppress riots. MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECH. MR. CHURCHILL TAKES OFF THE GLOVES. "PARLIAMENT VERSUS THE ARMY." "SHOOT A RADICAL." Received 26, 11,10 p.m. London, March 26.

Mr. Chamberlain repudiated the suggestion that it was intended to use the Army for party purposes. He said the country now knew that Lord Morley had assisted in drafting the paragraphs and documents given to General Gough. If the pledge that Colonel Seely and Lord Morley gave was repudiated,,as men of honor they could not stay in the Cabinet any longer. Mr. Churchill, in closing the debate, said, on Lord Morley's responsibility, that he neither revised nor examined the additional paragraphs. He declared the two great issues that emerged from the proceedings were: Parliament versus the Army; and the Army versus the people. The Opposition, he said, laid down the principle that it was always right for a soldier to shoot a Radical or a Laborite. (Shouts of protest, the Opposition crying "Liar!") COLONEL SEELY'S MESSAGE.

I A FRENCH SUGGESTION. Paris, March 25. The Figaro conceives it possible that if the Kin/; were to refuse his signature to the Home Rule Bill, the Socialists might secure a majority and declare a Republic. THE HOUSE DIVIDES. GOVERNMENT MAJORITY, 92. London, March 28. The Consolidated Fund Bill was read in the House of Commons a second time, bv 314 votes to 222. VICTORIAN SQUATTER'S OFFER. Melbourne, March 26. Mr. Horsfall, a prominent pastoralist, has cabled to Sir E. Carson that, as Mr. Asquith refuses a referendnm, he will give £20,000 to help the Ulsterinen if tlicy are driven to fight.

ON 13 ROAD 'JXJ REVOLUTION. ARMY DICTATION. Received 20, 10.40 p.m. London, March 26. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald said that if tlm position revealed by the White Paper had been the Government's position, it could not have lived for twentyfour h.ours. lie was delighted that it was not ihe Government's position. Sit- Edward <!rev had said that when the Cabinet authorised its communications to General Gough, the latter's letter of the 23rd was not before them. The paragraphs that Colonel Seely added were harmless in themselves, but Cabinet was unable to endorse them, because they appeared as an answer to General Gough. The Government still maintained that General Gough returned unconditionally. The Government stood by the first portion of the communication, and was responsible for nothing else. The Government never contemplated force to coerce. Ulster, but was prepared to use force to any extent to make the will of the country prevail. That contingency, however, would not arive for a long time. lie looked with the greatest loathing and reluctance upon any prospect of coercion. and sl.il| it would be avoid-

ed. Ti;it tiie one road to a certain revolution was for the Government to allow its policy to lie dictaled or inlluenced by the officers' politics, HOW TIIK MISTAKE HAPPENED. THE AGREEMENT WITH THE OFFICERS. Received 25, 8.45 p.m. London, March 25. In the House, Colonel Seely empha■Ketl that the suggestion that the King had taken any initiative in this matter was absolutely without foundatiun 111 the broadest .sense.' Ili.s Majesty took 110 initiative of any kind. Colonel Seely repeated this, amidst loud Opposition cheer?. Colonel Seely, continuing, said it had appeared to the Government and T.ieut-enant-Oneral Rii A. H. Paget that the movement to protect the depots might result ill civil commotion, and they therefore took stepH to support the troops, but were anxioiiß to avoid any provocative action. The resignations were due to a complete and hon.'-st misapprehension. General Paget had made a statement that the officers believed there was a plan to overwhelm Ulster by surprise attacks. He said that during hi 3 interview with the officers, he a?kcd Brigadier-Coneral Gough how the 1 difficulty had arisen. General Goug! ! replied: "Bccauso we thought wo were ' going to bo asked to coerce Ulster, and 1 this seemed to get outside lawful or- ' dcrs."

A NEW CHARTER FOR THE ARMY."' Received 26, 10.10 p.m. London, March 26. Mr. Balfour pointed out that Colonel Seely still adhered to his two paragraphs. It must be presumed that the Government agreed, as Colonel Seely remained in the Cabinet. Certainly the paragraphs represented facts. Colonel Seely had told the country the truth in words which were unmistakable, words which the whole Army would take as a charter. It was now hopeless to force disruptive legislation at the point of the bayonet.

Mr. A6quit.li regretted the most unfair, inconsiderate and improper attempt to bring the King's name into political events. From first to last his Majesty had observed in every way the position of a constitutional monarch. lie was not going to accept Colonel Seelv's resignation because that would be ungenerous itnd unjust, when the error was committed at a timp. of great stress and anxiety.

SEIZURE OF ARMS. Received 27, 12.45 a.m. London, March 26. 1 A special jury at the Belfast Assizes 1 awarded £IOO to the son of a gunsmith, j as damages from the Customs authorities for seizure of goods under the pro- i clamalion prohibiting the importation of ' arms. The judge restricted the hear- • ing to the facts, and left the legal qncs- < (ion to the ihglier Court. 1 1 SIR EDWABO CARSON INTERVIEWED. Received 27, 12.45 a.m. London, March 20. Sir Edward Carson, interviewed, said that any previous Government would have been compelled to resign after such an extraordinary muddle, bu the Parliament Act and payment of members enabled Cabinet to carry on without regard to decency. "AN INGLORIorS FIGURE." TltoriiLK AMONG MINISTERS. I'eee.'ved 27, 12.-15 a.m. London, March 2(1. Lord Morlev, in the House of Lords, repeated Colonel Seely's explanation, lie incidentally admitted that he was cognisant of the complete document, J which Colonel Seely showed liini to enable him (Lord Morley) to answer questions. The Chronicde states: "Colonel Seely cut an inglorious figure. But ho is a fine type of the English gentleman. The manliness and caiulo'.r of his apo oc:es ' aroused univcr= ' • iqiathy, ar i e ■ C. :<iiboi)s w to forgive : • I c 'ranklv c *~ jho Dai!- . tales that whf. ,-b----iK* oh T:.e • ■■■iy heard that Field-Mar- ; s..ai Sir J. French had signed General ' Cough's guarantee, Mr. Lloyd-George threatened to resign unless Colonel Seelv did. The latter tendered his re-